On 22 October 2022, the annual FOSIT (Federation of NGOs of Italian-speaking Switzerland) symposium was held at the USI Auditorium in Lugano. The theme of the symposium was the first objective of the 2030 UN Development Goal: ZERO POVERTY “Eradicating poverty in all its forms and everywhere in the world”.
The topic was dealt with from the point of view of current global challenges and ongoing humanitarian crises, in particular: climate change, Covid-19 and the war in Ukraine. These topics were addressed by four different speakers, who brought unique and personal perspectives to the symposium: Jacques Forster, professor emeritus at the Institut des hautes études internationales et du développement de Genève; Anne de Riedmatten, head of the Humanitarian Section of the Swiss Mission to the UN; Jean-Luc Bernasconi, head of the Fundamental Principles and Quality Division of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC); and Jörg Frieden, Helvetas Committee member and chairman of the Swiss International Fund for Emerging Markets (SIFEM).
After each speaker a stimulating discussion was held with the audience. SwissABILITY participated with curiosity and interest, which was also an opportunity to engage in a dialogue with existing non-profit organizations in Ticino. We strongly believe in the power of networking and we thank FOSIT for the precious opportunity it gave us.