As in other European countries, political discourses of exclusion circulate widely in the Italian public sphere, especially with the rise of the extreme right-wing parties in the last years. Such discourses against migrants and their descendants are challenged by actors of the Italian civil society who strive for changing narratives of exclusion in many different ways. After mapping fifteen recent initiatives that stand out for their innovative strategies and their success in spreading inclusive narratives on migration across Italy, two of them were selected for an in-depth analysis: Io Accolgo (I welcome) and Dalla parte giusta della storia (On the Right Side of History).

Both initiatives are performed by non-hegemonic actors and they can be considered innovative and successful based on the parameters proposed by Garcés-Mascareñas and Pastore (2022). Drawing on a qualitative methodological approach based on sixteen interviews and document analysis, this Working Paper examines how these initiatives construction their networks, as well the communication strategies adopted and the narratives produced by them.