Ventotene International Seminar

The Ventotene International Seminar, also known as the Ventotene Seminar or the Altiero Spinelli Seminar, is an annual event that brings together scholars, politicians, and experts to discuss topics related to European integration and federalism. It takes place on the Italian island of Ventotene, located in the Tyrrhenian Sea.

the Ventotene World Federalist Conference was a historic meeting of European federalists held on the island of Ventotene, Italy, in 1941. The conference was organized by Altiero Spinelli and Ernesto Rossi, two anti-fascist activists who were imprisoned on the island by the Italian government.

During their imprisonment, Spinelli and Rossi drafted a manifesto known as the Ventotene Manifesto, which called for the establishment of a federal Europe as a means of preventing future wars and promoting democracy and human rights. The manifesto proposed a European federation based on the principles of subsidiarity, solidarity, and democratic participation.

The Ventotene Manifesto, also known as the Manifesto for a Free and United Europe, is a political document that was written by Italian political prisoners Altiero Spinelli and Ernesto Rossi while they were interned on the island of Ventotene during World War II. The manifesto was drafted in 1941 and published in 1944.

The manifesto advocates for a federalist system of government in Europe, in which individual nation-states would give up some of their sovereignty in order to create a more unified and cooperative continent. It argues that a united Europe is necessary in order to prevent the recurrence of war and to promote economic and social progress. The manifesto calls for a new European order based on democracy, social justice, and human rights.

The Ventotene Manifesto is significant because it is considered one of the foundational documents of the European Union. It helped to inspire the formation of the European federalist movement and paved the way for the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community, which was the precursor to the European Union. The manifesto's call for a federalist Europe has had a lasting impact on European politics and continues to influence debates about the future of the European project.

The Ventotene conference brought together a group of European intellectuals and activists who shared Spinelli and Rossi's vision of a federal Europe. Participants included Jean Monnet, future architect of the European Union, and Eugenio Colorni, a Jewish-Italian philosopher who was later killed by the Nazis.

The Ventotene Manifesto and the ideas discussed at the conference laid the groundwork for the post-World War II European integration process, which ultimately led to the formation of the European Union. The conference is thus considered a seminal moment in the history of European federalism and the struggle for a peaceful, united Europe.

The last Ventotene International Seminar took take place September 11th to 16th of 2023. The date of the next conference is yet to be determined.

In order to be eligible for the Outstanding Delegate prize to attend the Ventotene International Seminar you must be a Canadian Resident (temporary or permanent), under 35 years of age, or a Canadian citizen that is currently outside of Canada.

Participate and do your best in the Model UN Parliamentary Assembly at our annual World Federalist Conference. SIgn up to be a delegate HERE.

Want to increase your odds? Read the Model UNPA Delegate Handbook and research the topic)

Various criteria will be evaluated at the chair's discretion:

• Diplomacy
• Preparedness
• Knowledge of the topic
• Understanding of the rules of procedure
• Professionalism and courtesy towards other delegates and the chair