MOA between SIMI and CEE
As a result of the visit of the Director to the headquarter of the Comisión de Migracionesdella Conferencia Episcopal Española (CEE) last October, SIMI reached an initial agreement for the signing of a MOA with the above mentioned commission entailing the latter´s support to the on-line Graduate Diploma Program in Pastoral Care of Human Mobility. A draft of a MOA was prepared defining the spheres of collaboration for the offer of the innovative training program, which now is officially recognized of the Spanish Bishops´ Conference. The MOA should be singed at the beginning of next year and its effects will be visible starting from the 2012-2013 school-year.
Over 40 people enrolled in the Diploma 
On 6 December 2011 the basic level of the Graduate Diploma Program in Pastoral Care of Human Mobility was initiated. SIMI offer this new program on-line in Italian, English and Spanish starting from this year. Even if there was little time to publicize the program, 41 students enrolled in the five courses of this first edition. The students reside in different countries worldwide: Japan, the Philippines, Singapore, Australia, USA, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Germany and Italy. The at distance lessons are to be offered from December 2011 to June 2012 and they will conclude with the final examinations and the related delivery of the diploma of the basic level. Click here to get more information about the program.
124th Anniversary of Foundation
On 28 November 2011 Scalabrinian religious in Roma gathered to celebrate the 124th anniversary of the Foundation of the Congregation of the St. Charles Borromeo. Card. Velasio de Paolis presided over the solemn Eucaristic Celebration in the Saint Antonio Maria Zaccaria Chapel at via Ulisse Seni 2, in Rome. Representatives of the other Scalabrinian families, religious men and women, students of SIMI, Scalabrinian lay people, benefactors and friends. The feast ended with a convivial dinner organized in the hall under the Chapel.
SIMI Academic Act 2011
On 28 November 2011, from 15.00 to 18.00 hours, at the Newman Hall of the Pontifical Urbanian University, the convention titled “Mediterraneo. Crocevia di popoli” (Mediterranean Sea. Crossroad of Peoples) was held. The convention was organized bySIMI as Academic Act for the school year 2011-2012. Professor Marco Impagliazzo,professor Fulvio Vassallo Paleologo, H. E. Bishop Domenico Mogavero and Msgr. Giancarlo Perego were the main speakers. Prof. Matteo Sanfilippo acted as master ofceremony. The poster of the convention in PDF format is downloadable here.
MAPID Convention in Roma
On 30-31 October 2011 the 2011 MAPID Convention titled, “The Next Step” was held. It was a meeting organized by the Philippine associations in Spain and Italy which were directly participated in the MAPID Project (Migrants’ Associations and Philippine Institutions for Development). SIMI co-organized the event, which counted the participation of around 30 delegates proceeding from Madrid, Barcellona, Milan andRome. The celebration ended with the appointment of the members of the MAPID Regional Secretariat, which took up a series of committments to understake within the next 12 months.
Fr. Aldo Pashkja Deputy Director
On 1 September 2011, the Moderator General of SIMI, Father Sergio Geremia, appointed Fr. Aldo Pashkja, Scalabrinian missionary, Deputy Director of the institute. The newly appointed deputy director, fresh degree in psychology at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart of Brescia, has assumed his office on 10 October 2011 and was presented to the academic community of SIMI at the solemn Mass Start at the begionning of the new school year.
Holy Mass with Fr. Iuliano
On 10 October 2011 SIMI officially opened the new academic year with a solemn Eucharistic Celebration presided over by Fr. Giuseppe Iuliano, Director of the “Ufficio Istituti Affiliati” of the “Pontificia Università Urbaniana,” in the chapel of the “Istituto Internazionale San Carlo.” Several professors and students of the licentiate and doctorate courses attended the Holy Mass. At the end of the celebration all the attendants were invited to a convivial dinner in the refectory of the same institute.
The SIMI in Buenos Aires
From 4 to 7 October 2011 the director represented SIMI in the meeting of the specificsectors of the Scalabrinian Congregation held in Buenos Aires. The gathering titled,“From Triuggio to Buenos Aires: towards a Pastoral Cooperation in the Creative Faithfulness to the Scalabrinian Charism“ constituted an important moment of reflectionand planning among the different pastoral sectors. During this meeting importantcooperation initiatives between SIMI and the Theological Institute of San Paolo, Brazilwere envisioned.
MOA between SIMI and ACMRO
On 9 September 2011, SIMI signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with theAustralian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office (ACMRO) of the Australian Catholic Bishop Conference. Through this MOA both institutions committ to cooperate in the development and implementation of a new on-line academi program titled “Graduate Diploma in Pastoral Care of Human Mobility” in Australia. To know more about the MOA and the program, kindly visit the following link.
New quaderno SIMI: Witnesses of the exodus
In collaboration with the Urbaniana University Press SIMI published the Quaderno Simi No. 9. The new volume titled, Testimoni dell’esodo. Vita consacrata e mobilità umana(Witnesses of the Exodus. Consecrated Life and Human Mobility), was edited by Vincenzo Rosato and gathered the contributions presented in the “Atto Accademico” which SIMI held in November 2010. The volume also introduces other articles and pastoral experiences which have been requested from experts and representatives of different religious congregations. The Quaderno SIMI No. 9 is now available at the SIMI secretariat.
Human Mobility and Global Justice
The Università Cattolica Sacro Cuore in Milan, in partnership with SIMI and the Agenzia Scalabriniana per la Cooperazione allo Sviluppo (ASCS), held the second edition of theSummer School “Mobilità Umana e Giustizia Globale” on 18–23 July 2011 in Loreto (AN).This second edition titled, “Families which migrate are divided, reunite, are dispersed“,registered 19 students fron different Italian regions and Switzerland. Click to download aPDF version of the program (in Italian).
International conference in Lisbon
On 10-11 July 2011 at the Instituto Superior de Economia e Gestão of the Universidade Técnica of Lisbon (Portugall) the international conference “Religious Institutions and Migrant Communities” was celebrated. The vent opened the celebrations of the 50thanniversary of the Obra Católica Portuguesa de Migrações (OCPM). The SIMN co-financed the initiative and SIMI organized a session fully dedicated to the missionary work of the Scalabrinian Congregation among migrants all over the world. Click to download a PDF version of the program (in Portuguese).
MIM summer school in Valencia
On 4–8 July 2011 in Valencia (Spain), the Master Internacional de Migraciones (MIM) of the Universitat de Valencia, in partnership with SIMI, CIEMI and CEMLA, held the fifthedition of the Escuela de Verano titled “Migraciones de fronteras, fronteras de las migraciones”. Over 65 students attended the school that counted the presence of international professors. Click to download a PDF version of the program (in Spanish).
MOA betwenn SIMI and UAZ
On 8 April 2011 a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between SIMI and the Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas (UAZ) was signed in the capital of the homonymous Mexican state. The MOA entails academic and scientific collaborations with the departments of development economy and history of the Zacatecan university. To learn more about the event (in Spanish), kindly visit:http://ntrzacatecas.com/noticias/zacatecas/2011/04/08/firma-uaz-convenio-con-instituto-italiano-de-migracion-internacional/
SIMI days 2011
During the whole second semester SIMI held a series study days aiming at deepening some relevant migration topics together with scholars and experts. The study days were open to the students of the Pontificia Università Urbaniana to qualified auditors. Download here the program of the study days (in Italian).
Courses for the second semester at SIMI
From 27 January to 14 February 2011 it was possible to enroll to the courses of the second semester of the SIMI School,Year 2010-2011. All the courses were open to the students of the Pontificia Università Urbaniana and to qualified auditors. Download here the list of courses (in Italian).