On Thursday, 6 March we held the presentation of our book The Search for Home among Forced Migrants and Refugees at the Luigi Sturzo Institute in Rome.

It was an event dedicated to highlighting once again the crucial role that home plays in people’s lives, regardless of their income or external circumstances, as emphasised by our President, Sir Bryan K. Sanderson, CBE, in the Foreword of the publication.

This book invites us to rethink the comprehensive human needs of migrants and the fundamental importance of home as an essential requirement, given that they are vulnerable people on the move.

Professor Sophia Aguirre, President of Catholic International University and co-editor of this volume, reminded us that:

“Behind every migrant, there is a face, a person facing the challenge of displacement, striving to build a new life filled with joys and dreams. A roof over one’s head does not make a home; stability for these individuals comes from strong community support and deep interpersonal connections. These are the foundations of successful integration and inclusion, creating a sense of us and a home for all.”

Our distinguished guests, Vincenzo Bassi, Alberto Michelini, and Marco Impagliazzo, each shared their personal and professional insights, as well as a historical perspective on migration. They all reaffirmed that we cannot build the future without migrants, as they contribute their energy, labour, culture, and faith to our ageing societies.

Monsignor Robert J. Vitillo, author of one of the book’s chapters, concluded the event by stressing that family, faith, and hope are essential factors in strengthening the resilience of forced migrants at every stage of their journey—whether fleeing persecution, war, or a lack of access to dignified living conditions.

He also expressed his gratitude to Professor Antonio Argandoña, co-editor of the book, for ensuring that his chapter included not only the voices but also the photographs of forced migrants.

“It is important not only to read about their experiences but also to look into their eyes, observe their expressions, their strong and determined postures, and their peaceful yet resolute faces when they finally feel they have found a home—whether by remaining in their place of origin, integrating into their host countries, or making the radical adjustment of resettling in a third country with a culture, language, and socio-economic conditions significantly different from those of their birthplace.”

This was the title of the workshop that HRF organised in Rome in partnership with Santa Croce in the context of the Conference “Perspectives on altruism: empathy, compassion, care” celebrated in Rome on 6-7-8 March.

In the workshop moderated by Julia Prats, the four panelists delved deeper into the concept of “home” in relation to altruism, emphasizing the essential connection between caring for the home and caring for others. Here, “home” transcends the physical space defined by walls and becomes the broader concept of “oikos”, encompassing our shared environment, relationships, and responsibilities.

Altruism invites us to see the home not just as a personal domain but as a shared space requiring mutual care and consideration. This perspective encourages the recognition of the “other”—whether people, nature, or community—as integral to the well-being of the home. By fostering an ethic of care that bridges the personal and the collective, we explore how nurturing the home inherently nurtures those around us, promoting a sustainable and compassionate coexistence. This interplay challenges us to rethink what “home” truly means and how it shapes our responsibilities to the wider world.

See participants and abstracts:

• Luca Valera | Universidad de Valladolid; Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile

The Oikos: Our home and environment

• Mohamed Gamal Abdelmonem | University of York; Home Renaissance Foundation

The Architecture of Home: The fluidity of space, culture, time, and care

• Rosa Lastra | Queen Mary University of London; Home Renaissance Foundation

The Home as a Shared Responsibility

• Francesca Ditifeci | Università degli Studi di Firenze

The Path of Care in International Adoption

Our Head of Communications, Ángela de Miguel, presented the book The Search for Home among Forced Migrants and Refugees at the Complutense University of Madrid this morning.

After sharing the book’s main conclusions, students from the Faculty of Communication analysed the different stories portrayed in the films The Swimmers and Simón, two productions that explore the complex reality of migration. The first follows two young Syrian women striving to reach Germany to compete as swimmers in the Olympic Games. In Simón, the protagonist is a young Venezuelan man who, after suffering torture at the hands of his country’s regime for thinking differently, flees to the United States.

One of the students shared her own experience, recounting how she left Venezuela in 2015 due to threats and extortion against her family. She witnessed friends lose their lives for protesting in the streets. First, she lived in Italy and then moved to the United States. Finally she settled in Spain, where she was warmly welcomed. She is now 22 and works 40 hours a week while studying full-time to afford her accommodation, education, and to send money to her family. A real story told in the first person.

These lives, alongside the testimonies gathered in our publication, share a common thread: the uprootedness and instability that departure entails for the 413 million migrants worldwide. The reasons for leaving may vary, but all of them face difficult environments and hard experiences. This highlights the essential need for adaptation or integration to achieve personal and professional development, enabling them to start anew and attain the stability they long for.

In analysing the messages these films convey, students considered the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the rights enshrined in the Spanish Constitution. This reflection underscored the vulnerability of those forced to migrate and how only by regaining a stable home and their dignity can they truly begin again.

See the event here.

On Thursday, March 6th, at 4:30 PM, HRF will launch its latest book, The Search for Home among Forced Migrants and Refugees, at the Luigi Sturzo Institute in Rome. Taking advantage of our stay in Rome on March 6-7-8 for the Santa Croce Congress, we will bring together experts and scholars in the field of migration.

The event will be moderated by our collaborator in Italy, Rosella Montanari.

Our director and president of the Catholic International University, Prof. Sophia Aguirre, will speak about Home and Migration as the book’s editor to which 12 experts from various universities and institutions worldwide have contributed.

The round table will be composed of

• Alberto Michelini, journalist and former MEP
• Vincenzo Bassi, president of FAFCE
• Marco Impagliazzo, president of the Community of Sant’Egidio

This publication is HRF’s fifth and the fourth published by Routledge.

On the occasion of the academic collaboration agreement signed with the Pontificia Università della Santa Croce within the programme: ‘Towards a Culture of Care. A response to the anthropological crisis’, we will be holding the conference “Perspectives on altruism: empathy, compassion, care” in Rome on 6-7-8 March.

Two of our HRF directors, Prof. Rosa Lastra and Prof. Maria Teresa Russo are part of the Scientific Committee that has studied the proposals received. As you can see in the programme we share with you here, HRF will lead a workshop on Friday 7th March at 15.00h entitled The Home Factor between self-care, care for others, care for the environment.

The workshop will be moderated by our director Prof. Julia Prats and will be attended by:

Francesca Ditifeci, Università di Firenze, Italy
Mohamed Gamal Abdelmonem, University of York, UK
Rosa Lastra, Queen Mary University, UK
Luca Valera, Universidad de Valladolid, Spain

The conference aims to delve into the issue of altruism as an essential link between the Self and Otherness, interpreting it as a specific human feature, both on a theoretical and applied level. During the conference, a philosophical reflection on altruism will open up an interdisciplinary perspective on medicine, ecology, communication, pedagogy, theology, and sociology, among others.

Charles Handy was a good man. It is said that behind a good man is a good woman and in this case that was true. Charles and Elizabeth Handy were excellent persons and extremely generous with the Home Renaissance Foundation.

We approached them in 2007 to write ‘Home as a School for Life’ a book on the home that Elizabeth, a professional photographer, described photographically three different families’ lives. And it was an amazing experience that we all always remember.

In 2015, Charles and Elizabeth Handy supported us in the policy report ‘Bricks and Mortar Across Generations: A Think Piece on Intergenerational Living in the United Kingdom’ that we presented at the House of Lords by writing the afterword.

Charles Handy was a writer, broadcaster and lecturer. His books on the changing shape of work and its effects on our lives and organizations have sold two million copies around de world. His latest books, include his memoir ‘Myself and Other More Important Matters’ and ‘The New Philanthropists: Making a Difference’ with – photographs by his wife. This is a sequel to their earlier book ‘The new Alchemists’ profiling successful entrepreneurs in all walks of life. At the time of his death, Handy had one book forthcoming, The View from Ninety: Reflections on Living a Long, Contented Life, which is set for publication in 2025.

In his career, he had been an oil executive with Shell, a business economist, Professor at the London Business School, the Warden of St. George’s House in Windsor Castle (a study centre for social and ethical issues) and the Chairman of the Royal Society of Arts. He was also known in Britain for his Thoughts for Today on the BBC radio breakfast show ‘Today’. He was Irish and grew up in Kildare but he died at his home in London on 13 December 2024.