Looking out from the airplane window which overlooked Italy I began to acknowledge the importance of the week which I was about to become a part of, The World Italian Youth Conference in Rome.

Since I last returned to Australia from Italy in 2004 I realized the importance of Italian youth abroad and what it means to them and their relationship with Italy.

With my enthusiasm for all things Italian after two recent visits to Italy AusItalia.com was born in May, 2006 – a website designed to capture the attention of Italian-Australians and deliver them something to hold on to as youth participation in Italian-Australian events was dwindling.

By early 2007 Italy-Online was also available, and together with AusItalia.com and “The Italian Guide” (Community television), a mini lifestyle information portal was accomplished thanks to the vision of a few.

2007 was a great year for Italian-Australian youth’s development and awareness. GIN-Q (Giovani Italiani Network of Queensland) was growing and able to organize events, and other regional Italian youth groups were able to promote themselves via AusItalia.com and other online means.

Delegates were sent to Italian youth conferences in different parts of the world midyear, sparking calls by Com.It.Es. (Comitato degli Italiani al’Estero) and C.G.I.E. (Consiglio Generale Italiani al’Estero) to announce an Italo-Australian youth meeting in Canberra in December 2007.

About a dozen youth representatives from QLD., N.S.W., VIC., S.A. and W.A. were able to meet and express their opinions, forming G.I.A. (Giovani Italiani Australia).

It was decided at this Canberra meeting that the Gold Coast would host the 2008 Italian-Australian Youth Conference.
After months of preparation by various GIA members including Sandra Pitronaci (convenor), Emilia Belfiore (logistics), Michael Donato, Isabella Restifa and many others the conference that so many desired was turned into realization.

100 Italian Australians, including ministers, institution workers and youth, congregated on September 5th,6th and 7th 2008 at Carrara Stadium to attack problem areas within the Italo-Australian youth.

Conference Highlights - www.ausitalia.com/index.php/Italian-Australians/Giovani-Italiani-Australia-GIA-Youth-Conference-Highlights.html

This was the birth of an Australian wide official Italo-Australian youth group, something that our country had never seen before.
A document had been written and recognized. GIA’s voice was heard.

So where to from here? The 2008 Conferenza dei Giovani Italiani nel Mondo…andiamo!

by David Ferrini - AusItalia.com, GIA/GINQ

Photos of the GIA National Italian Australian Youth Conference 2008, Gold Coast Australia

Above Left : C.G.I.E.'s Franco Papandrea   Above Right : COASIT's Nereo Brezzi and Andrea Comastri

Below Left : Italian Ambassador to Australia H.E. Stefano Starace-Janfolla and the C.G.I.E.'s Luigi Casagrande,

Below Right :  Italian Work/Study exchange program - Federico of Milan (left) and Sylvia of Ancona (right) pictured with the Italian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Qld's Maria Maruca, enjoying a night out during the Gold Coast Conference.