Once again this year, the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) will participate in the “Meeting for Friendship Among Peoples” in Rimini (22–27 August 2025), collaborating in the pavilion organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI), titled “No Crisis Is Far Away.” The exhibition area will showcase MAECI’s and its partners’ efforts in responding to crises and humanitarian emergencies, mobilizing in support of local communities and Italian nationals in need of assistance.
The space will guide visitors along a journey that illustrates—simply, directly, and evocatively—the main phases of humanitarian intervention: the “pre-emergency” phase, focusing on humanitarian transport; the “emergency” and “protracted crisis” response phases; and the “post-emergency” phase, highlighting efforts aimed at building peace and development prospects and preventing future crises. The area will also showcase initiatives carried out by Italian Cooperation and by international, European, and civil society partner organizations in various crisis and conflict settings, including the Red Cross, Intersos, the Italian and European Civil Protection, and ECHO.
At the heart of this space will be a recreated Operations Room of the MAECI Crisis Unit (UdC). Visitors will be able to “experience” a typical day of the UdC through interactive simulations and firsthand testimonies about the operations conducted. Furthermore, all visitors who register for entry to the Rimini Fair through the Meeting App will also be able to access the “Viaggiare Sicuri” App, download it, and have it readily available to register their travels abroad.
The MAECI Pavilion will also host a space dedicated to the World Food Programme (WFP), a key partner of Italian Cooperation in multiple crisis contexts, particularly in the Italian humanitarian initiative “Food For Gaza.” The exhibition area will feature an interactive installation on the climate crisis for children, curated by Save the Children Italy, a talk area for debates and events organized by international cooperation partners, and a presentation of selected artworks from the Farnesina Collection and AICS interventions around the world as part of the exhibition “Identity Beyond Borders.”
Among the events featuring the participation of the Agency, noteworthy is the one organized by WeWorld (22 August, 7:00 PM, International Arena C3), titled “The Role of Women in Humanitarian Action: Between Resilience and Leadership in Crisis Contexts.” Speakers include Asmae Dachan, journalist and writer; Marco Rusconi, AICS Director; Rahel Saya, journalist and activist for women’s and children’s rights; moderated by Stefania Piccinelli, Director of International Programs at WeWorld.
The Agency will also take part in the panel “Sudan Is Not a Distant Crisis” organized by Intersos (23 August, 12:00 PM, International Arena C3). Speakers include Michele Morana, Head of the AICS Office in Addis Ababa responsible for Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan, South Sudan, and Djibouti; Irene Panozzo, political analyst and consultant; Marco Rusconi, AICS Director; moderated by Alda Cappelletti, Senior Humanitarian Advisor at Intersos.
For more information, visit the official website of the Meeting: meetingrimini.org
