AMCHAM: Please introduce yourself to our AMCHAM constituency so they know who you are and the objectives you are trying to achieve
Camilla Cuppini: I am Italian with British origins. After living in Luxembourg for 16 years, I am now a naturalized Luxembourgish citizen. I am married with two children with whom I share my love for nature, sports, and cycling in particular.
I have a background in humanities and a Master of Art in Electronic communication and publishing with extensive experience in project management and coordination.
Passionate about art, architecture, philosophy, and poetry and extremely curious, I am strongly concerned with the question of identity in our complex society. Having lived in different countries I feel the importance of human welcoming when settling down in a new country.
I contributed to the guide for welcoming new arrivals Just Arrived and, since 2014, I have been a member of the Consultative Communal Commission for Integration of the City of Luxembourg. I am also the president and cofounder of the association Cooltur, which promotes intercultural activities aimed at encouraging meetings and exchanges between citizens.
Please share your SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) assessment of Luxembourg
Strengths:
- Strategic location in the heart of Europe.
- Highly educated and multilingual workforce.
- All the nationalities present in such a small territory.
- The proximity to nature.
- An European capital but with the advantages of a small town.
- A pragmatic down-to-earth approach to tackle the different issues.
Weaknesses:
- High cost of living.
- Weather. However if we had an Italy-like climate here we will be invaded -)
Please share your thoughts on the circumstances and special challenges faced by the international inhabitants of Luxembourg.
As a country with a high percentage of foreigners, Luxembourg has a diverse population which faces unique challenges such as language barriers, adapting to different customs and social norms, and finding affordable housing – but this is a general issue. While the country is welcoming to international residents, integration into the community can be a challenge.
Fully aware of all these challenges the DP Stad program for the next communal elections is emphasizing all the different actions that the municipality can initiate and support in order to improve the living together (Zesummen Lieven) which is essential for a society to thrive.
Why have you presented yourself as a candidate for the communal elections?
First of all because I am an extremely curious and open-minded person. I also thought that this experience is a natural evolution of my social engagement. In addition, I consider myself an integrated-expat and I wanted to give a voice to the international community.
What objectives are you trying to achieve?
My objective will be to continuously promote intercultural communication which can have many benefits such as breaking down stereotypes and prejudices, enhancing creativity and innovation. It can also help individuals develop important skills such as empathy, tolerance, and cross-cultural competence, which can be valuable in both personal and professional contexts.
For me this is the necessary foundation to create a more harmonious and inclusive society.
What are the three to five highest priority issues which you believe must be solved and what solutions do you propose?
The first and utmost priority is to preserve the quality of living in the city of Luxembourg for which this town is worldwide recognized.
However, the city has a lot of challenges ahead. The City of Luxembourg represents only 2% of the national territory, half of which are forests, parks etc. In addition, every day 120,000 commuters come into town to work. This pressure inevitably has side effects (security, transportation etc) with which administrators have to cope. For us having to indicate the 4 highest priorities to keep the life quality in Luxembourg we can say: Security, Housing, Transportation, Education.
Why have you picked the DP as the political party of affiliation for your candidacy?
I felt close to the approach they have to issues and values. I already knew some people in the party and had extensive conversations with them and I found that we are aligned.
What are your feelings and observations concerning equality of treatment related to age, gender, nationality, sexual orientation and race. What further should we do to promote fairness?
Promoting fairness and equality of treatment requires a sustained effort at all levels of society, and it is an ongoing process that requires commitment and dedication. One of the reasons why I have accepted the invitation from DP is because all these themes are mostly valued and part of their platform.
For instance educating the public about issues such as racism, discrimination, and social exclusion is essential to help promote tolerance and reduce prejudice especially in this historical moment.
