cafebabel.com

My beautiful camp: Italy's Roma success stories

('Tom Gale',) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 10:00:50 -0000

Between a Roma camp claiming to be an example of social integration and a laundrette which is a supposed symbol of multiculturalism, profound problems linger at the heart of Rome’s gypsy communities

Second generation Romans in multicultural Italy

('Anj',) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 12:58:29 -0000

The facts point out that they are important for the country’s economic growth, but they are still stigmatised by the ruling class and forgotten by the law - what do young Romans Puia, Fatou, Queenia and Franck say?

Documentary Italy: love it or leave it in a Fiat 500

('Eva Vanhee',) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 12:00:00 -0000

When the lease on their flat in Rome was up, film critic Luca Ragazzi convinced television journalist Gustav Hofer to spend a last six months touring their country and understand why they were moving abroad. Little did they know that those were the six months that changed Italy

Recycle, reuse, design: eco-creativity in Rome

('Lucy Knight',) — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 10:59:33 -0000

Between designers, actors, musicians, cartoonists and environmentalists pure and simple, a look at the hidden side of Rome, where creativity and art combine to save the environment

Italian women for and against accused Silvio Berlusconi

('lebuffle',) — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 16:20:00 -0000

Whilst the satirical search engine 'Bungle Bungle' publishes videos of a million women protesters supporting the dignity of the female sex, Silvio's supporters protest in front of the law courts, where the Italian prime minister is due to show on 6 April, accused of the exploitation and prostitution of minors

Awa Ly: ‘Italians are curious to find out how I ended up in Italy’

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 16:30:00 -0000

From Paris and Dakar to Rome where the singer discovered two of her most important talents – a voice and lyrics full of energy

'Shooting galleries' in Europe: political jab or social cure-all?

('ruth gray',) — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 13:45:00 -0000

Supervising the use of hard drugs or not is an issue that's cropping up across Europe, with some countries tackling it with a different intensity than others; the UK has three injecting clinics. While eight progressive governments have already established the centres, others wish to silence such crazy calls for change. All in the name of morality. Obviously...

Music: (subversive) songs for the European city

('Nabeelah Shabbir',) — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 10:35:08 -0000

Madrid's famous Gran Via boulevard celebrated its 100th anniversary on 7 April, with a local survey seeing 'Gran Via' by crooner Antonio Flores top a list of songs dedicated to the city. From monkeys in Berlin to Red Bull and Swedes in Barcelona via Stalin in Warsaw, a selection of offbeat videos suggested by the cafebabel network

Europe falls in press freedom rankings

('James Friscia',) — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 13:00:00 -0000

If the old continent believes it still represents the paradigm of press freedom, then it is in for a rude awakening: in the worldwide rankings of freedom of the press published by Reporters Without Borders, many European nations are in a state of free fall. Yet a defence organises for what Kant called 'freedom of the pen'

Casa Pound Italia: Neo-fascists on the rise

('sarhanh',) — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 17:27:35 -0000

Casa Pound Italia is at the heart of the Italian Neo-fascist movement. 'We will build the world that we want!' cry the militants across the website of the group, inspired by a poet, and dedicated to action. Meanwhile there is no shortage of complaint, between accusations of violence, and questions being raised in parliament. A look at a movement inspired by fascism, but that refuses the label of 'extreme right'

Alessandro Mannarino: 'Italian brains have been infantilised by television'

('Sarah Truesdale',) — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 12:00:00 -0000

An emerging talent on the Italian scene, the 30-year-old Roman combines poetry with sounds from around the world, shoots music videos in Roma camps and slams the way of thinking in his country

Sourpuss

('Sarah Pybus',) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:00:00 -0000

Being 'as sour as vinegar' is a saying that's recognisable across the continent, but why? It starts with the word itself - vinum acetum means 'wine turned sour'. Idiom of the week

Talk of the city

('Annie Rutherford',) — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 12:06:57 -0000

Madrid, Krakow, Rome? Europe discusses its genius loci

Laura Cesana: 'There should be more Erasmus programmes for teachers'

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 12:00:00 -0000

A linguist and voyager, the Italian painter transported her Jewish origins from the United States to Portugal, where her multiple identities are exhibited by a flourishing brushstroke

Ripping up ballot papers in Italy

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 12:00:00 -0000

You could call him ‘Veltrozy’. The leader of the Italian democratic party wants to distance himself from his predecessor, Romano Prodi. Just like French president Nicolas Sarkozy wanted to distance himself from his predecessor, Jacques Chirac. Berlusconi however wants to delete the memory of the null economic growth

Typically Italian elections in April

('Sarah Gray',) — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0000

On 13 and 14 April the Italians go to the polls under an electoral law that no-one is happy with. Majority rule or proportional representation? A two percent or four percent cut-off clause? What is the best solution for Italy?

Losers weepers

('Annika Thornton',) — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 06:03:00 -0000

Ornela Vorpsi: me, Albania and the 'whoring of the human race'

('Mary Maistrello',) — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0000

The Italian-writing, Paris-dwelling, prize-winning Albanian writer, painter and photographer, 39, describes beauty as disturbing, discusses her inspirations and is hopeful for Kosovo

Rome: Europe = shops

Thu, 13 Dec 2007 12:00:00 -0000

We continue our series of articles visiting the streets of Europe which carry the continent’s name. In this episode, shopping and lessons in a non-existent Europeanism at the heart of Eur(ope?)

Italy: Fuck You Day

('Andrew Burgess',) — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0000

On 14 October the entirely new centre-left Italian Democrat Party (PD) chooses its new leader. An action far from a disappointment for voters

Rome's invisible taxis

('Nabeelah Shabbir',) — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 12:00:00 -0000

Third in our summer series tracking Europe's taxi drivers, where finding a taxi in the eternal city is like trying to find a needle in a haystack

Endesa takeover bid: good deal for shareholders

Mon, 28 May 2007 12:00:00 -0000

On 1 June, Enel and Acciona are due to discuss their Endesa bid with the European Commission. The latter then has 25 days to resolve the situation

Mario Lozano trial goes on...and on

Mon, 14 May 2007 12:00:00 -0000

The US soldier killed Italian intelligence agent Nicola Calipari in Iraq in March 2005. The Rome trial in absentia has been postponed to 10 July

Feminism: Mamma mia is dead!

('Jo Ashworth',) — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 12:00:00 -0000

Edda Billi, a Tuscan who has spent more than 40 years fighting tooth and nail for gender equality, recounts the history of the feminist movement in Rome

Rome: la dolce vita?

Tue, 09 Jan 2007 12:00:00 -0000

Being a geographical centre, Rome traces its own road in balancing the contradictary identities that flow in from the north and the south

Rome wasn’t built in a day

Tue, 09 Jan 2007 12:00:00 -0000

How does the ‘Eternal City’ juggle the need to preserve its past with the equally important need to construct its future?

Invisible immigrants: reconciling the Italian people

Tue, 09 Jan 2007 12:00:00 -0000

In an over-politicised city falling under the influence of the Church, Rome’s 10% of immigrants keeps growing

Vatican: keeping the faith

Tue, 09 Jan 2007 12:00:00 -0000

The Vatican – city within a city – and the Roman Diocese, which together govern the 338 parishes, 247 colleges and 558 Catholic secondary education institutions, condition life in the Italian capital

Amara Lakhous: civilisations at crossroads

Sun, 26 Nov 2006 12:00:00 -0000

‘Scontro di civiltà per un ascensore a piazza Vittorio’, has been consecrated Italy’s literary sensation of the year. The 36 year old Algerian-born author, who is Italian at heart, tells us his story