FLAGSHIP PROGRAMMES
National Network
Italy
Address
Largo San Giovanni, 6Country
City
Piazza ArmerinaProvince
ENNAMobile Phone
+393281917870Telephone
0935687019E-Mail (2)
a.catalano@donbosco2000.orgE-Mail (3)
r.lacara@donbosco2000.orgWebsite
Click HereYear of Establishment
1998Contact Person1
Arianna CatalanoJob Title 1
Project ManagerContact Person 2
Roberta La CaraJob Title 2
Head of Research&Development Office - Senior Project ManagerOrganisation Type
OtherFields of Activity
Democracy and community development, Environment/Sustainable development, Human rights, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, International/Cultural relations, Others, Youth and educationGeneral Information
Associazione Don Bosco 2000 is a social enterprise and non-profit organization founded in 1998 in Piazza Armerina, in the heart of Sicily, Italy. Since its establishment, the organization has been committed to promoting social inclusion, human development, and sustainable responses to migration through reception, education, and international cooperation.
In Italy, Don Bosco 2000 manages 15 reception and integration centers across 8 cities in Sicily, supporting an average of 500 migrants and refugees every year. The organization works with men, women, and minors, including unaccompanied children, who mainly come from Africa, Asia, and, more recently, Ukraine. Through an integrated approach that combines hospitality, training, and social and professional integration, Don Bosco 2000 accompanies people in vulnerable situations toward autonomy and active citizenship.
Alongside its work in Italy, Don Bosco 2000 operates in three countries in West Africa—Senegal, Gambia, and Mali—where it has developed and refined its innovative model of Circular Cooperation. This approach supports return migrants by providing professional training and assistance in launching sustainable income-generating activities, while also creating safe and legal pathways that allow young people from these countries to come to Italy free of charge to train as social entrepreneurs and development practitioners. In this way, migration becomes a circular process that connects territories, skills, and opportunities across continents.
In 2024, Don Bosco 2000 reported a social budget of €7.6 million. The organization employs approximately 120 staff members working across project implementation, administration and finance, communication, cultural mediation, and reception and integration services. Notably, around one third of the staff have a migratory background, reflecting Don Bosco 2000’s commitment to inclusion, representation, and the empowerment of lived experience within its organizational structure.
Mission and Objectives
The association's main mission is to promote human development, education, and social inclusion through solidarity and international cooperation. Since its establishment, Don Bosco 2000 has worked and dedicated its resources to the creation of partnership networks and the planning of interventions for the development of the territory and people, with particular reference to the weakest and most disadvantaged sections of society, including children and unaccompanied minors. Don Bosco 2000 has its roots in Don Bosco's preventive and educational system, a model that has transformed education into an instrument of social justice and human emancipation. That method, based on reason, religion, and loving kindness, remains today the key to action capable of reading and responding to contemporary challenges, keeping alive the educational and social vocation of the Salesian charism. Our vision is that of a world in which migration, reception, and development are not separate phenomena, but interconnected parts of a single circular process that regenerates people and communities. We imagine societies in which human movement becomes a value and a mutual opportunity, and in which every individual - regardless of origin, migration path, or socioeconomic context - can access dignity, rights, and concrete possibilities for personal and collective growth. Don Bosco 2000 aims to promote this cultural change by building bridges between territories and cultures, between the North and South of the world, and restoring migration to its most authentic meaning: a shared journey towards human development, where charity meets development. Don Bosco 2000 works to promote Circular Cooperation that combines hospitality, training, and development as elements of a single human and territorial ecosystem. We welcome and accompany migrants, refugees, and people in fragile situations through an integrated approach that combines education, work, and community. We believe that training and social and professional integration are tools for freedom, and that every individual can become an agent of change for themselves and others. The social enterprise operates on two continents, connecting different territories in a network of reciprocity and shared development. In Africa, we promote the right to remain, supporting the creation of economic and social opportunities in people's places of origin; in Italy, we work to guarantee the right to start afresh, accompanying new arrivals on their journey towards independence and active citizenship. Don Bosco 2000 focuses on people as a resource, the community as a space for growth, and social justice as a reference point. Through research, innovative projects, and collaboration with businesses, institutions, and nonprofit networks, we pursue a clear goal: to transform solidarity into development and migration into a movement that generates the future.
Main Projects / Activities
At Don Bosco 2000, our work is structured around four key pillars of action: 1. Reception and Integration We manage reception centers throughout Sicily, offering shelter, care, legal and psychological assistance to migrants and refugees. Our ultimate goal is to support each individual toward full social, economic, and housing autonomy. We do this by guiding our beneficiaries through personalized training paths and professional integration, helping them access stable employment opportunities. We are especially committed to protecting and supporting victims of human trafficking and severe forms of exploitation, offering specialized care and reintegration programs. 2. Social Enterprise and local Development We create professional and employment opportunities for the people we welcome—often in symbolic places such as confiscated properties formerly owned by the mafia. Our social enterprises span several fields: Sustainable agriculture and farming; Hospitality and tourism; Non-formal education for children, including inclusive recreational activities for vulnerable youth and children with disabilities; Cultural heritage management, including a Museum of Legality and Anti-Mafia, where we address topics like food security and democratic principles; Community engagement and cultural programming. Indeed, our work is deeply rooted in our territory: we operate in a rural area of Southern Italy, deeply affected by depopulation and the lack of opportunities for young people. We aim to reverse this trend by creating spaces for youth leadership and innovation. 3. Volunteering and Sport Volunteering and sports are the beating heart of Don Bosco 2000. We promote civic engagement, inclusion, and accessibility by involving young people in local and international volunteer projects, and through sports initiatives that foster participation, resilience, and teamwork. 4. International Development Cooperation For over 10 years, we have implemented development projects in Senegal, Gambia, and Mali. Our efforts focus on: Building medical dispensaries in rural villages with no access to basic health systems; Supporting children in need through nutrition, healthcare, safe spaces, and schooling; Implementing circular cooperation projects that address the root causes of forced migration. We empower young people to stay and thrive in their countries by helping them create income-generating activities in sustainable agriculture, farming and small businesses, building a new generation of conscious local entrepreneurs.
How can you contribute to the Network in your country?
As a member of the Anna Lindh Foundation Network in Italy, Associazione Don Bosco 2000 can contribute by acting as a bridge-builder between local communities, Mediterranean partners, and international cooperation actors, with a strong focus on migration, youth, and social innovation.
We bring to the Network extensive experience in managing reception and integration programmes, social enterprises, volunteering initiatives, and international development projects. Through our presence in Sicily — a strategic crossroads of the Mediterranean — we can support the Network by connecting grassroots realities with regional and transnational partners, facilitating collaboration between civil society organizations, educational institutions, cultural actors, and local authorities.
Don Bosco 2000 will actively contribute to the Network by:
- Promoting and co-developing joint projects with other ALF members, particularly in the fields of intercultural dialogue, youth empowerment, migration, and community development;
- Supporting networking and partnership building between Italian and Mediterranean organizations, fostering long-term cooperation across borders;
- Identifying and mobilising funding opportunities, including ALF calls and other Euro-Mediterranean and international programmes, to strengthen the impact and sustainability of shared initiatives;
- Hosting and participating in local and international events, trainings, and exchanges, contributing to knowledge sharing and capacity building within the Network.
Through its operational experience, international outlook, and strong territorial roots, Don Bosco 2000 aims to be an active, reliable, and strategic member of the Anna Lindh Foundation Network in Italy, contributing to a Mediterranean space based on dialogue, reciprocity, and shared development.
Why do you want to join the ALF Network?
Associazione Don Bosco 2000 seeks to join the Anna Lindh Foundation Network because we strongly share its vision of the Mediterranean as a space of dialogue, cooperation, and shared responsibility. Our work is rooted in the belief that migration, intercultural exchange, and development are deeply interconnected processes that require collaborative, cross-border responses grounded in mutual understanding and human dignity.
Operating in Southern Italy and in several countries of West Africa, Don Bosco 2000 works daily at the intersection of migration, education, social inclusion, and international cooperation. Joining the ALF Network represents a strategic opportunity to strengthen our engagement in the Euro-Mediterranean space, connect our local actions to a wider regional framework, and contribute to shaping inclusive narratives around migration, diversity, and coexistence.
We see the ALF Network as a unique platform to build bridges between civil society actors on both shores of the Mediterranean, foster long-term partnerships, and co-create initiatives that promote intercultural dialogue, youth participation, and social cohesion. Moreover, the Foundation’s focus on networking, capacity building, and joint programming aligns with our commitment to transforming solidarity into sustainable development and intercultural cooperation into concrete impact.
By joining the ALF Network, Don Bosco 2000 aims to actively participate in a community of organizations that believe in dialogue as a driver of peace, shared growth, and a common Mediterranean future.
Additional Information
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