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Rai and Society

Owing to its public service remit, Rai is not simply a business entity but is part of the social, cultural and economic fabric of the country.

The previous chapters clearly demonstrate that from a statutory level all the way down to the smallest corporate or editorial decision, Rai is always working to forge, vitalise and strengthen its bonds with Italian citizens at home and abroad, with respect for people’s cultures, religions, sensitivities, languages and any physical disabilities.

The management of this relationship creates a real two-way flow.
Rai not only offers an array of programming to fulfil its responsibility to provide services, news and entertainment but, above all, it is also receptive to the trends and realities of society, which it attempts, within the limits of its remit, to reflect and represent.

This commitment, which stems first and foremost from an ethical and civil sense, and only secondarily from legal obligations and prescriptions, is present throughout the Group and is embodied in specific structures, chief among which is the Social Secretariat.




Rai’s Social Secretariat is in charge of social communications and programming. It draws up the guidelines and reference principles for the presentation of social problems by Rai, within the sphere of the service contract between Rai and the Ministry of Communications. The Secretariat defines, proposes and/or carries out social initiatives, also in conjunction with associations and institutions, working on social issues outside as well as inside radio and television and multimedia programming. It takes care of and promotes the social issues represented by the associations and institutions operating in this direction, by directly interfacing with them, the aim being to draw as much public attention as possible to social problems.

In 2011, the work of the Social Secretariat developed throughout numerous cooperative actions and initiatives, all of which are listed on the website http://www.sas.rai.it/agenda/agenda.html.

As the Social Secretariat is a structure that provides a link between Rai and social communication operators, various initiatives have been produced in cooperation with institutional partners and associations working in this sphere.
They particularly include:
• Ceremony for the presentation of the International Voluntary Award 2011, organised by Focsiv-Volontari nel mondo for the International Volunteer Day.
• Third edition of the competition ‘Le chiavi di scuola’, promoted by FISH, Federazione Italiana per il superamento dell’handicap, aimed at rewarding good practice for the inclusion of disabled pupils in schools.
• Presentation of the DVD Quel che persevera produced by the Italian Navy Communications Department in collaboration with the Rai Social secretariat to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Training Ship, the Amerigo Vespucci.
• Amnesty International campaign to create awareness among citizens in civil rights issue on the 50th anniversary of the association.
• Io Proteggo I bambini campaign against child abuse, promoted and organised by Terre des Hommes Italia to coincide with the International Day for the prevention of child abuse.
• ‘BiodiversaMente: Festival dell’Ecoscienza’, an initiative organised by the WWF in collaboration with ANMAS, Associazione Nazionale Musei Scientifici Italiani.
• International Food Day, an initiative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the theme ‘Prezzi degli alimenti - Dalla crisi alla stabilità’ (the price of food – from the crisis to stability)
• Campaign against infant mortality, Every One, promoted by Save the Children, for direct projects in developing countries like Mozambique, Ethiopia, Malawi, Uganda, Egypt, India and Nepal.
• Ciotola d’argento journalistic award, promoted and organised by OIPA, Organizzazione Internazionale per la Protezione Animali (Italian association for animal protection), a non-government organisation associated to the United Nations.
• Nastro Rosa National Campaign 2011, promoted and organised by LILT (Lega Italiana per la Lotta ai Tumori) for the prevention of breast cancer.
• National campaign against the abandon of animals, promoted and organised by LAV (Lega Anti Vivisezione).
• Presentation of the book Per la verità, per Israele - Mille voci al tempio di Adriano, published by ERI and edited by the Summit association.
• XVII edition of the ‘Ilaria Alpi’ Television Journalism Award, promoted by the Emilia-Romagna, the Municipality of Riccione and the Province of Rimini and organised on the Cultural Association Comunità Aperta.
• XX edition of the Partita del Cuore at the Tardini Stadium, event in connection with the Telethon Foundation to sustain research projects on Muscular Dystrophy.
• VI Edition of ‘Hai visto mai?’, Festival of social and custom documentary, promoted by the cultural association Hai visto mai?.
• Football event at the Curi Stadium in Perugia between former Serie A plays of Perugia Calcio, the Italian National Football Team and the Italian National Team of Mayors and the ANM, Associazione Nazionale Magistrati in favour of orphans of the city of Sendai in Japan.
• Travelling exhibition ‘Il tuo paese è il mio paese’ organised by the Costa Family Foundation on the living conditions of the people of Tibet.
• Greenpeace press conference in collaboration with the Antoniano of Bologna for the presentation of ‘Kids for Forests’ the educational game to save the forests.
• Press conference to present the ‘XVI Giornata della Memoria e dell’Impegno’ in memory of the victims of the Mafia, organised by Libera, Avviso Pubblico and the Rai Social Secretariat.
• Press conference for the presentation of the CD of Tony Esposito Sentirai produced by Rai Trade and Suoni del Sud, in support of the association Italians for Darfur.
• 4th international short film festival Tulipani di Seta Nera: Un sorriso diverso, organised by the university student association Università Cerca Lavoro.
• Capodanno sul Mare – in collaboration with Radio1, a live, non-stop programme for New Year’s Eve from the Radio1 studios at Saxa Rubra and the Harbourmaster’s Tower in the Port of Genoa, with links with Italians at sea all over the world.

We also wish to mention the production
of works such as:
• the DVD Quel che persevera.
L’Equipaggio di Nave Vespucci made with the cooperation of the Italian Navy;
• the DVD Afghanistan 2011 da parte nostra and the DVD 2 giugno 2011 festa della Repubblica made with the cooperation of the Ministry of Defence;
• the DVD Lo sguardo di Capitini 50° anniversario Marcia della Pace Perugia Assisi made with the cooperation of Rai’s Umbria Offices;
• the DVD World Friends amici dal mondo made with the cooperation of Tg2;
• the DVD La buona terra - esperienze di agricoltura sociale in Italia;
• the book Per la Verità, per Israele made with the cooperation of the Summit association;
• the book Secondo rapporto sulla comunicazione sociale made with the cooperation of the Ces.Cos.;
• the photographic book Volti e Voci dal mondo made with the cooperation of Auxilia;
• the book Insieme e Contromano 25 testimonianze per capire il valore del volontariato internazionale made with the cooperation of the VIS;
• the book Meno alcol, più vita made with the cooperation of the Municipality of Pavia;
• the book Pubblicità e Progresso, la comunicazione sociale in Italia made with the cooperation of Sipra.

The Social Secretariat is also responsible for the production of descriptive voiceovers (in collaboration with Rai 1, Rai 2, Rai 3 and RadioRai) so that blind people can listen in to radio broadcasts describing the on-screen action of a number of popular television programmes.

The role played, with the aid of the Social Secretariat, by the Sede Permanente di confronto on social programming, which is made up representatives of sections of civil society and Rai, should also be mentioned. This is a standing committee for the monitoring of socially relevant output to ensure that the provisions of the Service Contract on respect and the quality of the spaces dedicated to social issues are implemented.