Lunaria, worlds on the move
Thirty years and counting, we have promoted peace, social and economic justice, equality and citizenship rights through democratic participation, social inclusion and intercultural dialogue.
We believe that social change starts from below — from the everyday commitment of citizens, young people, communities and associations working together. This is why Lunaria combines international voluntary service with political and cultural animation, advocacy, communication, non-formal education, training, research and international networking.
International volunteering and mobility
Since 1992, Lunaria has coordinated international voluntary workcamps in Italy in cooperation with local communities, municipalities, cooperatives and grassroots groups. Every year we also send hundreds of Italian volunteers abroad, offering opportunities for intercultural exchange, solidarity and active citizenship.
In 2024, Lunaria sent over 500 Italian volunteers abroad and hosted nearly 300 international volunteers in Italy through 30 projects in 22 communities, confirming its role as one of the most active Italian organizations in international voluntary service.
We are also engaged in the European Solidarity Corps (ESC), both as a hosting and sending organization, and in the coordination of ESC in Teams projects. In 2024, more than 120 ESC volunteers were mobilized through our networks, supporting local communities and grassroots initiatives.
Erasmus+ youth work
Lunaria is accredited within Erasmus+ (KA151) for youth mobility and training, implementing youth exchanges, training courses, partnership building activities, study visits and non-formal education workshops. Each year, hundreds of young people and youth workers participate in these activities, developing competences, intercultural awareness and active citizenship.
Other European programmes and foundations
In addition to ESC and Erasmus+, Lunaria participates in the CERV Programme (Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values), strengthening European cooperation on democracy, equality and rights.
We also work with private foundations that support our projects on migration, anti-racism, sustainability, inclusion and international solidarity. These collaborations allow us to diversify funding and to innovate in our methodologies, ensuring independence and sustainability.
Migration, anti-racism and rights
Since 1996, Lunaria has been engaged in research, advocacy, communication and campaigns on migration, racism and discrimination.
We publish reports, dossiers and articles, and coordinate the platform Cronache di Ordinario Razzismo, a key reference in Italy for monitoring racism, discrimination and hate speech.
Our projects address sport, communication, youth participation and human rights, aiming to build inclusive communities and promote equal opportunities for all.
Sbilanciamoci!
Since 1999, Lunaria has coordinated Sbilanciamoci!, a coalition of 46 organizations and a network of researchers, journalists and activists committed to promoting social justice, peace and ecological sustainability.
Sbilanciamoci! produces research, policy reports and the annual “Controfinanziaria”, an alternative proposal to the Italian state budget, and manages sbilanciamoci.info, a platform for socio-economic critical analysis and policy debate.
Through advocacy, campaigns and public events, the coalition pushes for a fairer allocation of public resources and contributes to building a democratic, just and solidarity-based Europe.
Publications, research and knowledge production
Each year Lunaria publishes a Social Balance Report, which details not only financial transparency but also the social impact of our actions. Between 2022 and 2024, we produced dozens of toolkits, guides and handbooks on non-formal education, youth participation, anti-racism, sustainability and volunteer management, as well as policy reports and analyses on public budgets, inequality and migration.
Our platforms — including Cronache di Ordinario Razzismo and sbilanciamoci.info — reach tens of thousands of readers and contribute to public debate by providing data, stories and proposals for a more just and inclusive society.
Our community and vision
Lunaria is a community of over 600 members, mostly young people under 25, supported by volunteers, activists, professionals and local partners. Every year hundreds of volunteers, students, educators and citizens take part in our projects, exchanges, training courses and campaigns.
We see Lunaria as a workshop of democracy and solidarity in motion. We believe that another world is possible: fairer, more inclusive, more sustainable. Every project, every volunteer, every partner contributes to building this world — one step at a time, together.
Every year Lunaria involves around 500 Italian volunteers in international short-term voluntary service projects abroad and hosts between 200 and 300 foreign volunteers in Italy, through initiatives carried out in close cooperation with local partners — municipalities, cooperatives, grassroots associations and community groups.
This is possible thanks to our membership in the Alliance of European Voluntary Service Organisations, an umbrella network of more than 50 organisations worldwide that promote international voluntary service as a tool for peace, intercultural learning and social change.
On the Italian side, Lunaria collaborates with a wide range of local actors willing to integrate an international dimension into their activities. Each year, we co-design 20 to 30 community-based projects across different regions of Italy, offering international volunteers the chance to contribute to local development, social inclusion and sustainability.
In addition to short-term workcamps, Lunaria is fully engaged in the promotion of medium- and long-term mobility opportunities through the European Solidarity Corps (ESC), both for hosting and sending young volunteers. In 2024 alone, more than 120 ESC volunteers took part in individual or team projects coordinated by Lunaria.
Over time, Lunaria has also experimented with initiatives for adult and senior volunteering, promoting intergenerational participation and lifelong learning. This commitment was already recognised in 2007, when one of our projects was awarded by the European Commission’s Grundtvig programme as “Best European Project”, and continues today through our ongoing engagement in ESC, Erasmus+ and CERV programmes, as well as through the support of private foundations.
We promote youth training and initiatives at local, national and European level, involving every year hundreds of young citizens and youth workers in activities of non-formal education, intercultural learning and democratic participation.
Thanks to our Erasmus+ accreditation (KA151) and to our active participation in Capacity Building in the Youth field (CBY) and Erasmus+ Key Action 2 (KA2) Strategic Partnerships, we design and implement youth exchanges, training courses, seminars, study visits, job shadowing opportunities and partnership-building activities. These actions are co-created with partners across Europe and beyond, ensuring high-quality learning experiences and the active involvement of diverse communities.
Through these programmes, young people develop competences, reinforce their sense of active citizenship and learn to engage in intercultural dialogue. At the same time, youth workers and educators have the chance to strengthen their methodologies, test innovative practices and build long-term international partnerships.
Every year these projects also generate knowledge and resources: guides, manuals and educational toolkits, which we publish and make freely available as open resources for youth work. You can explore and download them in the Toolkit section of our website: https://www.lunaria.org/toolkit-di-lunaria/
Since 1996, Lunaria has promoted independent research on migration flows, public information and campaigns to defend the rights of migrant citizens and to fight racism and xenophobia. Over the years, our work has expanded from advocacy to training, local projects and international cooperation, addressing discrimination in its multiple dimensions.
Our campaigns continue to focus on the recognition of political, civil and social rights for foreign citizens, including the acknowledgement of active and passive voting rights. We advocate for residence permits and migration procedures to be managed by civil structures, the adoption of ordinary mechanisms for the regularisation of foreign citizens living in Italy, and the closure of detention and expulsion centres.
Today, this commitment is developed through projects and partnerships on human rights, anti-discrimination, communication and sport as a tool for inclusion, combining grassroots action with European cooperation. Our work includes awareness campaigns, educational activities, support to victims of discrimination and the production of data and reports used by institutions, schools and civil society organisations.
Lunaria coordinates and publishes Cronache di Ordinario Razzismo, an independent observatory and information platform on racism and discrimination in Italy, available also in English at: https://www.cronachediordinariorazzismo.org/in-english/
Since 1999, Lunaria has been coordinating Sbilanciamoci!, a coalition that brings together 46 Italian non-profit organisations active in the fields of peace, human rights, the environment, fair trade and ethical finance. Around the coalition, a wider network of economists, researchers, journalists, students and social workers has grown over the years, contributing knowledge, analysis and activism.
For more than twenty years, Sbilanciamoci! has been committed to redirecting public spending and public resources towards social justice, sustainability and peace. The coalition promotes research, advocacy, training and communication initiatives aimed at building a fairer and more democratic model of development in Italy and Europe, while strengthening cooperation with international networks and social movements.
Sbilanciamoci! manages the online magazine Sbilanciamoci.info, a platform of socio-economic information and critical analysis. Through it, the coalition publishes articles, reports and dossiers; engages in dialogue with institutions and decision-makers; and contributes to the public debate on economic alternatives. The coalition also organises public events, scientific conferences, training seminars and advocacy campaigns.
Over the years, Sbilanciamoci! has reached thousands of citizens through its initiatives: publishing more than 100 reports, dossiers and e-books, producing over 4,300 articles, and organising more than 500 public events — including conferences, workshops, debates and public actions.
Sbilanciamoci! continues to work, research, mobilise and build bridges: for a fairer and more sustainable economy, a more supportive society, and more forward-looking public policies
