A 4-week marathon focusing on important issues like diversity and inclusion: 189 sessions organized by more than 200 companies, with the goal of overcoming prejudice and stereotypes related to diversity by highlighting the opportunities that more inclusive policies can make available: 4 Weeks 4 Inclusion is the digital event promoted by Italian telecommunications company TIM. We contributed by sharing our perspective and our concrete experience with some of the projects within our Group.
On the opening day on October 22, Ernesto Ciorra, Head of Innovability®, took part in the inaugural event Stories of Inclusion together with the President of the Chamber of Deputies Roberto Fico, Minister for the Family and Equal Opportunities Elena Bonetti, and top managers from Italian and international companies. In his speech, Ciorra highlighted how openness – and in particular the Open Power approach adopted by our Group – has created new, innovative opportunities for us. For example, thanks to an idea suggested by Italian startup entrepreneur Andrea Depalo, who has a motor disability, we’ve developed the world’s first device that allows electric wheelchairs to recharge at the same columns used for charging e-cars. The ability to accommodate all types of diversity is not only an ethical and social duty, it is also a strategic asset. “Valuing diversity as a source of prosperity,” explained Ciorra, “is the key to promoting inclusion and is the real catalyst of change.”
Ciorra went on to share the story of our colleague Fabio Bosatelli, who has been deaf since birth. After completing two degrees and an MBA, he embarked on a brilliant career in our Group, eventually becoming Head of Automation and Robotics at Enel Green Power.
Bosatelli was one of the speakers at the event (Im)possible Challenges, which we organized on November 17 as part of the initiative. “My (im)possible challenge,” he said, “was the day-to-day management of my work. I succeeded thanks to the technology that Enel provided me to make it possible to communicate effectively, for example during videoconferences.”
The theme of the conference was introduced by Paralympic champion Alessandro Ossola, finalist in the men’s 100 meters T63 at the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo. The athlete talked about the challenges he faced following his motorcycle accident in 2015, in which he lost his wife. “At first I had to fight loneliness and try to regain my independence. Later I discovered a passion for running that, one race at a time, eventually led to me competing at the highest level.”
The meeting also saw the presentation of the interactive project Think Out of the Chair by Work Wide Women, which involved our colleagues with the aim of creating a new perception of disability in professional life. Explaining our vision was Filippo Rodriguez, Head of Sustainability Italy. “For us, integration and inclusion are essential values. We do not view disability as a burden, but rather as a potential to be unleashed. That’s why in 2020 we launched Value for Disability, a three-year project with 40 activities already underway, designed to ensure the full inclusion of people with disabilities and to unlock their full potential.”
This view was reiterated by our colleague Monica Valli from Training Center Macroarea Northeast, who lost her eyesight suddenly at the age of 41 and found herself having to rebuild both her day-to-day life and her professional life. “I chose to take on this challenge,” she explained, “finding support and sensitivity in the company. I discovered a whole world of people, tools and systems that helped me to live through this change and to still feel an active part of the work experience, enabling me to make my own contribution.”
“This month we’ve experienced emotions and found inspiration but, above all, we’ve seen how far we’ve come and the opportunities for continuous improvement in our journey towards full 360° inclusion,” commented Raffaella Poggi d’Angelo, Head of People Care and Diversity Italy.
“Perfection is the sum of our differences,” stressed Carlo Albini, our Head of People & Organization Innovability®, confirming the central role of diversity and inclusion in our values and the holistic approach to inclusion that we’ve chosen, valuing all differences with the same attention and energy, and setting ourselves ever more ambitious goals.