Messina, the “Way – Welfare activity for Young” project was presented at Palazzo Zanca by the Municipality and Messina Social City. 

The administration of Mayor Federico Basile and the Messina Social City special agency led by president Valeria Asquini presented the “Way – Welfare Activity for Young” project yesterday, Monday 15 April, at Palazzo Zanca. At the meeting with journalists, the Mayor present, they took part the councilors Alessandra Calafiore, Liana Cannata, Massimo Finocchiaro, Massimiliano Minutoli, the president of the MSC Asquini and the member of the Board of Directors Daniela Bruno, and the provincial delegate of the CIP and municipal sports expert Francesco Giorgio.

"An intervention that aims to promote sports practice as a tool for education and inclusion, offering cultural, social and training opportunities to recipients, both direct and indirect. Our aim - said Mayor Basile - is to create a multidisciplinary network in order to make everyone protagonists, in the context of the six Municipalities, where the creation of both central and micro-area spaces is envisaged to be able to carry out inclusive activities. The project intends to involve all the actors who will be an active part of team work. A project wanted by my predecessor De Luca, and today continued continuously to provide a response to the entire municipal area. I am convinced that WAY – concluded Basile – will have a positive impact on improving the socio-educational aspect of part of our community".

"The main objective of a civil society and in this case of an administration is to promote social inclusion and fight poverty and all forms of discrimination through the use of sport, because its universal language is a fundamental tool for promoting inclusion, legality, healthy competition, personal improvement and respect for others", thus the president of Messina Social City Asquini. “The Way project was born from the awareness of the challenges we face in our community, especially in the most vulnerable areas of the city, and in line with our mission which sees us in the foreground on a daily basis having to face and support the so-called weaker groups, this motivated the Company, in synergy with the councilors concerned by delegation with the involvement of third sector bodies, to promote Olympic and Paralympic sports disciplines in order to create an inclusive environment in every district of the city where every individual, regardless of their socio-economic situation, economic or by their abilities, can feel an integral part of their community to offer opportunities for cultural, social and educational development through sport in an increasingly inclusive and intergenerational perspective".

The activities will be aimed primarily at young people, young adults and people with disabilities who find themselves in conditions of disadvantage and social exclusion, as well as individuals in conditions of socio-economic and cultural vulnerability.. A further important aspect of the project is that relating to assistance, provided for people with disabilities who are recipients of the activities and who will be able to use the transport service of the MSC company, just as the presence of specialized personnel will be ensured during the carrying out of the activities to guarantee wider participation.

And on the activitiescouncilor Calafiore he added "these are activities that are always open to the territory, and I am convinced that thanks to collaboration with local entities such as parishes, important objectives can be achieved". For councilor Minutoli in the context of his delegations “through the Way project we want to give a concrete response to the Municipalities, making them increasingly closer to the central administration and instead of installing fitness areas in the spaces, figures will be involved to support those who carry out the activity”. However, regarding the young people involved in the project, Councilor Cannata said she was satisfied because “these initiatives represent the most appropriate way to make young people protagonists of their own territory, thus concretely implementing the action implemented by this administration, as we have already demonstrated with the two editions of Games without Neighborhood".

The Way for project councilor Finocchiaro represents a further opportunity for the promotion of the sport-events combination, "sport is inclusion, it is integration but it is also events. Therefore, occasions like these allow us to organize important events to involve the entire city“. In conclusion from a purely sporting and technical point of view "the novelty of WAY – said Giorgio – is to consider the value of inclusion at 360 degrees, thinking about an Olympic and Paralympic path, taking care of details such as transport for people with disabilities to benefit from the activities". 

To implement the project, public expressions of interest will shortly be announced by Messina Social City for the selection of sports organizations and third sector bodies which will have the task of taking care of the organization of Olympic and Paralympic sports events and activities in the equipped sites in the six municipalities, as well as the launch of information campaigns relating to the benefits of practicing sports and inclusive sport. The selections will also concern sports organizations authorized to provide first level and basic training in the Olympic and Paralympic fields aimed at acquiring skills that can be used in the world of work.