Forum on Inequality and Diversity (ForumDD)

The Forum on Inequality and Diversity is an alliance of active citizens’ organizations and researchers aimed at producing and disseminating research, policy proposals and “methods for decision making” which can enhance social and environmental justice, defined as sustainable substantive freedom. It was launched in February 2018 and now counts more than 110 members and project partners. It relies on financing from some Foundations and it collected 80 thousand euros through a crowd-funding closed in October 2022. The Forum operates through advocacy, alliances with social and labour organizations, a heated and informed dialogue with public institutions and pilot projects at local level.
A video and some slides present our mission and vision.

The Italian website (daily updated) contains all the information and our Reports and policy proposals. Some material is available in English in this section. Among others:

• A strategy for a fairer future (May 2020);
• The proposal for Works and in-Company Citizenship Council (Feb 2021);
• A critical comment on Italian National Recovery and Resilience Plan (May 2021);
• A feedback on EC proposal of a Directive on Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence (May 2022);
• The proposal for Universal Inheritance and Taxation of Lifetime Inherited Advantage (June 2022);
• A comment after Italian political elections (Sept 2022);
• The proposal for a permanent EU science-driven public infrastructure that would perform both biomedical research and development (September 2022);
• “Pills of Hope” – ForumDD speech at FEPS “Recovery Watch. Public Conference on the National Recovery and Resilience Plan” – VIDEO (October 2022);
• “Pills of Hope – Priorities for Left Wing Politics” – A contribution to the Progressive Post (October 2022);
• A seminar that offers the opportunity to present to the Italian public the first results of the “Recovery Watch”– promoted by the FEPS (Foundation for European Progressive Studies) in partnership with FES and IEV and with the support of Forum Disuguaglianze e Diversità, and to understand how the recovery and resilience plans will shape the transformation of our society (December 2022);
• The study ‘Mapping of Long-term Public and Private Investments in the Development of Covid-19 Vaccines‘, which was commissioned by the COVI committee, was presented in the European Parlament by its authors (Prof. Massimo FLORIO (University of Milan and CSIL), Assistant Prof. Simona GAMBA (University of Milan) and Chiara PANCOTTI (Senior Researcher CSIL) on Thursday, 23 March 2023 and has been streamed here (March 2023);
• The launch of the campaign and the documentary “Health as a Common Good” to bring to the attention of MEPs the need to truly learn from the Pandemic in the EU commitment to public research and to raise awareness among all citizens on such a crucial issue, in support of the ForumDD proposal to create a European public Research & Development infrastructure and delivery organisation for medicines (June 2023);
• The comment after the approval of the Report on Lessons Learned from the Covid-19 Pandemic and Recommendations for the Future where the European Parliament recommends to the Commission and to the Member States the creation of a European public Research & Development infrastructure and delivery organisation for medicines and vaccines (July 2023).
  
• The comment on the deletion of an independent study commissioned by the European Parliament from the institutional website that highlights the current misalignment between the priorities of the pharmaceutical industry and public health objectives. ForumDD has requested to MEPs to make clear the reasons behind this decision and to make sure that no interference by pharmaceutical industry has taken place (November 2023).
• Forum on Inequality and Diversity has written a letter to all ENVI committee’s MEPs, who are discussing a draft report on the review of European pharmaceutical legislation to ask them to support the proposal of a European Medicines Facility that would aim at establishing the health priorities of the EU, directing the research and development of medicines, with particular attention to those not sufficiently covered by the private sector (February 2024).
• The Forum on Inequality and Diversity has launched a set of proposals to help bring the European Union out of the stalemate by updating its mission in the direction of social and environmental justice. They are presented in the book “Quale Europa” published by Donzelli and edited by Elena Granaglia and Gloria Riva. The Forum is engaged in a journey through Italy to discuss the book in more than 80 meetings organized by local civic organizations (March 2024).
• The comment on the decision of a group of fifty MEPs from different parties to support an important amendment to the European pharmaceutical legislation regulation, that revives the creation of a Public european infrastructure for vaccine, medicines and biomedical innovation, a proposal ForumDD has been advocating since before the pandemic (April 2024).
• A turn in conventional wisdom and common sense is necessary for the success of public and collective actions aimed at achieving greater social justice. The arts can play and have played throughout history an important role in influencing common sense. How does this influence take place? What does it need to be lasting? What specific role are contemporary arts playing or could play? These questions are addressed in a draft report “Common Sense, Social Justice and the Arts” (currently under revision according to the results of the Genova Seminar in April 2024).