Federalism Award 2022 to the Forum for Italian in Switzerland

The Forum for Italian in Switzerland wins the Federalism Award for its commitment to the Italian language and culture taking into account the importance of national languages in general and minority languages in particular.

Il logotipo del "Premio per il Federalismo" — The logo of the “Federalism Award”

The Forum per l’italiano in Svizzera (Forum for Italian in Switzerland) brings together 38 organizations and provides a sounding board for Italian-speaking Switzerland. Organized into five working groups, it promotes Italian language and culture in all spheres of society, from politics to science. Last year, on the occasion of the 700th anniversary of Dante’s death, it paid tribute to the figure and work of the Supreme Poet with a series of events in all four language regions. In fact, the Forum’s activities extend to all Italian speakers in Switzerland. For this commitment, the Forum for Italian in Switzerland was awarded the Federalism Award 2022.

An award for the contribution of the Italian-speaking population to cohesion

By awarding the Forum for Italian in Switzerland, the jury also rewards the contribution of the Italian-speaking population to national cohesion. Ticino, for example, is much more than the Swiss “Sonnenstube.” Because of its southern exposure, it was and perhaps still is the gateway for migrants arriving in Switzerland. The southern valleys of Graubünden, whose population represents a “minority within a minority,” also face particular challenges. “The Italian-speaking population is an important piece of the mosaic that forms the ‘Swiss model,’ a model that has proven its worth,” said State Councillor Pascal Broulis (VD), a member of the jury and president of the ch Foundation. The Italian-speaking population builds bridges between languages and cultures in every part of the country every day.

Statua di Dante Alighieri a Firenze Photo by Folco Masi on Unsplash — Statue of Dante Alighieri in Florence Photo by Folco Masi on Unsplash

For vibrant linguistic diversity

The jury is convinced that Switzerland also derives its strength and identity from linguistic diversity. The Forum’s commitment to Italian does not only benefit the Italian-speaking population: it is therefore no coincidence that the Award finalists include other organizations that work for linguistic diversity, thus contributing to social cohesion.

Conference Italophony and the role of public service media

Switzerland and Graubünden for the promotion of Italian and Romansh

The culture of Italian Grisons remains a… unique heritage

Special mention to Play Suisse

Although it did not receive an award, Play Suisse received a special mention from the jury. SRG SSR’s streaming platform brings together the best productions from SRF, RSI, RTR and RTS. Set in various Swiss regions, they tell stories that reflect the diversity and different realities of Switzerland. The productions are subtitled in German, French, Italian and partly in Romansh. In some cases they are also dubbed, which facilitates building bridges between different language regions.

An award launched in 2014

The Federalism Award, endowed with 10,000 francs, is an initiative of the ch Foundation to reward a person or organization for its political, civic, scientific or cultural commitment to federalism and national cohesion. Launched in 2014, since 2021 it has been awarded on the basis of a call for applications. Individuals or organizations already honored with the award include Circus Knie, the easyvote platform, and constitutional and administrative law expert Eva Maria Belser, among others. The Forum for Italian in Switzerland is the first Italian-speaking organization to receive the award.

Interesting things to know about Italian in Switzerland

What do you know about the Italian language? The President of the Forum for Italian in Switzerland, State Councilor Manuele Bertoli (TI), comments on important (and less important…) questions. Watch the video here.