For three decades, the Progetto Policoro
– meaning City of Wheat
– has been quietly fostering economic opportunity and social responsibility among young people in Italy, particularly in the historically disadvantaged south. Launched in 1995, the initiative, spearheaded by the Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI), recently celebrated its 30th anniversary, prompting reflection on its impact and future direction.
The project began with a simple premise: to create small businesses and employment opportunities for young people in Southern Italy, a region grappling with high unemployment, and emigration. Today, it has expanded to encompass 10 regions and 110 dioceses, supported by over a thousand trained community animators and having helped approximately 3,000 young people find employment through around 500 Gesti concreti
– concrete actions – encompassing businesses, cooperatives, and various work activities. These initiatives represent a capital investment of roughly €64 million, generating a production value of approximately €43 million.
The genesis of the Progetto Policoro
can be traced back to the Ecclesial Convention of Palermo in 1995 and the vision of don Mario Operti
, a Turin-based priest and worker-priest who then directed the CEI’s office for labor pastoral care. He collaborated with Monsignor Giuseppe Pasini, director of Caritas Italiana, and Monsignor Domenico Sigalini, then director of the CEI’s youth pastoral service – the only one of the original trio still living – to galvanize the Church’s resources in Southern Italy.
Monsignor Sigalini recalls being approached by don Operti with a challenge: He called me and told me we had to do something about youth unemployment. We involved Caritas Italiana, and then broadened the scope to include people with expertise and willingness to help.
He emphasized the core belief that work is a fundamental thing, a spark of God, a vocation that must be recognized.
The early days involved monthly trips to Policoro, Basilicata, to facilitate the participation of dioceses in the south, where key elements like the role of community animators – laypeople entrusted with evangelization in the world of work – were clarified. A novel aspect was the reciprocal relationships established between regions in the north and south.
As the project enters its fourth decade, adaptation to the needs of Generation Z is paramount. Marco Menni, vice president of Confcooperative, has proposed a renewed pact between the CEI and Catholic organizations. Today, Notice great opportunities – he stated – in re-evaluating ecclesiastical assets, such as in tourism. We need to regain responsibility regarding work and resilience in the territories. If the CEI supports these experiences, a new pact with organizations like ours, ACLI, Coldiretti, and CISL, which support young people, is also necessary.
Understanding the values of Generation Z – those born in this millennium – is crucial for the project’s continued relevance. Sociologist Cristina Pasqualini, from the Catholic University and a member of the scientific committee of the Toniolo Institute, which recently published a report on young people, highlights key shifts. The first novelty – she explained – is that they want to reconcile work and family life, even to the point of leaving a well-paying job. They are looking for flexible work and do not believe in job security. If they find toxic relationships in the workplace, they are ready to leave, even to move abroad.
These insights are informing the project’s renewal, as outlined by Archbishop Giuseppe Baturi of Cagliari, Secretary General of the CEI. The Policoro Project – he declared – continues to be one of the most significant experiences of the Italian Church in accompanying young people and proclaiming the Gospel according to the principles of social doctrine.
However, he acknowledged that the cultural, social, and economic changes taking place in the country, along with the transformations in the world of work and youth participation, require a renewal process that makes it more readable, easier to understand, more effective, and more integrated into ecclesial communities.
Archbishop Baturi emphasized strengthening the project’s identity as an ecclesial path founded on Social Doctrine, not just as inspiration, but as a language and method. He also stressed the importance of prioritizing relational and community dimensions. It is not enough to network. the quality of relationships between all actors must be cultivated so that they are generative, synodal, and capable of caring for vulnerabilities.
The renewed Policoro
project will focus on several key areas for dioceses, beyond basic training for community animators. These include developing opportunities in inland areas, strengthening socio-political formation to foster active and responsible citizenship, and creating and nurturing community networks for start-ups and the utilization of ecclesiastical assets. This new model aims to preserve the valuable legacy of 1995 while forging new paths forward.
The project’s success isn’t solely measured in economic terms. It’s also about fostering a commitment to ethical business practices, social responsibility, and environmental stewardship. The sectors involved are diverse, ranging from the preservation of artistic and cultural heritage to personal services, agricultural production to textiles, crafts to graphic design, food to tourism, catering to commerce, furniture to social inclusion.
