Ciao from Rome!  

As you probably know, at the end of October Rome hosted the G20 Summit, where the 20 most important countries in the world gather their leaders to talk about the future of the world. We the Italians sent a small reminder to the press offices of the summit and the embassies of the 20 countries involved. A symbolic communication, on a way smaller subject than the ones they'll discuss. But we are in Rome, and we were hosting them.

The summit was held in the beautiful new convention center called La Nuvola, designed by Italian architect Massimiliano Fucsas. To get to the summit site, each world leader had to drive down one of the biggest, most important and prestigious roads in Rome. The name of this street is no coincidence: it is called Via Cristoforo Colombo. Because Rome recognizes and celebrates the great Italian navigator who discovered America, and it is in Via Cristoforo Colombo that the great leaders of the world met. We the Italians is in Rome and this is how we welcomed the leaders of the earth, by asking all of them to equally recognize the great Christopher Columbus. Twenty flags, One great Italian.

In those same days I had the pleasure to meet the Italian Ambassador to the US, Hon. Mariangela Zappìa, here in Rome. It was at the presentation of a very important project, the Transatlantic Investment Committee: a platform dedicated to industrial, scientific-technological and entrepreneurial collaboration between Italy and the USA, organized by Associazione Amerigo. Stay tuned because we will tell you more about this important project in the future months.

You know that We the Italians have Ambassadors in almost any Italian region. Our Ambassador in Sicily is Pietro Viola, a very good friend, a professional who is very involved in promoting the US in Sicily. Pietro is also a fantastic artist who draws cartoons, and he was kind enough to dedicate one to me and to We the Italians. Please check this masterpiece, for which I’m very glad to Pietro.

A few days ago there was another important event, also here in Rome, which concerns (also) the world of Italians in America. Luckily, we were able to be present again to celebrate the Rapporto Italiani nel Mondo 2021 of the Fondazione Migrantes, now in its sixteenth edition. Thanks to a team of more than 70 authors led by the exceptional Delfina Licata, this year's report presents a wealth of information in more than 500 pages. We'll tell you more soon, but in the meantime, the presentation on November 9 was also a wonderful opportunity to meet and re-embrace some friends, including Delfina Licata herself, Marina Gabrieli (our Ambassador in Puglia) and friends Mike Pilla and Luigi Liberti of Patrimonio Italiano TV, who were kind enough to ask me a few questions that will soon be aired in their program. It's great to see friends again, to participate in the presentation of a masterpiece like this report, and to be able to relive emotions that date back to before the pandemic.

And finally I was able to reapply for my journalist visa to return to the United States, which had expired in July and could not be renewed due to the travel ban. Now that it's gone, I hope very soon to be able to go back to America and embrace the many friends of We the Italians who are there. Maybe, who knows, much sooner than I thought until a few days ago... also on this, stay tuned.

Our We the Italians’ family keeps growing, this time with a new author who we want to welcome aboard: Sabrina Penati, who starting this number will resume the Two Flags One Youth column, giving us the point of view of an Italian young girl in love with both Italy and the United States. Sabrina holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Language Mediation and Intercultural Communication and is a Master’s Graduate in World Politics and International Relations. In 2020, she interned at the Consulate General of Italy in Vancouver, and she is currently doing an internship as a Research Assistant at the Budapest Centre for Mass Atrocities Prevention. Her prime interests relate to international relations and cooperation, politics and human rights, with a specific focus on the United States, on which she wrote both of her dissertations.

Christmas is coming soon, and we want you to remember that our virtual store is the perfect place where to buy gifts for your family, your friends and – why not – for yourself! You can find more than 20 products in different colors: t-shirts, tank tops, hoodies, onesies, mugs, notebooks, pillows, totes, tapestries, pins, laptop and smartphone cases, magnets, stickers, masks. Buy We the Italians! We chose Teepublic for our store not by chance. They aim to provide an experience you can feel good about, by sourcing garments from ethical suppliers and using recyclable shipping bags. Printers use DTG inks that are 100% biodegradable, water-based, contain no animal by-products, and are vegan-friendly. Misprinted items and returns are repurposed, recycled, or donated – nothing goes in the landfill. It’s important for us: we could choose different partners who would give us a higher percentage of what is sold, but we are happy with gaining a few bucks less but making our part in trying to save our planet.

Well my friends, once again it’s all for now. Please stay safe, please stay healthy. I won’t gonna stop saying this: the future’s so bright, we gotta wear shades! Ciao from Rome