The author wrote that some people were struggling to pay bills despite working, going without meals so their children could eat, and fearing rent increases could cost them their homes. They said no one should have to live that way and cited a figure that one in five Europeans was at risk of poverty or social exclusion, including 19.3 million children. https://t.co/BGBxPgjV9p #Poverty #SocialInjustice #ChildrenInNeed #EU
Target pensions or welfare, don't tax banks, neoliberal IMF tells UK Chancellor. Silence on corporate welfare, bank subsidies and profiteering; poverty, equitable distribution of income and wealth. Sacrificing the old, poor, sick to the gods of fiscal rules, so that banks are not inconvenienced.
The post’s author wrote that poverty violated human dignity and human rights, and said it should be eradicated by addressing the inequalities and injustices that sustained it. They argued that the resources and knowledge needed existed, but that political will and investment were necessary to help everyone build a life.
The author wrote that more than 17 million young Europeans were at risk of poverty or social exclusion, describing the issue as a threat to Europe’s future as well as a social problem. They called for greater investment in young people’s education, health and opportunities, saying a strong Europe began with them. #arraiolos2026 https://t.co/W1PdrCobt4 #Juventud #Pobreza #Europa #EU #ES
The author said that more than 17 million young Europeans were at risk of poverty or social exclusion, describing this as a threat to Europe’s future as well as a social problem. They called for greater investment in young people’s education, health and opportunities, saying a strong Europe depended on them. #arraiolos2026 https://t.co/OFXNy7C13F #Europa #Juventud #Pobreza #EU #PT
Hungary's bottle-deposit scheme has nearly hit EU recycling targets, but in Budapest it has surfaced a deeper crisis of poverty, exploitation and addiction — turning a waste-management success into a lens onto social problems that long predated it. https://thelibertybulletin.com/article/deeper-social-crises-emerge-behind-recycling-scheme-tensions-in-budapest
The author asked Elon Musk why, if his statements were true, he would not give $93 billion a year to end hunger or $294 billion to end extreme poverty. The author argued the sums would be pocket change for a few people and said Musk would be remembered with more love for doing so than for anything else he did.
🇫🇷 : L’extrême pauvreté dans les pays riches : Analyse empirique sur données françaises. Note de synthèse - https://www.pratiquesensante.com/blog/pratiques-15/l-extreme-pauvrete-dans-les-pays-riches-analyse-empirique-sur-donnees-francaises-note-de-synthese-6245 Capsules Audio/Vidéo de Pratiques en Santé 🎙️🎥 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoyzbcQu0WE 🇬🇧: Extreme poverty in rich countries: Empirical analysis based on French data. Summary note- https://www.pratiquesensante.com/en/blog/practices-15/extreme-poverty-in-rich-countries-empirical-analysis-based-on-french-data-summary-note-6245
Africa Daily Report — 7 October 2026 Key developments reported during the previous 24 hours. 1. KENYA — FIRST CONFIRMED EBOLA CASE AND DEATH Importance: 10/10 — Critical Kenya confirmed its first imported Ebola case after a Kenyan man who had been living in the Democratic Republic of Congo died in Nairobi. Health authorities identified 28 close contacts, including relatives and healthcare workers, and were tracing 23 fellow passengers and four crew members from his flight from Uganda. Contacts are to remain isolated for 21 days. The case represents a significant geographic expansion of the DRC outbreak, which has exceeded 8,000 confirmed cases and 4,000 deaths. Source: https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/kenya-confirms-first-ebola-case-imported-congo-patient-has-died-2026-10-06/ 2. SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA — WORLD BANK RAISES 2026 GROWTH FORECAST TO 4.3% Importance: 9/10 — Very High The World Bank raised its 2026 Sub-Saharan Africa growth forecast to 4.3%, from 4.1% in its April projection, saying growth forecasts had been upgraded for nearly three-quarters of countries in the region. It nevertheless warned that per-capita income growth remains much weaker and that debt burdens, high energy prices, climate shocks and global uncertainty continue to constrain poverty reduction. The Bank also urged African governments to accelerate practical adoption of artificial intelligence, including shared infrastructure and stronger data frameworks. Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/world-bank-raises-africas-2026-growth-forecast-urges-ai-investments-2026-10-06/ 3. NIGERIA — AIR FORCE CONFIRMS 25 DEAD IN ONDO PLANE CRASH Importance: 9/10 — Very High The Nigerian Air Force clarified that 25 people — 20 passengers and five crew — were aboard the ATR-42 that crashed near Igbokoda in Ondo State, correcting an earlier figure of 32. There were no survivors. President Bola Tinubu declared three days of national mourning and ordered an investigation into the cause. The aircraft had been flying a routine mission to Lagos. Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/10/06/nigeria-plane-crash-ondo-air-force/8d3f597e-c16a-11f1-8170-681419af1cc9_story.html 4. SENEGAL — SCHOOL YEAR POSTPONED AFTER DEADLY FLOODING Importance: 8/10 — High Senegal postponed the nationwide start of primary and secondary school from Wednesday until Monday following several days of torrential rain and flooding. Parts of Dakar and other regions were inundated, roads were disrupted and deaths were reported. The delay is intended to allow schools to be cleaned, disinfected and restored. The flooding comes only weeks before Dakar is due to host the 2026 Summer Youth Olympics beginning October 31. Source: https://punchng.com/senegal-postpones-new-school-year-over-flooding-heavy-rain/ 5. NAMIBIA — EU SUSPENDS FRESH MEAT IMPORTS AFTER FOOT-AND-MOUTH OUTBREAK Importance: 9/10 — Very High The European Union temporarily suspended imports of fresh cattle, sheep and goat meat from Namibia following a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in the country's main commercial livestock zone. The disease had spread to 11 farms after being detected in southern Namibia. The economic exposure is substantial: the EU accounts for more than 80% of Namibia's beef exports, and the suspension could affect thousands of jobs linked to the European export chain. Source: https://southernafricantimes.com/eu-suspends-some-namibian-beef-imports-after-foot-and-mouth-disease-outbreak/ 6. SOUTH AFRICA — CENTRAL BANK WARNS OF SECOND-ROUND INFLATION RISKS Importance: 8/10 — High The South African Reserve Bank warned that the risk of second-round inflation effects is increasing, with sustained high oil prices and uncertainty surrounding El Niño complicating the inflation outlook. The warning follows signs of weakening private-sector activity and highlights the increasingly difficult trade-off facing monetary policymakers between inflation control and economic growth. Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/south-africa-central-bank-says-second-round-inflation-risks-rise-2026-10-06/ 7. ETHIOPIA — FIGHTING IN TIGRAY CONTINUES TO RAISE REGIONAL-WAR RISK Airstrikes and artillery fire continued in northern Ethiopia after federal forces regained Mekelle. Aid sources reported at least 17 deaths northwest of the Tigrayan capital. Ethiopia has accused Eritrea, Sudan and Egypt of supporting the Tigrayan-led armed opposition; those governments deny the allegations. Ethiopia and Eritrea have already severed diplomatic ties, while regional governments are increasing diplomatic and security coordination. The African Union and international partners continue to call for restraint and dialogue. Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/airstrikes-artillery-hit-north-ethiopia-after-tigray-capitals-fall-aid-sources-2026-10-05/ 8. SUDAN — UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL EXTENDS FACT-FINDING MISSION The UN Human Rights Council extended the mandate of its independent fact-finding mission on Sudan for another year, with 28 members voting in favour, 10 against and nine abstaining. The resolution called for an immediate ceasefire and cooperation with investigators examining alleged violations by parties to the conflict. Sudanese authorities have opposed the mission, arguing that existing UN mechanisms are sufficient. Source: https://www.blacknews.uk/un-human-rights-council-extends-mandate-of-sudan-fact-finding-mission 9. DR CONGO — AU MEDIATORS MEET AFC/M23 LEADERS IN GOMA An African Union mediation delegation including former Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta, former Botswana president Mokgweetsi Masisi and former Ethiopian president Sahle-Work Zewde met AFC/M23 representatives in rebel-controlled Goma. Discussions focused on the eastern DRC peace process and efforts to coordinate the Doha and Washington diplomatic tracks. The visit is notable because it brought senior AU facilitators directly into talks with the rebel leadership in territory under AFC/M23 control. Source: https://bytewire.news/au-mediation-delegation-meets-afc-m23-leaders-in-goma/ 10. GHANA — FITCH SOLUTIONS SEES INFLATION RISING SHARPLY IN 2027 Importance: 7/10 — High Fitch Solutions forecasts Ghana's annual average inflation rising from about 4.7% in 2026 to 11.3% in 2027. It cites fading exchange-rate support, stronger money-supply growth, possible fiscal loosening, higher food costs linked to El Niño and energy-price risks. Fitch expects the Bank of Ghana could respond with renewed monetary tightening if inflation moves above 10% during 2027. Source: https://businesspostonline.com/2026/10/06/fitch-solutions-sees-inflation-rising-to-11-3-next-year/ #Africa #AfricaNews #TopNewsOfAfrica #Kenya #Ebola #EbolaOutbreak #DRC #PublicHealth #SubSaharanAfrica #WorldBank #AfricanEconomy #EconomicGrowth #AIInvestment #Nigeria #NigerianAirForce #OndoState #PlaneCrash #BolaTinubu #Senegal #Dakar #Floods #ClimateRisk #YouthOlympics #Namibia #FootAndMouthDisease #BeefExports #EuropeanUnion #SouthAfrica #SARB #Inflation #OilPrices #Ethiopia #Tigray #Mekelle #Eritrea #HornOfAfrica #Sudan #UNHRC #HumanRights #FactFindingMission #AfricanUnion #M23 #Goma #PeaceProcess #Ghana #FitchSolutions #GhanaInflation #AfricanSecurity #AfricanPolitics #AfricanBusiness #AfricanEconomy #wrldorg
The author said average families would see their incomes rise by around 1.4%, while inflation was above 3.5%. They argued that Budget 2027 would deepen deprivation and poverty and make it harder for people to get by, rather than shielding them from the cost-of-living crisis.
CIVICO 33 — “ORTA NOVA SOUND LAB”: FROM CAPITANATA TO “BROADWAYWORLD”, THE “COMMUNITY BAND” PROJECT CONQUERS NEW YORK SOURCE: https://www.civico93.it/orta-nova-sound-laab-dalla-capitanata-a-broadwayworld-il-progetto-banda-di-comunita-conquista-new-york/ The social laboratory promoted by ANBG and the Ministry of Culture has landed on the world’s largest theatre network, thanks to the article co-authored by Chris Rabinowitz and the Orta Nova-born author Luciano Magaldi Sardella. There is a brass thread linking Piazza Mario Frasca to Broadway. It is called “Orta Nova Sound Lab” — the Community and Social Regeneration Band through Music — the project officially presented on 21 September last at the C-Lab MAO FM 19.77 of brothers Luca and Erminio Ferrandina, which is enjoying unprecedented media coverage for a band-cultural initiative born in the Province of Foggia. Its journalistic success was sealed on 28 September last by its arrival on BroadwayWorld, the world’s most authoritative portal dedicated to theatre and live performance, based in New York with over 1.5 million global monthly visits. A result that was by no means a foregone conclusion, which projects a story from the Apulian periphery into the international cultural news circuit. The article, entitled Orta Nova Sound Lab Launches Youth Community Band in Southern Italy, is jointly by-lined by New York editor Chris Rabinowitz, journalist for the American publication, and his Italian co-author Luciano Magaldi Sardella, an international author originally from Orta Nova, engineer, academic journalist, and researcher active between Italy and abroad. The dual Italo-American by-line symbolises how a “local good practice” can become global news when it is recounted with expertise and rootedness. The Project: The Band as Social Regeneration “Orta Nova Sound Lab” is promoted by the Associazione Nazionale Bande da Giro (ANBG), chaired by Benedetto Grillo, and was admitted for funding under the public call of the Ministry of Culture pursuant to Director General Decree of 7 April 2026, reg. no. 149, aimed at the “Strengthening of research activities and dissemination of musical practices in peripheries and in areas of high social vulnerability”. It is realized with the support of the Comune di Orta Nova and with the collaboration of a solid civic network: A.P.S. MAO FM 19.77, the Istituto di Istruzione Superiore “A. Olivetti”, the Istituto Comprensivo “Sandro Pertini”, the Music Art association, and the C.I.S.A. of Foggia. As BroadwayWorld itself emphasised, this is the first initiative in Italy to reinterpret the distinctive tradition of touring bands (bande da giro) and youth orchestras within a ministerial call dedicated to urban peripheries and social vulnerability. A model that dialogues explicitly with the spirit of the so-called “Caivano Decree” (Law Decree 123/2023) for combating youth distress, educational poverty, and juvenile crime. The idea, in its disarming simplicity, was summarised by the project director for ANBG, Antonella Spagnoletti: “The band is aggregation! The band is cohesion. Bringing these youngsters together, educating them, and enabling them to live in a manner different from the social-media world is among the primary objectives of our association.” A concept reiterated by the Mayor of Orta Nova, Eng. Domenico Di Vito: “This is an important project that can certainly make a difference compared with the past, because all the ingredients are there to network the entire cultural and social world that exists in Orta Nova and that must be valorised. The administration’s commitment is to ensure sustainability, structure, and continuity over time.” Taking part in the launch press conference, moderated by journalist Giuseppe Di Bisceglie, in addition to President Grillo, Director Spagnoletti, and Mayor Di Vito, were Regional Councillor Grazia Maria Starace, Councillor for relations with the third sector Sebastiano Battista, Councillor for Culture Vittoria Mastrogiacomo, and educational professor Alfredo Coppola, contact person for the Olivetti Institute. Why the Story Went International The “Orta Nova Sound Lab” band project demonstrates that when a project has anti-mafia roots, pedagogical value, and a credible institutional network, the press responds. From local and national titles such as Cassa Armonica, Ansa Puglia, TGNorba, Corriere della Sera Bari, RaiNews TGR Puglia, La Gazzetta del Mezzogiorno, Amica9TV, Brindisi In, Blasting News Italia, TRM Network, Secolo XIX, FoggiaToday, PlayNews24, Stato Quotidiano, and many others, which thoroughly documented the conference, the coverage reached “Broadway World”, which read the Orta Nova experience as a “social laboratory” capable of answering the mafia with music. This change of scale derives from joint work and also from the liaison work carried out by Luciano Magaldi Sardella, who, together with New York editor Chris Rabinowitz, succeeded in translating for an Anglophone audience the profound meaning of a town band which, in Apulia, is not folklore, but a civil garrison, a concrete alternative to the screen and to social disintegration. In a South often narrated only for its emergencies, Orta Nova chooses to be recounted for its capacity to generate community. And this time, the news has travelled around the world, starting from a piazza in the Daunia. The Calendar The pathway, which is entirely free of charge, provides instrumental workshops for wind and percussion, ensemble music lessons, and collective rehearsals with qualified teachers and conductors, open to aspiring musicians, families, schools, and citizens. The programme that has attracted the attention of the national and now international press is structured as follows: October 2026: parade of marching bands through the streets and public spaces of Orta Nova, to recover the historic value of the band as a popular and identity-based expression. November–December 2026: high-profile concert season with the Gran Concerto Bandistico di Conversano and the Gran Concerto Bandistico “Biagio Abbate” Città di Bisceglie, an artistic training ground for young pupils. Inclusion Focus: a special evening dedicated to women in music with the Orchestra Note di Puglia, an ensemble composed entirely of professional women musicians, to reinforce the values of equal opportunities. January 2027: first official concert of the newborn Community Band of Orta Nova, a foundational act and public restitution of the work accomplished. (translated)
“PUGLIA IN”: “ORTA NOVA SOUND LAB” CONQUERS NEW YORK: THE “COMMUNITY BAND” LANDS ON “BROADWAY WORLD” SOURCE: https://www.pugliain.net/303862-orta-nova-sound-lab-new-york-banda/ I am delighted that my article submitted to editor Chloe Rabinowitz has been accepted and published. In any case, we are not talking about just any website, but the largest theatre website in the world on the internet, the one that covers Broadway, the West End and beyond, with over 6 million visitors per month, present in 100 US cities, 45 countries and in 12 languages worldwide. __________________________________________________________________________ Orta Nova (FG) — The social and musical project “Orta Nova Sound Lab” debuted last week on the prestigious US portal BroadwayWorld, an international live performance network based in New York. The initiative, born in Orta Nova in the heart of Capitanata, nothern Puglia region in South Italy, to create a youth community band, was presented overseas as an innovative model of inclusion and urban regeneration for the Mezzogiorno. The Pulgian model of social regeneration through music, promoted by the “Associazione Nazionale Bande da Giro (ANBG)” chaired by Benedetto Grillo and supported by the Municipality of Orta Nova, has been admitted for funding by the Ministry of Culture under the call for strengthening music in suburbs and vulnerable areas. The project follows in the wake of interventions to counter youth distress and educational poverty envisaged in the spirit of the “Caivano Decree”. The article published in the American outlet is co-authored by New York editor Chris Rabinowitz and by Orta Nova author and researcher Luciano Magaldi Sardella. The text illustrates how the centuries-old Puglian wind-band tradition has been reinterpreted as an instrument of prevention and civic cohesion, thanks to collaboration between the MAO FM 19.77 association, the Olivetti Institute, the Pertini Institute, Music Art and the C.I.S.A. of Foggia. Why the News Went International The “Orta Nova Sound Lab” band project demonstrates that when a project has anti-mafia roots, pedagogical value, and a credible institutional network, the press responds. From local and national outlets such as Cassarmonica, Ansa Puglia, TGNorba, Corriere della Sera Bari, RaiNews TGR Puglia, La Gazzetta del Mezzogiorno, Amica9TV, Brindisi In, Puglia IN, Blasting News Italia, TRM Network, Secolo XIX, FoggiaToday, PlayNews24, Stato Quotidiano, and many others, which thoroughly documented the press conference, coverage has now reached “Broadway World”, which has interpreted the Orta Nova experience as a “social laboratory” capable of answering the mafia with music. This leap in scale derives from joint work and from the liaison work carried out by Luciano Magaldi Sardella, who, together with New York editor Chris Rabinowitz, succeeded in translating for an Anglophone audience the profound meaning of a town band that in Puglia is not folklore, but a civic garrison, a concrete alternative to young people’s dependence on electronic screens and to social disintegration. In a southern Italy often narrated solely through its emergencies, Orta Nova chooses to be narrated for its capacity to generate community. And this time, the news has travelled around the world, starting from a square in the Basso Tavoliere. The Stages of the Programme and the Major Concerts in Capitanata The programme, entirely free of charge for participants, offers training courses for wind and percussion instruments alongside ensemble music lessons. During October 2026, the streets of Orta Nova will host band parades and processions, whilst between November and December the area will see performances by the prestigious Gran Concerti Bandistici of Conversano and Bisceglie. The bill will reserve a specific space for equal opportunities with the all-female performance of the Orchestra Note di Puglia. The journey will culminate in January 2027 with the first official concert of the newly formed Banda di Comunità of Orta Nova, the culmination of a training itinerary that projects the social redemption of the Province of Foggia onto the global cultural scene.
The author said Mexico’s progressive government was taking action to help people on low incomes, citing a car they said could be purchased from the state for $50 a month and crediting Seth Harp. They contrasted this with the Meloni government, which they described as indifferent to 5.7 million people in absolute poverty and said offered them €500 every six months. https://t.co/X7Bxb3vkU1 #México #Pobreza #GobiernoProgresista #MX #IT
Elle Pütsepp emphasizes that raising the minimum wage is crucial for low-wage workers as it directly increases their income, reduces the risk of wage poverty, and addresses the economic challenges faced by individuals and households in Estonia. #miinimumpalk #palgavaesus #tööturg
“ORTA NOVA SOUND LAB” FROM ORTA NOVA (PUGLIA) ON “BROADWAY WORLD,” NEW YORK, by LUCIANO MAGALDI SARDELLA SOURCE: https://www.broadwayworld.com/italy/article/Orta-Nova-Sound-Lab-Launches-Youth-Community-Band-in-Southern-Italy-20260928?fbclid=IwY2xjawUnzKtleHRuA2FlbQIxMABwZG9mAWJyaWQRMHZzU2xWWTdTNU5UMDFNY1lzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeKFYDfacdBYHnYGZu4M9ZmxOT_wnVa7M53_p_1yfAmpSZSvn3ZDHF-BXqMr4_aem_Jd46xeSFwcUn5qapLvtu8w “Orta Nova Sound Lab Launches Youth Community Band in Southern Italy” The season includes free training with instrumental workshops for winds and percussion, ensemble lessons, and more. By: Chloe Rabinowitz ‘Orta Nova Sound Lab’, a new community music project in Puglia, southern Italy, is creating a brand-new youth-driven community band through free instrumental training, ensemble workshops and a season of live performances. Promoted by the ‘Associazione Nazionale Bande da Giro (ANBG)’ and funded by the Italian Ministry of Culture, it reimagines the brass band tradition as a tool for inclusion, cultural growth and social regeneration. Since the Italian government’s 2023 “Caivano Decree” (Decree-Law 123/2023), which targeted youth distress, educational poverty and juvenile crime, attention has turned to communities in Southern Italy where culture, education and public space can be rebuilt together. Orta Nova, in the Puglia region, is part of that broader conversation as ‘Orta Nova Sound Lab’ replying to local Mafia with music: a “social laboratory” that connects young people, schools, associations and institutions around a shared, tangible goal, a band of their own. It is the first initiative of its kind in Italy, to repurpose the distinctive tradition of the ‘touring brass bands’ and youth orchestra within a ministerial call devoted to urban peripheries and social vulnerability. Its explicit aim is to offer young people a real alternative to the screen and to the youth disenfranchisement associated with the anti-mafia “Caivano model”. The project was presented on September 21 at Luca ed Erminio Ferrandina C-Lab MAO facility and is funded under the Ministry of Culture’s public call for the promotion of musical practices in suburban and socially Mafia-rooted vulnerable areas, and it is supported by the Municipality of Orta Nova. Project partners include the cultural association APS MAO FM 19.77, the “A. Olivetti” secondary school, the “Sandro Pertini” comprehensive school, the Music Art association and C.I.S.A. Foggia. At the heart of the project is a simple idea: give young people a reason to be together, in person, making something real. “A music band is aggregation!,” said Antonella Spagnoletti, ANBG project director. She explained that the band means cohesion, and that bringing young people together to train and live differently from the social-media world is among the association’s primary goals. Mayor Domenico Di Vito called it an important project that can make a real difference, with all the ingredients to connect the town’s cultural and social networks with anti-mafia roots. He added that the administration is committed to making the initiative sustainable, structured and lasting. The presentation also involved Benedetto Grillo, president of ANBG; Grazia Maria Starace, regional councillor; Sebastiano Battista, councillor for relations with third-sector organizations; Vittoria Mastrogiacomo, councillor for culture; and Alfredo Coppola, representing the Olivetti school. Journalist Giuseppe Di Bisceglie moderated. The season ahead: Free training: instrumental workshops for winds and percussion, ensemble lessons and rehearsals led by qualified teachers and conductors, open to aspiring musicians, families, schools and citizens. October: a parade of marching bands and youth orchestra through the streets of Orta Nova, Puglia, southern Italy. November-December: concerts by the Gran Concerto Bandistico di Conversano and the Gran Concerto Bandistico “Biagio Abbate” of Bisceglie, giving the young musicians a chance to learn from professional ensembles. A special evening of women’s music with the all-female Orchestra Note di Puglia, reinforcing the project’s values of inclusion and equal opportunity. January 2027: the first concert of the new Orta Nova community band. In particular, ‘Orta Nova Sound Lab (Community Band and Social Regeneration through Music)’ is a project of the ‘Associazione Nazionale Bande da Giro (ANBG),’ a national association of bands active across south-Italians regions like Abruzzo, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Molise and Puglia. Funded by the Italian Ministry of Culture and supported by the Municipality of Orta Nova, it offers free music education and live performance opportunities to strengthen inclusion, cultural growth and community cohesion.
“ORTA NOVA SOUND LAB” DA ORTA NOVA (PUGLIA) SUL “BROADWAY WORLD” DI NEW YORK by LUCIANO MAGALDI SARDELLA SOURCE: https://www.broadwayworld.com/italy/article/Orta-Nova-Sound-Lab-Launches-Youth-Community-Band-in-Southern-Italy-20260928?fbclid=IwY2xjawUnzKtleHRuA2FlbQIxMABwZG9mAWJyaWQRMHZzU2xWWTdTNU5UMDFNY1lzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeKFYDfacdBYHnYGZu4M9ZmxOT_wnVa7M53_p_1yfAmpSZSvn3ZDHF-BXqMr4_aem_Jd46xeSFwcUn5qapLvtu8w “Orta Nova Sound Lab Launches Youth Community Band in Southern Italy” The season includes free training with instrumental workshops for winds and percussion, ensemble lessons, and more. By: Chloe Rabinowitz ‘Orta Nova Sound Lab’, a new community music project in Puglia, southern Italy, is creating a brand-new youth-driven community band through free instrumental training, ensemble workshops and a season of live performances. Promoted by the ‘Associazione Nazionale Bande da Giro (ANBG)’ and funded by the Italian Ministry of Culture, it reimagines the brass band tradition as a tool for inclusion, cultural growth and social regeneration. Since the Italian government’s 2023 “Caivano Decree” (Decree-Law 123/2023), which targeted youth distress, educational poverty and juvenile crime, attention has turned to communities in Southern Italy where culture, education and public space can be rebuilt together. Orta Nova, in the Puglia region, is part of that broader conversation as ‘Orta Nova Sound Lab’ replying to local Mafia with music: a “social laboratory” that connects young people, schools, associations and institutions around a shared, tangible goal, a band of their own. It is the first initiative of its kind in Italy, to repurpose the distinctive tradition of the ‘touring brass bands’ and youth orchestra within a ministerial call devoted to urban peripheries and social vulnerability. Its explicit aim is to offer young people a real alternative to the screen and to the youth disenfranchisement associated with the anti-mafia “Caivano model”. The project was presented on September 21 at Luca ed Erminio Ferrandina C-Lab MAO facility and is funded under the Ministry of Culture’s public call for the promotion of musical practices in suburban and socially Mafia-rooted vulnerable areas, and it is supported by the Municipality of Orta Nova. Project partners include the cultural association APS MAO FM 19.77, the “A. Olivetti” secondary school, the “Sandro Pertini” comprehensive school, the Music Art association and C.I.S.A. Foggia. At the heart of the project is a simple idea: give young people a reason to be together, in person, making something real. “A music band is aggregation!,” said Antonella Spagnoletti, ANBG project director. She explained that the band means cohesion, and that bringing young people together to train and live differently from the social-media world is among the association’s primary goals. Mayor Domenico Di Vito called it an important project that can make a real difference, with all the ingredients to connect the town’s cultural and social networks with anti-mafia roots. He added that the administration is committed to making the initiative sustainable, structured and lasting. The presentation also involved Benedetto Grillo, president of ANBG; Grazia Maria Starace, regional councillor; Sebastiano Battista, councillor for relations with third-sector organizations; Vittoria Mastrogiacomo, councillor for culture; and Alfredo Coppola, representing the Olivetti school. Journalist Giuseppe Di Bisceglie moderated. The season ahead: Free training: instrumental workshops for winds and percussion, ensemble lessons and rehearsals led by qualified teachers and conductors, open to aspiring musicians, families, schools and citizens. October: a parade of marching bands and youth orchestra through the streets of Orta Nova, Puglia, southern Italy. November-December: concerts by the Gran Concerto Bandistico di Conversano and the Gran Concerto Bandistico “Biagio Abbate” of Bisceglie, giving the young musicians a chance to learn from professional ensembles. A special evening of women’s music with the all-female Orchestra Note di Puglia, reinforcing the project’s values of inclusion and equal opportunity. January 2027: the first concert of the new Orta Nova community band. In particular, ‘Orta Nova Sound Lab (Community Band and Social Regeneration through Music)’ is a project of the ‘Associazione Nazionale Bande da Giro (ANBG),’ a national association of bands active across south-Italians regions like Abruzzo, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Molise and Puglia. Funded by the Italian Ministry of Culture and supported by the Municipality of Orta Nova, it offers free music education and live performance opportunities to strengthen inclusion, cultural growth and community cohesion.
The Census Bureau’s official numbers for calendar year 2025 put real median household income at $87,460. That is up 2.6% from $85,210 in 2024 and the highest mark since the series started in 1967. The official poverty rate fell half a point to 10.2%, or 34.5 million people. Child #Census2025 #MedianIncome #PovertyRate #US
The government is driving people deeper into poverty during a cost of living crisis, while giving handouts to data centres and Big Tech. We need price controls on food and energy. We need rent controls, and use it or lose it legislation to bring vacant properties back into use. https://t.co/uLDsFEWJPK #CostOfLivingCrisis #PriceControls #AffordableHousing #Thetweetdoesnotmentionanyspecificcountries.Therefore #theresponseis:
We have to fight against the government's policies that drive people deeper into poverty during a cost of living crisis, while giving handouts to data centres and Big Tech. #CostOfLivingCrisis #FightPoverty #BigTech #Therearenospecificcountriesmentionedinthetweet.
Poverty rate fell in 2025 (no 2026 data) for the 2nd year in a row. Little to do with Trump. GDP growth & real disposable incomes growth rates have been lower during Trump47. Food inflation is compounding on prior years & above median (average is a bad stat for volatile data). https://t.co/yXD6Q4bVbl #PovertyRate #GDPgrowth #FoodInflation #US
