The International Women’s Association of Modena had the honour of meeting the Mayor of Modena, Gian Carlo Muzzarelli, to present its mission and organization.
On 13 November the Board and members of the International Women’s Association of Modena (IWA Modena) attended the offices of the Comune di Modena to meet with the Mayor of Modena and commissioners Ingrid Caporioni and Ludovica Carla Ferrarito to present their aims and ambitions for this newly formed organization.
Founded in December 2014 with just a handful of ladies, the IWA Modena has now developed into a diverse, 60-member strong organization of ambitious and enthusiastic international women. In just ten months, this social and cultural non-profit association has made great strides in its mission of providing a central hub for internationally-minded English-speaking women of Modena where they can find new friends, participate in interesting activities and, if expats, find a wealth of support for integration into their new city of Modena. The organization is truly a fantastic first welcoming point for any newcomer to the region.
More than twenty members attended the meeting with the Mayor of Modena who personally introduced himself to each attendee. Welcoming the members of the Association to the city, Mayor Muzzarelli said, “Modena is an open city that welcomes and respects individuals and diversity. We want to develop even more cultural influences in which we invest in our city because we live in an ever more global community.”
The current members of IWA Modena come from 18 different countries (Italy, USA, United Kingdom, Sweden, Germany, Canada, Denmark, Australia, Belgium, Belarus, Greece, India, Korea, Malaysia, Malta, Palestine, Spain and Venezuela) and are made up of approximately 48% Expat, 17% Local and 35% Long-Term Residents. IWA Modena is extremely proud that it already serves over 60 members and reaches more than 150 International women across the region through its mailing list.
IWA Modena has created numerous activities to facilitate networking for the exchange of information and experiences and to develop friendships, all of which are critical for an expat settling into life in a foreign land but also to create new opportunities for native members wishing to look further afield. Activities include scheduled monthly coffee mornings and aperitivo, yoga classes in English, Italian cooking classes, play groups for IWA Modena mums and their children, nutritional classes and an action-packed Family Day to also welcome members’ families. Recently the Association undertook a walking tour of historic Modena to learn more about this great city, including the motto of Modena, “Avia Pervia”- to make an insurmountable thing achievable. This resonated with the ladies on the tour as this is what IWA Modena aims to do for its members, an example of which is the recently published Welcome Book that provides a wealth of information for anyone moving to Modena, including what to do when you first arrive, employment opportunities, access to healthcare and schools, and things to do in your free time etc.
This monumental meeting proved to be a wonderful highlight in the short life of our Association.
Watch an interview with our President, Simone Zaminer, on E’ TV Antenna 1:
Credit: E’ TV Antenna 1
Read more about it in the local press:
Gazzetta Modena, as printed on November 14, 2015
Prima Pagina, as printed on November 14th
Various articles as seen on the web, November 14, 2015. Please click each link…
www.comune.modena.it/salastampa
www.facebook.com/Gian-Carlo-Muzzarelli-per-Modena-647691558631437
www.facebook.com/pages/ModenaToday/125552344190121
Members who are logged in can view the entire presentation in English here:
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PDF DOWNLOAD – Presentation to the Mayor
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