Hidden Voices in Italy
Hidden Voices is The Clewer Initiative’s core piece of training, and a key part of the Clewer Journey. Hidden Voices is based on a community resilience approach, which equips participants with the knowledge to understand modern slavery and exploitation; identify and support victims and apply this knowledge to a specific context. It also encourages participants to form action groups and put plans in place to tackle modern slavery in their context.
The Diocese in Europe is working with The Clewer Initiative to contextualise Hidden Voices for an Italian context, reflecting the unique challenges of modern slavery and exploitation in Italy. The work is delivered in collaboration with 'Out of the Shadows', an action group of Churches Together in Rome - a fellowship that comprises English language congregations of the Protestant, Anglican, and Catholic churches in Rome as well as Mediterranean Hope, the Refugee and Migrant Programme of the Federation of Protestant Churches in Italy (FCEI), and an "Impact Fellow" at The Lay Centre at Foyer Unitas, Rome. As a Romanian Orthodox Christian, he has also involved the Romanian Orthodox church and Romanian community in Rome.
Two pilot training courses will be delivered, one in English and one in Italian for Romanians who make up a significant migrant community in Italy.
By delivering Hidden Voices training to church communities across Italy, it is hoped that churches will become a place of welcome for vulnerable migrants and refugees, encouraging integration between migrant and non-migrant communities.
The first series of training sessions will be piloted at All Saints’ Anglican Church in Rome and with the Romanian Orthodox Community. Following the pilot, we hope to develop resources across the Diocese in Europe.
