In politics, as in many other fields, you can’t improvise if you want to work well. Isabella Conti’s important career now includes the role of Councilor for Welfare, Third Sector, Policies for Children, and Education, Emilia-Romagna Region, which she carries out with expertise and passion. Always defending and safeguarding the citizens and the territory in which she was born and raised, and after receiving a record number of votes in recent elections, she is ready to face the many tasks that await her.
What are our region’s strong and weak points?
Our region has many strong points: a strong local identity, a long tradition of civic participation, an excellent healthcare system, and one of Italy’s most advanced welfare networks. In addition, the economic fabric has countless innovative small- and medium-sized companies able to deal with modern challenges. But there are also some weak points. There are still marked disparities, especially between urban areas and outlying or mountain communities. Young people have a hard time finding spaces and opportunities, and many families experience economic and social hardship. Likewise, maintaining services when faced with growing demand and limited resources is a real challenge.
What can we as citizens do to help the most fragile categories?
The first thing we can do is to care. Being active citizens means knowing, participating, listening. It means building relationships, recognizing the needs of others, and taking action even on a small scale: doing volunteer work, teaching solidarity, supporting local organizations that work for the common good.
We can also ask ourselves how every choice we make – from our vote to our daily shopping – affects others. Caring for the most fragile categories is a collective responsibility – no one saves themselves alone.
Climate change, migrants, youth distress. What are our priorities in such a complex world?
We live in a world where crises intersect and expand. The priorities are listening and the ability to create systemic answers. For example, climate change is not just an environmental problem. It is also a social and economic one, impacting on disparities, health, and migrant flows.
Migrants are not “an emergency”: they’re people with stories and rights. They should be received with dignity and integrated with intelligence; in addition, they provide a way to respond to Italy’s demographic decline.
Lastly, youth distress is a warning light: we have to provide spaces, counselling, opportunities. Investing in education, sport, culture, and mental health is an urgent political action.
Is a more inclusive society possible?
Yes, it is, but it demands courage, vision, and responsibility. An inclusive society is one that leaves no one behind, that doesn’t judge but accompanies, that values differences as a resource.
It isn’t built randomly: it needs specific policies, consistent daily decisions, networks of solidarity. It’s a long road, but it’s the only one that’s really sustainable for our common future.
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