Within the framework of Nova Gorica–Gorizia European Capital of Culture, Fondazione Feltrinelli, in collaboration with the Department of Culture and Sport of the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia and EGTC GO, presents BORDER STORIES / STORIE DI CONFINE. Four moments of dialogue and an international competition to reflect on the changing dimension of borders.

A project designed to highlight the experimental and transformative dimension of border areas and the people who inhabit them, moving beyond the concept of the border as a “barrier” to embrace a perspective of connection, hybridization, open coexistence, and new forms of innovation. The border as dialogue and exchange, as a place of cultural, social, and economic experimentation. Borders and their development potential are the core mission of EGTC GO – the European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation of the municipalities of Gorizia, Nova Gorica, and Šempeter-Vrtojba – a cross-border body among the main promoters and organizers of GO! 2025, which takes part in the project as part of the many initiatives linked to GO! 2025 European Capital of Culture.

A cycle of four itinerant meetings held in Gorizia, Pordenone, Udine, and Trieste, featuring international keynote speakers and panelists moderated by Jacopo Tondelli (Gli Stati Generali): Marco Aime, Stefano Bartolini, Leonardo Becchetti, Anna Granata, Helena Janeczek, Angela Mauro, Tiziana Monterisi, Mojca Pajnik, Raoul Pupo, Alessandro Rimassa, Monique Veaute.

An international journalism award, STORIE DI CONFINE. IL POTERE TRASFORMATIVO DEL DIALOGO / BORDER STORIES. THE TRANSFORMATIVE POWER OF DIALOGUE, in collaboration with the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia and with the support of Are We Europe (a non-profit collective media outlet focused on innovation and alternatives in the European landscape), featuring an international jury composed of: Marzio G. Mian (journalist and writer), Fausto Biloslavo (journalist and writer), Caterina Croce (Head of Editorial Content, Fondazione Giangiacomo Feltrinelli), and Teresa O’Connell (Editorial Director, Are We Europe).

BORDER STORIES / STORIE DI CONFINE – Event Programme

17 FEBRUARY – GORIZIA | #PoliticalBorder
Auditorium della Cultura Friulana, 6:30 PM

With: Stefano Bartolini (European University Institute, Florence), Angela Mauro (Journalist, Brussels correspondent for HuffPost Italia), Raoul Pupo (University of Trieste)

The political border is not merely a line defining state sovereignty, but a symbolic and material space where collective identity is constructed and redefined. Moving beyond the idea of the border as a rigid barrier between nation-states, this discussion invites us to imagine new forms of belonging and citizenship based not on exclusion or nationalism, but on principles of solidarity, cooperation, and shared responsibility. In a globalized world, the political border can become a laboratory for the emergence of plural, post-national, and transnational identities capable of valuing diversity without erasing differences. Which political practices and experiments point the way beyond the opposition between “us” and “them” toward a renewed European project? How can borders become spaces of participatory democracy, inclusion, and shared governance?

3 MARCH – PORDENONE | #CulturalBorder
Former Convent of San Francesco, 6:30 PM

With: Helena Janeczek (Writer), Marco Aime (Anthropologist), Monique Veaute (Vice President, Romaeuropa Festival Foundation)

The border as a meeting point between different traditions, languages, and worldviews. Rather than separating, this conception of the border creates spaces of mutual enrichment, where dialogue between diverse cultures and traditions fosters understanding, tolerance, and innovation. It is an opportunity to learn from others and enrich our cultural heritage while challenging stereotypes and prejudices. Which experiences show us borders that have successfully enabled processes of hybridization, encounter, and coexistence among different cultures and traditions?

9 APRIL – UDINE | #EconomicBorder
Palamostre, 6:30 PM

With: Leonardo Becchetti (University of Rome Tor Vergata; columnist for Avvenire and Il Sole 24 Ore), Alessandro Rimassa (Writer and entrepreneur), Tiziana Monterisi (CEO and Co-founder of Ricehouse)

The economic border invites a dual interpretation: on the one hand, as a space for the transfer of innovation and technologies between countries and territories; on the other, as a site of economic migration. This border represents the flow of ideas, resources, and people in search of opportunities, as well as the challenges linked to inequality and the need for new social models capable of fostering inclusion and economic sustainability, in response to the challenges of demographic ageing and skills shortages.

4 MAY – TRIESTE | #HumanBorder
Teatro Rossetti, Sala Bartoli, 6:30 PM

With: Mojca Pajnik (University of Ljubljana), Anna Granata (University of Milan Bicocca)

The territorial border is often the place where different ethnic groups, social communities, and identities meet—and sometimes clash. By exploring this border, the project reflects on the dynamics of conflict, as well as integration, coexistence, and cooperation that emerge when different worlds encounter one another, learning to understand the vulnerabilities of other peoples. Which examples teach us how to manage conflict and overcome divisions through listening, dialogue, and the building of connections between diverse communities? What opportunities can arise from these processes?

Border Stories Journalism Award

The journalism award aims to recognize four international investigative reports that tell the stories of four border situations which have been able to identify, within cross-border relationships, an opportunity for growth, inclusion, creativity, and innovation. These reports reflect the four thematic dimensions on which the programme focuses: Political Border, Cultural Border, Human Border, and Economic Border.

The four winning investigations will be published in an anthology volume which, accompanied by a photographic section, offers a public reflection on the concept of the border by highlighting and bringing together the four contributions of the keynote speakers and the four winning investigations of the Award.

The volume will be presented during a public event in Gorizia as part of èStoria – the International Festival of History, marking the conclusion of the entire project. The event will take place in the presence of the jury president Marzio Mian, the authors of the winning investigations, as well as Widad Tamini (writer) and Massimiliano Tarantino, Director of the Feltrinelli Foundation.