Renato Ongania
Director and National Coordinator. Participant in the OHCHR Minorities Fellowship Programme in 2025 in an individual capacity; this does not constitute a UN or OHCHR mandate or endorsement.
ITALIAN EXPERIENCE · PEOPLE AND INSTITUTIONS
A local network with a documentary foundation
Municipal participation is made visible through named contacts and dated administrative records. This traceability is one of the elements of the Italian approach that can inform initiatives in other countries.
Leadership
Vincenzo De Lucia
Deputy Director.
Rocco Lanatà
Associate Director.
Rossana Lanati
Deputy Director for Relations with UNAR.
Michele Grillo
Adviser for Relations with the Presidency of the Council of Ministers.
Laura Mazza
Delegate for Academic Partnerships and President of Federformazione.
The 11 municipalities in the network
Names, act numbers and dates are drawn from the same records as the Italian edition. Administrative titles are translated for clarity; the original Italian wording remains available below each record.
Monteverde (AV)
Antonio Vella, Mayor
Original Italian record
Antonio Vella, Sindaco
Delibera G.C. n. 66 del 3 settembre 2025
Magliano Vetere (SA)
Adriano Piano, Mayor
Original Italian record
Adriano Piano, Sindaco
Delibera G.C. n. 62 del 7 ottobre 2025
Castrezzato (BS)
Luigi Cuneo, Mayor
Original Italian record
Luigi Cuneo, Sindaco
Delibera G.C. n. 111 dell’8 ottobre 2025
Piana degli Albanesi (PA)
Rosario Petta, Mayor
Original Italian record
Rosario Petta, Sindaco
Delibera G.C. n. 112 del 17 ottobre 2025
Irsina (MT)
Maddalena Lolaico, Municipal Councillor
Original Italian record
Maddalena Lolaico, Consigliere comunale
Delibera C.C. n. 43 del 23 ottobre 2025
Guardia Piemontese (CS)
Vincenzo Rocchetti, Mayor
Original Italian record
Vincenzo Rocchetti, Sindaco
Determina n. 160 del 15 dicembre 2025
Verucchio (RN)
Sonia Goretti, Councillor for Peace and the Rule of Law
Original Italian record
Sonia Goretti, Consigliere in materia di pace e legalità
Delibera G.C. n. 47 del 16 giugno 2026
Castrocaro Terme e Terra del Sole (FC)
Federica Pierotti, Executive Councillor
Original Italian record
Federica Pierotti, Assessore
Lettera di adesione prot. n. 7256 del 18 giugno 2026
Dovadola (FC)
Massimo Falciani, Deputy Mayor
Original Italian record
Massimo Falciani, Vicesindaco
Delibera G.C. n. 57 del 13 agosto 2026
Argenta (FE)
Davide Zanotti, Executive Councillor
Original Italian record
Davide Zanotti, Assessore
Lettera d’intenti prot. n. 0020093/2026 del 28 agosto 2026
Sogliano al Rubicone (FC)
Erica Comandini, Executive Councillor for Culture, Tourism, Volunteering and Youth Policy
Original Italian record
Erica Comandini, Assessora a cultura, turismo, volontariato e politiche giovanili
Delibera G.C. n. 144 del 25 agosto 2026
Minority contacts and thematic expertise
Linguistic minorities
- Patrizia Cannazza — Grecìa Salentina.
- Illary Licursi — Arbëreshë community.
- Carlo Pisano — Guardiolo and the Occitan language.
- Lino Pellissier — Franco-Provençal (Patois).
- Leopoldo Rizzi — Ladin people and language.
- Cristina Bollini — Esperanto.
- Salvatore Cubeddu — media and the linguistic minorities of Sardinia.
Religious minorities
- Irene Ambrosini
- Maurizio Bloise
- Mohamed Abdeslem Guerfi
- Claudio Olivieri
- Puya Roshanian
- Baljinder Singh
Ethnic minorities and cultural mediation
- Kaihan Mashriqwal — Afghan Community in Italy.
- Nilupa Fernando — community leadership, Sri Lanka.
- Santino Spinelli — Roma people.
- Luigi Carmine Scaglione — regional councils on Italian emigration.
- Milad Jubran Basir — cultural mediation and the Middle East.
Local observers
- Andrea Antonioli — archaeologist and cultural organiser.
- Roberto Bicci — vexillologist.
- Francesco Maria Graziano — children’s rights specialist.
- Elisa Mascia — cultural organiser.
- Antonietta Micali — teacher.
- Melinda Miceli — journalist.
- Sabrina Morelli — journalist.
- Michele Petullà — sociologist.
- Nazzareno Quinzi — immigration issues.
Partners and scientific committee
- Accademia delle Arti e delle Scienze Filosofiche
- Associazione Life APS
- Federformazione
- Fondazione Pina Alessio Onlus
- Istituto Internazionale Jacques Maritain
- Rotary Club Cortefranca–Rovato
Project appointments
Alessio Arena, Ph.D. — Director of the Summer School on Minority Rights. Appointment conferred on 27 August 2025.
Research grounded in this network
The first survey cohort comprises 11 municipalities as defined on 29 September 2026. Read the research design, team and collection protocol, and the principles for adapting the approach.