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“The future of international cooperation in Sahel”, a whole week of meetings, debates, exhibitions, projections dedicated to the results of the “AwArtMali” project, funded by DG Home Affairs, Migration and Security Funds, Financial Resources and Monitoring, Union actions through the Asylum Integration and Migration (AMIF) fund of the European Commission, was simply a success. The initiatives, organized by Tamat NGO, the leader of the project, and staged between Perugia and Città di Castello from 21 to 25 September 2020, have aroused interest and participation not only for the quality of the topics covered, but also for the ability to return to the places of culture and sociality, cinemas, libraries, cloisters, a fact absolutely not taken for granted in the current phase of health emergency.

The overall organization was able to involve the world of school, as in the case of the Aldo Capitini Technical Institute of Perugia through the extracted screening of the documentary video TAMADENW (children of the trip) and the direct protagonism of students, it has fostered high-level debates on the prospects of cooperation in Sahel thanks to the comparisons held in Perugia and Castello City with the extraordinary contribution of representatives of the diasporas and guests of great prestige such as the journalist Andrea De Georgio and the director of “Africa Rivista” Marco Trovato, offered significant and engaging photographic exhibitions as in the case of the photoreportage of “The Journey Inside” by Paolo Saglia.

The final conference “Dialogues on AwartMali: a project for the present and the future of migration and development in Mali” is of great importance, an event in which all the partners shared the work done and the concrete experiences of a project capable of creating a local network in the field that has fostered Awareness of the risks of migration between the population of Mali and migrants from neighbouring countries: Ismu Foundation (Institute for Multi-Ethnicity Studies) explained the modalities and data of the survey of privileged witnesses, institutions and associations working in the field of migration in Mali, Giusti Events presented the products of the communication campaign and the creation of the TAMA365 app with which it is possible for the local population to inquire about the possibilities of investing in their territories the remittances of diasporas and job opportunities and reunification , Farneto Teatro recounted the tour in the villages and territories of the interior of Mali of the traveling theatrical show “TUNKA, the Aventure”, which directly involved pan-African actors and musicians that allowed to get in direct contact with the local populations beneficiaries of the project action.  The discussion with representatives of the diasporas and of the supporting ONG LE TONUS for future initiatives is decisive.

And it was precisely the future that was focused on the contribution of Tamat’s general manager Piero Sunzini who took the opportunity of the final conference to emphasize the need to give concrete continuity to the project in a perspective of autonomy and sustainability. This is because the success and foresight of the “AwArtMali” project originated from the activation of the local network, that set of partners and also of society who will continue to manage specific requests to international cooperation to meet the needs of creating concrete opportunities to ensure the stay in Mali of potential migrants.

In this sense, Tamat has already anticipated the times. A new project, funded by the Italian Ministry of the Interior, will be focused on creating job opportunities in agriculture and the craft sector, involving the “AwArtMali network” as an orientation and direction structure of different initiatives and activities in the field.

An idea of “cooperation at all latitudes” capable of moving from information to creating real opportunities.