November 25, 2015 – Italian Ambassador to Ghana, Her Excellency Laura Carpini visited Ashesi to speak with members of the community on "Migration and its foreign policy implications."
Her lecture touched on migration as a natural phenomenon; highlighting historical trends on national and global scales, and also some of the key reasons people migrate. She also talked about the importance of migration to leaders. “How a leader will have to act upon an issue or examine a phenomenon like migration is important,” she stressed. “This is because of its importance today, its actuality and the obvious implications on social sciences, globally”
Using striking pieces of ancient and modern art, and photographs depicting migration, Ambassador Carpini took the audience on a journey of migration from Greek mythology to present day migration of people to Italy. “I wanted to present a full vision of migration,” she said. “I think that art is always one interpretation that provides a key lens in reading social issues like migration.”
Following the lecture, she addressed questions and comments from the audience, on migration and immigration policies with regards to Italy. In conclusion, Ambassador Carpini stressed the importance of dealing with policies with decorum, both on the local or national level.
“You have to examine issues from every angle, even the most unexpected one,” she said. "Don’t be biased, or be taken by emotion. Sit back, analyse all the multi-faceted aspects of it. Create, imagine, inspire and lead."