The first "compassionate community" in Italy is born in the Matildic Hills area, in the province of Reggio Emilia: the "InVITA!" project, coordinated by the Emilia Volunteer Service Center and supported by the 8xmille of the Italian Buddhist Union, aims to reduce suffering related to incurable diseases and at the end of life thanks to the support of the entire community.
Caring for one another and embracing the suffering of those close to us not only improves the quality of life of citizens but also fosters social cohesion within the community. In the hilly municipalities just a few kilometers from the city of Reggio Emilia, the process has begun that will lead to the creation of the first "compassionate community," a first in Italy in terms of end-of-life care and incurable diseases.
" Compassionate communities, " explains Silvia Bertolotti of CSV Emilia, project coordinator, "are a new model of care, a sort of open-air civic laboratory, a social ecology program that engages the entire community, creating support networks that assist those who, in the final stages of their lives, must cope with cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, or other forms of vulnerability typical of advanced old age." A compassionate community aims to build community-based caregiving support networks, grounded in com-passion (being close to someone in a situation of suffering, as opposed to mere "pity"), finding within them resources and skills, ranging from specific skills and healthcare services to empathy and mutual solidarity.
The movement began in the 2000s in Kerala, India, and has spread worldwide, with over 60 active experiences, extensively described and documented in articles published in prestigious medical journals. The project finds further theoretical, scientific, and methodological foundation in the 2022 report of the Lancet Commission on the Value of Death, which, to "bring death back into life," proposes restoring the rightful role of families and communities in supporting the dying. Caregiving relationships and informal networks are thus enhanced, alongside and supporting healthcare professionals. The sensitivity of the issue is evident, as is its relevance to current affairs: consider Law 219 of December 14, 2017, on Advance Treatment Directives (ADPD) and the Constitutional Court’s repeated calls for legislators to take comprehensive action on end-of-life matters, which have so far gone unheeded.
The project’s primary objective, supported by 8xmille funds from the Italian Buddhist Union, is to promote a better quality of life while strengthening social cohesion and "activating citizenship with a view to public health." "To achieve these goals," Bertolotti continues, "we conducted in-depth preliminary research into the community’s needs and resources in the municipalities of the Reggio Emilia hill area. We interviewed 28 citizens, both volunteers and non-volunteers, along with 14 caregivers. This was followed by the creation of a network that includes public administrations, the Union of Municipalities of the Matildic Hills and Tresinaro Secchia, the Local Health Authority of Reggio Emilia, and the Community Houses of the Unions of Municipalities, the hospice of the Madonna dell’Uliveto Onlus Foundation in Montericco di Albinea, managed by a cooperative, the in-hospital hospice in Guastalla, and numerous third-sector and volunteer organizations that care for the frail and incurable.
"This is a growing team," Bertolotti reiterates, "and is also attracting interest from neighboring areas." The next step involves the training of a new facilitator, called a connector , who will support families and social and health services in addressing the needs caused by the disease. This will be a sort of genius loci who will be able to work with five or six families, activating local resources and local networks, from neighborhoods to associations. Research and interviews have identified informational and cultural needs, primarily awareness of end-of-life protections and rights; and then practical needs, such as not being left alone—a circumstance that often extends beyond the final days of life—as well as specific social and health interventions.
"For this reason," adds Bertolotti, "it is necessary to activate local resources, which do not only include healthcare professionals and caregivers : these essential actors can also be supported by informal networks, such as friends, neighbors, colleagues, and volunteers." The project also aims to limit the medicalization of a condition that is not always short-term, as well as making social and healthcare services more economically efficient by reducing medical interventions, limiting emergency room visits and related costs, as has been seen, in particular, in the compassionate community of Western Australia, which collected and analyzed data on these aspects as well (a scientific article on the topic is "Researching two compassionate cities: study protocol for a mixed-methods process and outcome evaluation. Palliative Care & Social Practice", 2022, vol. 16).
Dr. Silvia Tanzi, head of the Palliative Care Unit at the Core IRCCS in Reggio Emilia and the project’s scientific director, explains that "the project is called ‘InVITA!’ because it aims to enhance life while it still exists. The first goal is to launch a trial on a few families thanks to the role of connectors and launch a call for citizens to become caring helpers. The scientific model? It has been validated with the prestigious invitation to participate in the World Congress of Palliative Care (in Helsinki, 2025 ) ." "We are on the threshold of a long process that is also social and cultural, because death is still a taboo, both for citizens and professionals, and must be brought back into the public discourse," Tanzi continues. "This is why theatrical performances and meetings in schools are an integral part of the project: we can start as early as the last year of school, because it’s important to remember that from the age of majority, you can make your own Advance Care Directives. The goal is to create a movement that will become a lasting impact, because a neighbor can get involved in a few weeks, but it takes 30 years to change a community’s mentality."
It’s no coincidence that the project will also include the drafting of a "Manifesto of the Rights to Life Until the End," of which Silvia Bertolotti provides a preview of some key points: "The first point is the promotion of the right to self-determination for people in vulnerable situations, followed by the right to accurate information about the health treatments they may be subjected to; but also regarding DAT, wills, marriage as guardianship, and supportive administration. Likewise, the rights of caregivers will not be overlooked . Last but not least, the right to education on the topic of mourning and death will be highlighted, leading to a new collective emotional posture and engagement among citizens."
The web portal www.in-vita.net — going online starting October 10th—will be the hub for all the resources and information available to the community, gathered especially over the project’s final year. It will focus on resources within the Reggio Emilia province, but also emphasizes the usefulness of much of the information beyond the local area.
The project’s launch event, titled "InVITA vorrei," will be held on October 10th, 11th, and 12th at the Officine creative reggiane-Ex Caffarri (Via Flavio Gioia 4, Reggio Emilia). A packed program of events will include a meeting with public decision-makers, healthcare workers, and journalists on Friday, October 10th, starting at 3:00 PM, during which the new information portal will be presented. On October 11th, residents will be invited to a tour of the former Caffarri building, currently home to the Re Mida creative recycling center. A number of "stations" will be set up to provide participants with a deeper understanding of the project, including through direct dialogue and interaction with the volunteers and staff who are part of the project management team. Specifically, they will have the opportunity to engage with experts on end-of-life rights and protections, to learn more and prepare to face even the most fragile phases of life with serenity and awareness. On October 11th and 12th, "A Kind of Prayer," a theatrical performance by the MaMiMò company, will also debut. Created specifically for the InVita project, the show is based on interviews with people selected for their unique experiences, which the theater has transformed from personal experiences into collective heritage, to spark reflections on life, death, fragility, and care.
Источник: https://the-civic-post.com/component/k2/item/215445