When I founded CEFA on 1972, my thought turned to the children, the women and to the most vulnerable people that I met during my experiences in Africa, Latin America and the Middle East . Agriculture was a strategic factor in the great problem of hunger and a means to achieve food security in the poorest and remote areas. In the meantime, big steps have been made, among these the Nord-South Foundation ( later renamed Bersani Foundation ndr) that was called to continue the action of CEFA and to ensure the development of the programmes for generations, with its own Property fund.Only with coordinated and long-term investments can we achieve self-sufficiency in food and bring hope for the future to the poorest and most desolate areas of the worldMaking a testamentary legacy to our Foundation will allow the provision of a new perspective for development and peace for future generations.
Senator Giovanni Bersani
WHAT IS THE GIOVANNI BERSANI FOUNDATION?
The North-South Foundation, later renamed in honour of founder Giovanni Bersani on his 100th birthday, was founded in 1997, with the aim of promoting, supporting, and implementing initiatives of solidarity and cooperation with the populations of developing countries, inspired by the concept of Christian brotherhood as the foundation of the common human family.
The objective laid out in the Foundation’s mission are mainly:
a) Education and sensitization of public opinion to the problems of solidarity, dialogue and peace;
b) Support of self-development projects with the granting of funds in the agricultural field and of the primary needs of the poorest regions and particularly needy populations.“The Foundation is called upon to give continuity to CEFA’s action and to guarantee the development of programmes for generations with its own Patrimonial Fund”: words of Bersani himself. The assets, consisting of the founders’ and subsequent donations and bequests, are essentially intangible, as only the relative annuities can be provided each year for statutory purposes. In accordance with the Founder’s will, the Foundation and CEFA are two sides of the same coin: they pursue the development of international cooperation with complementary methods.CEFA realizes self-development projects in the field and, by captilizing donations, the Foundation supports CEFA projects with the annual income from assets, as well as aiding interventions in cases of particular emergencies. Bersani loved to repeat that, with a donation to the Foundation, “the donor makes his gesture of solidarity permanent for generations”.
WE KEEP BERSANI'S TESTIMONY ALIVE
Bersani may no longer be with us, but there is still much need for him, in a world that is still so far from being “the village of all”, a phrase he often repeated.
As part of the statutory task of promoting awareness of the importance of solidarity and international cooperation, it is also vital to keep his memory alive today. His life can be an example to all those working in politics and society, as well as to new generations.
Bersani’s life can be a beacon of light for young people because it contains all the requisites of a role model: strong personal inspiration, farsighted planning, and a tireless vocation to action.
A Friends Group of the Bersani Foundation was set up to carry out initiatives.
We want to make the work known through the direct testimony of those close to him and to collect proposals and accessions on new initiatives. One key objective was the publication of a Biography of Bersani, released on the occasion of the first anniversary of his death, with the contributions of friends and admirers who worked voluntarily to create the book. (To obtain a copy of the book contact the secretary of the Foundation on 051 520285).