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Festival of Change: Gorizia, City of Just Peace
On October 8, 2025, Gorizia hosted the fourth edition of the “Festival of Change: Gorizia – City of Just Peace,” organized by the Venezia Giulia Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with the International Strategic Network (ISN) and the Med-Or Italian Foundation.
The international event “Festival of Change: Gorizia – City of Just Peace” took place in Gorizia on October 8, 2025. It was organized by the Venezia Giulia Chamber of Commerce together with the International Strategic Network (ISN) and the Med-Or Italian Foundation, in cooperation with the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region and under the patronage of Unioncamere and the University of Trieste.
Now in its fourth edition, the Festival of Change provided a platform for reflection and dialogue on some of the most urgent challenges of our time.
The city of Gorizia, together with Nova Gorica, was selected in 2025 as the European Capital of Borderless Culture, offering the perfect stage for the event. This choice was supported by the city’s rich history, cultural heritage, and the academic tradition of its university, particularly in diplomatic and international studies.
The event was opened by Antonio Paoletti, chairman of the Venezia Giulia Chamber of Commerce, followed by institutional greetings from Luca Ciriani, Minister for Relations with Parliament; Massimiliano Fedriga, President of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region; Rodolfo Ziberna, Mayor of Gorizia; Andrea Prete, President of Unioncamere; Donata Vianelli, Rector of the University of Trieste; and Urška Merljak, representing the Mayor of Nova Gorica, Samo Turel.
The day featured three thematic panels, moderated respectively by Flavia Giacobbe of Formiche, Federico Fubini of Corriere della Sera, and Ginevra Leganza of Il Foglio.
The first panel, entitled “Europe in the Crossfire: Security, Autonomy, and Unity in Times of Crisis,” included contributions from notable figures such as Dīmītrīs Avramopoulos, Member of the Hellenic Parliament and former EU Commissioner for Migration and Home Affairs; Miroslav Lajčák, Professor at the School of Transnational Governance, European University Institute, and former Slovak Foreign Minister and EU Special Representative; Alessia Melcangi, Professor of Contemporary Middle Eastern and African History at Sapienza University of Rome and Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council; Çağatay Özdemir, Professor of International Relations at Marmara University; and Ettore Sequi, Ambassador and former Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
The second panel focused on the economic impact of conflicts, exploring disrupted supply chains, reconstruction and emerging trade routes. Participants included Abdulla Alsubousi, Ambassador of the UAE to Italy; Stefano Beduschi, Advisor at Assarmatori; Giuseppe Catalano, Secretary of the Board and Head of Corporate Affairs at Assicurazioni Generali S.p.A.; Enrico Savio, General Manager at Leonardo International; Francesco Maria Talò, Ambassador and Italy’s Special Envoy for the India–Middle East–Europe Corridor; Valbona Zeneli, Senior Fellow at the Europe Center and Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, Atlantic Council; and Claudio Cisilino, Corporate and Strategy Operations and Innovation Director at Fincantieri, who participated via video link.
The third panel centered on multilateralism and diplomacy as tools for just peace, featuring experts such as Mohammed Ibrahim Al Dhaheri, Deputy Director General at the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy (AGDA); Sebastiano Cardi, Ambassador and former Permanent Representative of Italy to the UN; Silvia Francescon, Senior Foreign Policy Expert at ECCO; Mohammed Loulichki, Ambassador, Senior Fellow at the Policy Center for the New South, and Affiliate Professor at Mohammed VI Polytechnic University; Vincenzo Paglia, Emeritus President of the Pontifical Academy for Life, Archbishop and Spiritual Advisor to the Community of Sant’Egidio; and Martin Sajdik, Ambassador, Board Member and Senior Advisor at AIES Vienna, and former OSCE Special Envoy for Ukraine.
Following the panels, Fabrizio Brancoli moderated a roundtable titled “Stories from the Frontline,” which featured contributions from journalists Fausto Biloslavo (Il Giornale), Lorenzo Cremonesi (Corriere della Sera), Andrea Romoli (Rai – Tg2), Stefania Battistini (Rai – Special Correspondent, via video link), Francesco Semprini (La Stampa, via video link), and Fabio Tonacci (La Repubblica).
The event concluded with a video message from Antonio Tajani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, followed by closing remarks from Antonio Paoletti, chairman of the Venezia Giulia Chamber of Commerce.
