‘What’s your father’s name?’
‘Geppetto.’
‘And what’s his job?’
‘Being poor.’
Carlo Collodi, Pinocchio, 1883

“While you create goods and services,
do not forget to create work,
good work, and work for everyone.”
Pope Francis, EoF Event in Assisi, 2022

 

In their seminal book, Part-Time for All: A Care Manifesto (2023), Jennifer Nedelsky and Tom Malleson address the enduring challenge of work-family conflict, offering innovative solutions that examine its diverse manifestations across cultural, social, and economic contexts. With a particular focus on the inequalities faced by caregivers, they advocate for a fundamental shift in priorities, urging society to engage in collective reflection: “Rethinking what is important by talking together about how we want to work, how we want to provide care, in short, how we want to live”.

The intersection of work and care remains a pressing issue in many countries, where structural challenges persist—including contractual precarity for care workers, inefficient labor organization, and exploitative conditions—that contribute to new forms of inequality and poverty. Addressing these issues demands a comprehensive reevaluation of labor policies and care infrastructures to promote greater equity and sustainability in both professional and domestic spheres.

However, the relationship between care and work extends beyond traditional roles associated with care work, such as nurses, doctors, or caregivers. Instead, it emphasizes labor as a form of care and service, reflecting the principles of civil economy, which regards work not as one activity among many but as a transformative space essential for human flourishing.

Building on these reflections, this two-day event aims to serve as a platform for dialogue, knowledge-sharing, and co-creation. The program is designed to engage and welcome experts, researchers, students but also people interested in the fields of ‘care and labor’, featuring a variety of participatory activities. Highlights include the presentation of innovative ideas in a “Fair of Extraordinary Ideas” by selected speakers, a documentary screening and debate, and firsthand accounts from organizations showcasing replicable models of best practices.

It is a great honor to announce that Jennifer Nedelsky, Professor Emerita of Law and Political Science at the University of Toronto, will join us in person at the Polo Lionello Bonfanti to deliver a keynote lecture in collaboration with the Economy of Francesco (EoF). 

Over the course of these two days, participants will also engage in opportunities for conviviality, in-depth discussions, and the fostering of new synergies. The event, therefore, represents itself an opportunity to explore alternative practices of work and care, aligning with Pope Francis’s assertion in the Laudato Si’ encyclical: “Every form of work is a concept of the relationship which we can and must have with what is other than ourselves.”

Want to Participate as a Speaker? Take a look at our CALL FOR IDEAS! 

 

Discover the Program (draft)

Day #1: Friday, May 2nd

Morning – Arrival & Accommodation: participants arriving and checking into their accommodation (for accommodation possibilities, see below).

 

13:00 – 14:00 | Welcome Light Lunch & Socializing Polo Lionello Bonfanti (Bar Area)

14.00 – 14:30 | Welcome Remarks

• Representatives from Polo Lionello Bonfanti, EoF …. and others

14:30 – 16:30 | Workshop: “A Fair of Extraordinary Ideas for Care at Work”

• Format: Up to 7 participants; Selected participants (chosen through a Call for Ideas) will present a 5-minute summary of an original idea related to care, work, and economic conditions.
• Panel: Experts from EoF, IUS  and other institutions will provide short feedback.
• Audience participation: The audience will  vote for the most promising idea, which could receive an award

17:00 – 18:00 | Keynote Talk by Jennifer Nedelsky: “Giving Care: (A) Time of Economic Change, Starting from Work”

18:00 – 18:30 | Q&A Session

19:30 – 20.30 | Light dinner  Polo Lionello Bonfanti (Bar)

20:30 – 22:00 | Documentary Screening & Debate

 

Day #2 Saturday, May 3rd 

 

10.00-11.00 | Opening remarks by trade union representatives from care sectors, regional representatives, ministers.

11:00 – 13:00 | “Stories of Care”: Witnessing changes in action through real stories

• Format: invited entrepreneurs, activists, and professionals will share first-hand experiences of care-centered work models across different fields, challenging mainstream approaches. 
• Presentation style: Each speaker will share a 15-minute testimony, followed by an open discussion with the audience.

13.00 | Toast & Farewell 

 

Attendance Fee

Build your own package!

Base: registration fee 25 €

Additional services:

• Light Lunch May 2nd: 12 €
• Accommodation (1 night): 45 € (apartments with multiple rooms and shared bathroom) 
• Light dinner May 2nd: 12 €
• Lunch May 3rd: 12 €

For more information you can contact us via email at info@edicspa.com

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