Crisis and community: grass-roots initiatives as space of migrant integration in Rome

Rome boasts a long history of activism, civil society organisations, and Community-Based Initiatives (CBIs): from squatters’ occupations to urban gardens, the city’s self-managed spaces have become true centres of integration and urban culture. These initiatives occur throughout the city, from the suburban periphery to more gentrified central areas, and represent spaces largely free of the capitalistic mode of production, offering instead a robust response to issues such as the lack of affordable housing, the need for support and legal protection for asylum seekers, as well as psychological support and other services (for example language courses for immigrants, vocational courses, etc.). Many CBIs thus play a leading role in the processes of social inclusion, often as an adjunct to – or a substitute for – local government services. This paper will give insights into a research project about role of CBIs which are in the process of transitioning into sustainable economic models, taking into account the crucial themes of social inclusion and of equity. Having mapped the CBIs that operate in Rome, the research intends to focus on those civil society organisations that provide services to migrants. It investigates the mechanisms through which these organisations receive material (e.g. spaces) or financial support from relevant authorities, and how they engage in discussion, consultation, and negotiation with local authority on integration policies. A particular focus will be dedicated to the recent shift experienced by the Council of Rome in how it regulates public real estate (which often hosts CBIs which therefore increasingly risk eviction), which might reshape the entire geography of civil society organisations in Rome.