Project Description
We are continuing our world tour of our member organizations with the presentation of Magen David Keshet Italia and its president Marco Fiamelli. Interview conducted by David Azouley.
1) Hi Marco, could you introduce yourself to our readers? What is your personal and organizational background? What are your motivations for volunteering with Magen David Keshet Italia?
I am a professional soldier in the Italian army, I’ve lived for almost 10 years with my partner Federico with whom I made the ghiur [formal conversion to Judaism] in 2012 in Paris at the Mouvement Juif Libéral de France (MJLF). As I often say, I always found a connection between Judaism and homosexuality, the same organizational capacity, the same need to organize themselves into groups to meet and work together for the same target and the same ideals. Even when the environmental situation is unfavorable or even dangerous. You can be discriminated as a gay (person), you can be discriminated as a Jew, but you can also be discriminated by Jews as a gay and by gays as a Jew, often because people identify Jews with Israel.
2) Marco, could you tell to our audience which may not know well Magen David Keshet Italia a little bit more about your organization? Tell us about its history and its mission?
3) Could you describe the main activities of your association?
I know that you are organizing a conference in the next few days on the occasion of Remembrance Day of Shoah entitled, “The reasons for the silence – the pink triangle in the Shoah.” Could you tell us a little bit more about this event in particular?
4) Could you describe to our readers the situation and the rights of LGBT people in Italy? What are the more recent evolutions? What are the remaining struggles that are still to come?
5) Many people inside and outside the Jewish community are worried about the rise in anti-Semitism in Europe. Could you give us your feeling about the situation in Italy?
6) As I said at the beginning of the interview, your organization,Magen David Keshet Italia joined the family of the World Congress recently. Could you tell us your motivations for joining us?
Is important for us to be part of Keshet Ga’avah, because this allows us to be more influential in the institutions, both the Jewish and the [national] ones, to contribute, to build up and be part of a network for exchanging information and ideas. We as a group in Italy are small and young and so we need an organization that has expertise and experience to help us and advise us in our choices.
7) As you know, the World Congress is organizing its annual Board Meeting in Washington in April. We look forward meeting you personally during this event. Would you have a last message you’d want to convey to our members?
I will come to Washington DC for the annual meeting of the Board, I will take part with pleasure to debate with other members of Congress. All of us at Magen David Keshet Italia are very pleased to be part of KeshetGa’avah [and] hoping to be supported in our first steps and work together for the future.