Corbetta: a small town embracing inclusion on a big scale
Corbetta, a north Italian town of around 18,400 inhabitants, is the gold winner of the European Capitals of Inclusion and Diversity Award 2024 in the category of ‘local authorities with less than 50,000 inhabitants’.
Located near Milan, the small town of Corbetta punches above its weight when it comes to diversity and inclusion (D&I) as well as civil rights. Besides raising awareness of these key issues locally, its mayor and councillors have long been involved in positive actions, such as fighting discrimination against non-nationals and better integrating people from disadvantaged groups.
Targeted support for newcomers and disadvantaged people
“Integration of migrants and refugees is often a touchy subject in Italy, but Corbetta’s leadership does all it can to fight discrimination and stereotypes. We make these new residents feel at ease in our community and try to break down walls between them and local people,” said Marco Ballarini, mayor of Corbetta, who also welcomed the Gold Award as recognition of the town’s D&I efforts.
One key achievement is a project to help non-nationals in Corbetta to learn Italian and prepare them for certification of Italian as a foreign language (CILS). This project, staffed by a local association’s volunteers, has attracted over 150 people. It introduces Italy’s culture and norms, facilitating participants’ integration into society.
Corbetta also endeavours to support less-advantaged groups. In 2017, the town funded and inaugurated a playground for persons with physical disabilities. This park has proved popular and contributes to the town’s broader goal of improving the accessibility of public spaces. Also notable are the town’s apartments reserved for certain persons with disabilities or for women who are victims of violence, assisted by a local association.
Ballarini underlined that one of his first actions, after becoming mayor in 2016, was to make Corbetta a member of RE.A.DY, the Italian Network of Regions and Local Authorities committed to preventing, combating and overcoming discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. This network is all about mutual assistance, sharing ideas and best practices on the topic.
Challenges around culture and attitudes
“We in Corbetta are bold and positive about inclusion because we think this is the right road to take, despite the opposite trend in Europe and beyond today,” said Ballarini. He noted that a Corbetta delegation always attends Milano Pride Day, an annual celebration of the LGBTQ+ community. In 2017, the town was also the Milan region’s first municipality to conduct ceremonies for same-sex civil unions.
Italy’s media tend to ignore good news stories about D&I, explained Ballarini. Corbetta therefore mainly communicates about its inclusion activities through social media, explaining what it is doing and why, whilst highlighting the related benefits for all citizens.
“Funding is less of a challenge for our D&I activities than society’s culture,” added the mayor. He believes the town’s young people are more open to inclusion, as they attend school with people from many different backgrounds. However, older inhabitants also play their part, such as in a local association organising workshops alongside people with disabilities.
An award sparking European collaboration
“After winning our Gold Award, we got over one million views on our social media accounts, from across Italy and further afield!” said the mayor with pride. Corbetta was also congratulated by its two twin towns, Corbas (France) and Târgoviște (Romania), with which it intends to collaborate on future D&I projects.
The award surprised some our town’s residents, remarked Ballarini, but he added that it highlights how much Corbetta benefits from pioneering diversity and inclusion in a range of public fields. “This Gold Award has pushed energy our way and we hope other small towns will now emulate our pro-inclusion initiatives.”
