Bocconi Ambassadors in the Fight Against Extreme Poverty

Five Bachelor of Science in International Politics and Government students at Bocconi University have been selected as Young Ambassadors for One Campaign. The sixth edition of the international volunteer program for the anti-poverty association, co-founded by the lead singer of U2, Bono, in 2004, was inaugurated in Rome in late March. The five students, Vittoria Anelli, Gaia Bottazzi, Giacomo Casali, Luca Garbarino and Juliette Namy, were chosen after a process that included first a written test, and then a motivational interview, which led to the selection of 40 ambassadors throughout Italy. "We are the most represented university," explains Giacomo Casali, "and we're very proud of that. Our task will be to pressure political representatives, both nationally and locally, to raise awareness and gain their support for our campaigns." These campaigns focus on fighting extreme poverty and preventable diseases all over the world but in Africa in particular. "It is essentially a question of lobbying, a term with a negative connotation in Italy but less so in the Anglo-Saxon world. Then pressure policy makers to pursue our requests," adds Luca Garbarino.

The hardest part is getting in touch with the right people to contact, but this is also part of the experience: "We need to find the right methods, sometimes we need to proceed in stages, from neighborhood representatives, to the city representative, to the national level. Our next goal is to contact the candidates in the European elections. In particular we want politicians to be committed to maintaining, or even better, increasing the Italian contribution to the Global Fund."

For the BIG Program Director, Vincenzo Galasso, being able to work in an association like One Campaign is a bit like closing the loop: "We give students the tools, we show them the way. But then the important thing is their hard work. Often in the classroom I tell them that they are dreamers, because they all have the desire to change the world, to be committed to a more just society that cares for others. What they are about to experience is an opportunity to give substance to their dreams."