home > report on operations > additional information

Rai and Society

Owing to its public service remit, Rai is not simply a business entity but is part of the social, cultural and economic fabric of the country.

The previous chapters, which outlined Rai's mission and its Service Contract and looked in detail at the various media platforms used, clearly demonstrate that from a statutory level all the way down to the smallest corporate or editorial decision, Rai is always working to forge, vitalise and strengthen its bonds with Italian citizens at home and abroad. In carrying out its mission, Rai respects people's cultures, religions, sensitivities, languages and any physical disabilities.
The management of this relationship creates a real two-way flow.
Rai not only offers an array of programming to fulfil its responsibility to provide services, news and entertainment but, above all, it is also receptive to the trends and realities of society, which it attempts, within the limits of its remit, to reflect and represent.

This commitment, which stems first and foremost from an ethical and civil sense, and only secondarily from legal obligations and prescriptions, is present throughout the Group and is embodied in specific structures, chief among which is the Social Secretariat.



Rai's Social Secretariat is in charge of social communications and programming. It draws up the guidelines and reference principles for the presentation of social problems by Rai, within the sphere of the service contract between Rai and the Ministry of Communications. The Secretariat defines, proposes and/or carries out social initiatives, also in conjunction with associations and institutions, working on social issues outside as well as inside radio and television and multimedia programming. It takes care of and promotes the social issues represented by the associations and institutions operating in this direction, by directly interfacing with them, the aim being to draw as much public attention as possible to social problems.

In 2010, the work of the Social Secretariat developed throughout numerous cooperative actions and initiatives, all of which are listed on the website http://www.sas.rai.it/agenda/agenda.html. They particularly include:

• Haiti DVD: featuring on the emergency and development of activity carried out by the winner of the International Voluntary Prize 2010, organised by FOCSIV-Volontari nel mondo for the United Nations International Volunteer Day, with the cooperation of TG1;

• Euentes, curates infirmos DVD on the foundation, Medici con l'Africa Cuamm;

• Vittorio Patrelli Campagnano Sommergibilista DVD, with the cooperation of the Italian Navy;

• Afghanistan 2010 da parte nostra DVD, with the cooperation of the Ministry of Defence;

• 2 giugno 2010 festa della Repubblica DVD (2 June 2010 - the Italian Republic day), with the cooperation of the Ministry of Defence.


As the Social Secretariat is a structure that provides a link between Rai and social communication operators, various initiatives have been produced in cooperation with institutional partners and associations working in this sphere. They particularly include:

• A training workshop held in Afghanistan for the media of Herat, for the 'Campaign for social communication on peace missions of the Italian Armed Forces'.

• Ceremony for the presentation of the International Voluntary Award 2010, organised by FOCSIV Volontari nel mondo for the International Volunteer Day.

• Press conference for the presentation of the official video made by the Italian Defence Staff (Stato Maggiore della Difesa) and Rai and produced by the Department for Women of the Government of the Province of Herat (Afghanistan).

• Press conference for the presentation of the 'XV Giornata della Memoria e dell'Impegno' in memory of the victims of the Mafia, organised by Libera, Avviso Pubblico and the Rai Social Secretariat.

• Award Ceremony of the third edition of the Child Guardian Award 2010 - dedicated to companies that defend the image of minors, promoted by the non-profit foundation Terre des Hommes Italia.

• 'BiodiversaMente: Festival dell'Ecoscienza', an awareness initiative organised by the WWF.

• National awareness campaign 'Mondiali Sudafrica 2010: tutti in campo contro il traffico di bambini', promoted by ECPAT and Terre des Hommes Italia.

• Within the scope of Prix Italia 2010, organisation of conventions for the Social Communication Days: 'Mass Media: Disabilitą e nuove tecnologie', '2010: Piccoli lavoratori, piccoli schiavi', '2010: Essere donna in Afghanistan'.

• In about 200 Italian towns - XVIII Fai Spring Day, organised by FAI - Fondo per l'Ambiente Italiano.

• 5th edition of 'Hai visto mai?' celebration of the social and society documentary, promoted by the cultural association Hai visto mai?.

• Presentation of the first European meeting 'Underforty Women Breast Care', promoted by ALTS - Associazione onlus, a no-profot organisation for the fight of breast cancer, in conjunction with the Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori (Italian Cancer Institute) of Naples.

• 'Puliamo il mondo', Italian edition of the global project, operational in over 120 countries, 'Clean Up the World', organised by Legambiente with the cooperation of Rai.

• Within the scope of the International Book Fair of Turin - Presentation of the book entitled "Verso il largo - Dieci anni di vela solidale" by Mauro Pandimiglio, published by Rai Eri.

• Fund raising at the May 1st Concert in favour of orphans of victims of professional accidents

• The regatta 'Handy Cup 2010'.

• Convention entitled 'Alimentazione e Nutrizione in Parole', organised by FeSin - Federazione delle Societą Italiane di Nutrizione (Federation of Italian nutrition societies) and the Rai Social Secretariat.

• Presentation of the 3rd International Short Film Festival Tulipani di Seta Nera: Un sorriso diverso, organised by the university student association 'Universitą cerca lavoro'.

• Reti Rai - Trenta Ore per la Vita, television marathon to raise funds in favour of Abio.

• 'Giornata delle oasi WWF 2010' - 130 nature reserves open free of charge in all the Italian regions: guided tours, exhibitions, children's activities, itineraries for the disabled, organised by the WWF.

• Reti Rai - Every One Campaign to put an end to infant mortality, promoted by Save the Children.

• 14th edition of Amnesty Days 2010, organised by Amnesty International and dedicated this year to the campaign 'Io pretendo dignitą' and particularly to the action of Amnesty International, to put an end to death during maternity.

• Capodanno sul Mare broadcast in conjunction with Radio1: a non-stop live broadcast for New Year's Eve featuring a link-up with Italians at sea all over the world.

• Fund raising event in support of the campaign 'Un pasto al giorno', promoted by the Community Papa Giovanni XXIII, during the year-end television broadcast L'anno che verrą on RaiUno.

The Social Secretariat is also responsible for the production of descriptive voiceovers (in collaboration with RaiUno, RaiDue, RaiTre and RadioRai) so that blind people can listen in to radio broadcasts describing the onscreen action of a number of popular television programmes.

The role played, with the aid of the Social Secretariat, by the Sede Permanente di confronto on social programming, which is made up of 12 members representing sections of civil society and 12 representing Rai, should also be mentioned. This is a standing committee for the monitoring of socially relevant output to ensure that the provisions of the Service Contract on respect and the quality of the spaces dedicated to social issues are implemented.