Francesca Larosa, a student in her second year at the Faculty of Economics at the University of Pisa, will represent Italy as ‘development minister’ at the next G8/G20 Youth Summits which will be held in Paris from 29 May to 3 June 2011. The Dean of the Faculty of Economics, Dianora Poletti, and the Vice Chancellor Rosalba Tognetti wished to meet Francesca, on Monday 23 May, to express their full support on behalf of the Faculty and of Pisa University. Also present were Professor Riccardo Cambini, president of the degree course in Economics and Professor Davide Fiaschi, who is collaborating with Francesca on the drafting of a paper to be given in France.
Francesca Larosa, who is twenty years old and originally from La Spezia, was selected among hundreds of diverse candidates and will be part of the Italian delegation with another seven young ‘ministers’, all from Roman Universities. Over the past weeks she already started to work together with foreign colleagues to decide upon an agenda for meetings, outline the outward positions of the diverse participating countries and write a document describing the national position on questions under discussion.
Once in Paris, her duty will be to develop international collaboration while trying to reach a shared approach regarding three fundamental topics: 1) food security, with particular reference to food prices and the volatility which characterises them, while forcing many nations to suffer hunger; 2) the creation of new forms of development that can be applied with success on an international level and which are proving to be more remunerative; and 3) the question of emergency, above all relating to aspects of prevention.
The G8/G20 Youth Summits, which will take place at the 'Università' ESCP Europe', have obtained official support from the French presidency and have been recognised as unique official events parallel to the G8 and G20 Summits. This year they will be about the topic of 'Global transition towards a multilateral and sustainable world.' The delegates will have the duty of drafting a final text which will mirror the position of the world's youth. The document will be consigned to the presidency of the G8 and G20 and to the national governments.