Giving Bologna's immigrants a voice.

A journalist and a businessman are combining forces to try to improve the lot of immigrants in their city of Bologna, Italy.

Claudio Bacilieri works for the regional newspaper Emilia-Romagna News. His friend Pier Luigi Grazia is director of a company making specialized vehicles such as ambulances and bullet-proof vans.

They explain that Bologna has attracted large numbers of immigrants because it is noted for its many small businesses, where they can hope to find employment. Most immigrants come from Morocco, Tunisia, Albania and the countries of the former Yugoslavia.

Because Bologna is a university town, lodgings are in great demand and housing the immigrants has been difficult.

`Most of them have work permits, but those who do not drift into the criminal underworld of drugs, prostitution and petty crime,' explains Grazia.

The two men want to provide a voice for the immigrant communities by starting a journal especially for them and by making sure they are given air time on the local radio schedules. `They have the same rights as every citizen only they often do not know what these rights are or properly understand Italian laws,' says Bacilieri. `We want to help them to help themselves--and to be fully integrated culturally and socially. We also want to show the Italian host community that the majority of immigrants are honest and hard working people.'

In July Bacilieri and Grazia secured agreement from the Catholic radio station, Radio Tau, for an initial two hours a week slot for the immigrants. These broadcasts have now started, with items planned and presented by members of the different communities. Information on housing, job finding and other subjects is also given.

The newspaper is still at the planning stage but leaflets have been sent out to the immigrant organizations to give them the chance to get involved. It will appear in Italian and Arabic, and possibly include some items in French.

The two recognize that they are tackling a problem that is common throughout Europe and ideally requires cooperation across the whole continent.

They say that their inspiration has come from their visits to the MRA centre in Caux and from seeing the work of the Bologna-based European Centre for Education and Agriculture (CEFA), a nonprofit organization of service and cooperation which has been active in Africa, Asia and South America since 1975.