The course on integral ecology is back, registration is now open.

Registration is now open for the sixth edition of the "National Training Course for Communities and Parishes Towards Integral Ecology," conceived and promoted by Caritas Italiana, Focsiv, and the Lanza Foundation. Six online classes will be held on Mondays, from October 5 to December 14, 2026, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. These classes will address dioceses and communities and will address topics related to integral ecology. The aim is to spark renewed commitment across multiple dimensions, starting with building a just economy and policies for nature, taking into account climate migration.

OPENING EVENT ON SEPTEMBER 21

The planet faces numerous challenges in terms of climate and biodiversity, with wars and the arms race draining national resources from climate programs. Eleven years after Pope Francis's encyclical "Laudato Sì," his successor, Leo XIV, took up the baton by publishing "Magnifica Humanitas" in May. This is the focus of the inaugural event on September 21st, titled "Integral Ecology in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: The Contribution of the Encyclical Magnifica Humanitas." The event will be moderated by Matteo Mascia of the Lanza Foundation. After introductory greetings from Vincenzo Corrado, Director of the Italian Bishops' Conference's Social Communications Office, ANSA journalist Manuela Tulli will discuss the topic with Simone Morandini, theologian and editor of "Credere Oggi," and Antonello Pasini, climatologist at the National Research Council (CNR).

The six lessons of the Course begin on Monday, October 5th, and revolve around three main axes: economic ecology, social ecology, and natural ecology. These three deeply intertwined fields, the promoters intend, represent not three distinct issues, but three complementary perspectives through which to understand and address a single crisis, in the knowledge that only a comprehensive perspective can guide authentic ecological and social transformation.

THE THREE AREAS

The first area stems from the need to move beyond the paradigm of unlimited economic growth and rethink the meaning of progress. If growth produces exclusion, inequality, and consumes natural capital, it cannot be considered at the service of development. Integral ecology, instead, calls for building an economy that serves people and the common good, that values ​​relational goods and care for the Earth, while taking into account its limitations.

The second area addresses one of the most dramatic consequences of the climate crisis: the increase in migration caused by extreme events, desertification, water scarcity, and ecosystem degradation. Migrants and climate displaced persons remind us that the ecological crisis has a human face, making visible the connection between environmental crisis and social inequality. They question the collective responsibility to build more just and supportive development models, particularly in areas most exposed to hydrogeological instability and in urban peripheries.

Finally, the third area focuses on local communities: here, the effects of the crisis become tangible experiences, but also privileged spaces for change through authentic nature policies capable of integrating climate adaptation, ecosystem protection, territorial planning, and urban regeneration. Protecting nature means strengthening the resilience of communities, starting with the most vulnerable, reducing territorial inequalities, and promoting a new balance between human activities and ecosystems.

TO REGISTER, FILL OUT THE FORM

Methodologically, the training program follows the structure of the previous edition, focusing on key themes and practices of integral ecology, with some small innovations, such as the introduction of multi-voice dialogue among the participating instructors in some meetings. To register for the course, please complete the form available at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf1jSCQHo1mnTToRyp4HpkoUAYMJ6xNBzYK0eJlLMSbKfolCw/viewform by October 5th. Participation is required, along with a €35 registration fee to cover attendance and the associated minimum cost of the course. In addition to the lectures and interaction with the speakers, participants will be provided with materials such as recordings, slides, and documents, and, upon request, a certificate of participation. Media partners Avvenire will provide free access to its online newspaper for the duration of the course.

'FROM THE COPS TO SANTA MARTA'

Finally, upon completion of the course, a special event, "From the COPs to Santa Marta: What Prospects for Negotiations on the Climate Crisis," will be held on January 25, 2027. This event will focus on the two main international forums for nations to establish commitments and strategies to address the climate crisis: the Conferences of the Parties (COPs), promoted annually by the UN, and the Santa Marta Conference, which, with its first edition last April in Colombia, brought together countries from the global North and South, together with the scientific community, to initiate a process to create a more proactive and efficient alternative to the more traditional COP. Moderating will be Matteo Mascia of the Lanza Foundation, in conversation with Ferdinando Cotugno, journalist for the newspaper "Domani," and Jacopo Bencini, president of the Italian Climate Network. Laura Morosini, Europe Director of the Laudato Sì Movement, will follow, focusing on the transition away from fossil fuels.