5 NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS WRITE AN OPEN LETTER TO ITALIAN CANDIDATES AND MEPs

“3,5 MILLION POOR PEOPLE TURN TO 15,000 CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS IN ORDER TO EAT”

The number of poor people who are turning to 15,000 charitable organizations in Italy is increasing. Many of these charities point out the difficulty to continue their action in the future.
The same signals are also coming from other European countries, and not only from Greece.
The end of the Food Distribution programme for the Most Deprived Persons of the Community (MDP) in 2014 does not leave us in peace.
We welcome that the European Union and the Italian Government have prepared two important measures in favour of the most deprived: these are definitely signs of farsightedness.
However, we are concerned about the fact that in the current election campaign these topics are not treated with the importance they deserve, yet more than 3,5 million Italians and about 20 million Europeans receive food aid in order to survive.
For these reasons we would like to ask all the candidates:
to include in their agendas this serious emergency, which threatens to become from a social problem for many to a safety issue for everyone.

We would like to ask:
that they express their opinion on this issue in the last few days before the elections.

We would like to ask:
the future Parliament and Government to provide an immediate signal that they wish to tackle this problem. We advocate for a funding in 2014 for the Fund for the distribution of food products to the most deprived as provided for by the Decree of the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, in consultation with the Minister for International Cooperation and Integration, at least of the same amount given to Italy for 2013 from the European Food Aid programme (EUR 100 million), like other European countries are considering to do.

We would like to ask:
the commitment, in the coming months, of the Italian MEPs together with their colleagues of the majority of Member States in order to propose an increase of the budget for the new Fund of European Aid to the Most Deprived to EUR 3.5 billion.

As for us, we would like to be a reliable partner, to work with the administration and public institutions of our country in order to contribute to the common good of our country and Europe.

Can Italy deny its long tradition of examples of solidarity and charity towards the most deprived?

The Europe 2020 strategy aims to promote a smart, sustainable and inclusive economy in the EU, and Italy as well, achieving new high levels of employment, productivity and social cohesion. However, in order to ensure development and increase of incomes an employment growth is no longer sufficient, because it takes a too long. Today, a concrete and urgent support to the most deprived is also needed, so that they can give an answer to the lack of basic goods. In this way they will have the strength and hope to continue the hard journey towards a better future.

Signed by:
ASSOCIAZIONE BANCO ALIMENTARE ROMA ONLUS
COMUNITA’ SANT ‘EGIDIO
FEDERAZIONE NAZIONALE SOCIETA’ DI SAN VINCENZO DE PAOLI Consiglio Nazionale Italiano - ONLUS
FONDAZIONE BANCO ALIMENTARE ONLUS
FONDAZIONE BANCO DELLE OPERE DI CARITA’ ONLUS