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The Edmonton Committee of the Dante Alighieri Society was established in 1961.  Its major objectives are:

• to promote an appreciation of the Italian culture abroad;

• to promote closer ties among Italians abroad;

• to establish and direct courses of Italian Language and Culture for children and for adults of any national origin;

• to promote a better understanding and appreciation of ht Canadian Multicultural society and citizenship within the Italian community;

• to establish a library open to the general public.

The Society is one of the 425 branches all over the world affiliated with the headquarters of the Societa Dante Alighieri in Rome.  It is also a member of the "National Congress of Italian Canadians", the "Northern Alberta Heritage Language Association" and of the "Edmonton Multicultural Society."

The Dante Alighieri Society is committed to the promotion of an integrated society tolerant of cultural diversity and to the fostering of a culturally aware and linguistically-competent Canadian population.  

Activities

In addition to running a Community School of Italian Language and Culture and to organizing various cultural conferences and musical concerts, the committee has been, and in most cases still is, actively involved in the following organizations:

• Court of Canadian Citizenship;
• Edmonton Citizenship Council;
• Edmonton United Nation Association;
• Human Rights Committee;
• Edmonton Opera Society;
• United Way Charitable Organization;
• Radio Station "CKUR" with the program "Italian Panorama";
• Fund raising for the "Vajont Disaster", Italy, (1963) and the "Pro Venezia Committee";
• Project "Italy Today" in collaboration with "The Bay" (1964);
• Edmonton Centennial Lirary (donated a bust of Dante Alighieri and various Italian books in 1967);
• Provincial Archives, 1974, (donated an oral historical research of Italians in Alberta by interviewing a number of Italian pioneers in various provincial locations);
• Alberta Cultural Heritage Council;
• Edmonton Heritage Days Festival
• National Congress of Italian-Canadians;
• Edmonton Multicultural Society;
• Northern Alberta Heritage Languages Association;
• The "Dante" has cooperated and is cooperating with the various community Italian organizations and with the Santa Maria Goretti parish.

Contact

Dante Alighieri Society
14230-133 Avenue
Edmonton AB T5L 4W4

Reny Clericuzio, President

Related Links

• http://www.leonet.it/culture/sdi/ Official Website of the Italian Dante Society
   
• Il Congresso Articles about the Dante Alighieri Soceity.

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