Paolo Rocca: “Our commitment lies with the communities where we have our roots”

Paolo Rocca spoke at the 84^th International Congress of the Dante Alighieri Society hosted at the "El Circulo" Theater in Rosario. In honor of this occasion's motto, "The Italian - A Wonderful Journey", he reviewed the founding values developed by Agostino Rocca that imbue the Techint Group today.

"My grandfather Agostino was a man of action who had a hard life. At the age of 13, he lost both parents to the earthquake in Messina, Italy, which left him and his two brothers orphans. However, he attended and finished the military academy and promptly enlisted in the army to fight in World War I. When the war ended, he went to university and then started work at the Dalmine seamless pipe plant in Italy. Ours is a culture that revolves around supporting industry as the driver for the civil, economic and social progress of the community surrounding it. This is a foundational concept for the steel industry: an industrial activity integrated into its neighboring community. My father, Roberto Rocca, left us a formative legacy which is reflected in all the educational initiatives that we promote today, the fundamental axis for the development of our communities. My generation (my brothers and I) grew up with the same values, always trying to keep to that path even in a far more complex global landscape."

"Our mandate, our commitment, lies with the communities where we have our roots. Universal values play out in the reality of places where families need their children to study, so that they can live better than they could. They want to build a future where their children's talent, and their own, can be fulfilled. For us, this means developing a range of actions in coordination between the Group and the communities where we operate," expanded Rocca.

Finally, Rocca singled out the essential elements defining the Techint Group: "For us, there are three crucial elements that define us: growth in partnership with the community; education as a key driver for social mobility and transformation; and innovation. I am convinced that, if you review the history of Techint, you can see how the ability to safeguard the Group's unity and its fundamental values has been a vital element underpinning our progress. And there is also the ambition to do something that goes beyond our borders. Our generation articulated a system of values and knew how to keep these unified."

"The Italian - A Wonderful Journey"

A key event for the Italian community, this gathering is held every four years for the worldwide Dante Alighieri network, comprising 135,000 members and students, and over 470 committees. Under the motto "The Italian - A Wonderful Journey", the 84^th edition of CISDA purported to strengthen the relationship between Italy and Argentina, the country with the largest number of committees and registered members of the Dante Alighieri Society in the world.

The event was attended by Andrea Riccardi, President of the Dante Alighieri Society, Luis María Martinel Ferreyra, President of the Dante Alighieri Committee of Rosario, Guido Martínez Carbonell, President of the Teatro El Círculo, and Pablo Javkin, Mayor of the City of Rosario, among others.

The President of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella, sent a recorded message to the attendees saying, "The Italian language has become the second language in many countries and is studied by millions of young people all over the world. Let us celebrate this congress in Rosario, where geographical distances are overcome. Argentina has always been a privileged place for Italy and is a focal point beyond its national borders. The title of the Congress leads us to think of so many generations whose creative talents have flourished in this land, looking at Italy where their roots lie. In these moments of great international tension, the need to disseminate culture as an instrument of dialogue and understanding among people is all the more important. I send a warm greeting to everyone in the name of the Republic. Congratulations for your fine work!"

In his opening words, Martinel Ferreyra said that, "We want to thank the Dante Alighieri Society of Rome for choosing us to host this Congress. Our institution was founded in 1910 and, two years later, we were accepted into the Argentine educational system. Our statute embodies our spirit of teaching and disseminating Italian culture. Today we have 2,736 people studying Italian."

Andrea Riccardi then took the floor to affirm that, "In this global world, everything is communication. Reactions to globalization are often negative, but it is vital to develop processes that can unite diverse ethnic identities in the open seas of history. Culture and language can play a crucial role in this process of global unification. Argentina is a land of choices for us, our second home. There is as much Italy here as there is in Italy itself. This is where the Italians arrived with their dialects, entering the great circuit of the Italian language and contributing to the globalization of our language. We are working to create a fabric of synergy made up of educational projects and innovation that seek to create a legacy looking forward to the future. Ours is a task we undertake with gravity, humanity and sympathy. We are Italian and that is our nature. My greetings and thanks to Paolo Rocca, the embodiment of an Italian who knew how to do business here with a sense of the social good and a responsibility for training young people. Thank you Rocca, for your business acumen, creativity and responsibility which have made such a difference."