Progetto Sud Institute is a Non Government Organisation (NGO) non profit association established in 1984 by UIL (Unione Italiana del Lavoro), one of the major Italian trade unions. The Institute was recognized by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in September 14th 1988 with decree n. 1988/128/4191/6D.
The Institute promotes and implements programs of development, technical assistance, training, research and information in developing countries and countries with transitioning economies.
The national headquarters are located in Rome, with operating headquarters in many Italian Regions.
The main goals of Progetto Sud include the improvement of living conditions for citizens and workers in the Southern hemisphere, of Italian workers around the world, and the promotion and strengthening of national and international civil society advocacy.
In order to reach these goals, the Institute sends qualified experts in professional and trade unionist training to work with local staff. Progetto Sud guarantees the sustainability of such projects by focusing their attention on the involvement of local actors and insuring their role in the strenghtening of local development, as well as providing services and technical assistance for the growth of local human resources.
Additionally, the Institute organises seminars and courses while providing training equipment in order to educate students, young people and workers abut key issues in developing countries.
In June 1999, with the initiative of CGIL-CISL-UIL, the Institute of International Cooperation, the ISI - Istituto per la Cooperazione Internazionale (Trade Union Institute for the International Cooperation) - was created. Its main goal is to manage activities of solidarity and cooperation promoted by Italian trade unions in the Balkans after the Kosovo crisis and the Former Yugoslavian war. ISI is the result of the cooperating capacity of the three groups: Progetto Sud, Progetto Sviluppo and ISCOS, promoted by the Italian trade union UIL, CGIL and CISL.
Progetto Sud has an international network composed of Institute branches officially recognized by the local institutional bodies: Progetto Sud Brazil, Progetto Sud Argentina, Progetto Sud Perù, Progetto Sud Ecuador, Progetto Sud Kenya, Progetto Sud Montenegro.
In the recent years, Progetto Sud has focused attention on Mediterranean Countries, managing projects on migration flows and social inclusion of immigrants, cooperating with Italian local bodies and trade unions of countries interested in these issues.
