The friendly venues

The idea of promoting social exchange in public places arose during a conversation between a bank executive (Costanza Berghinzand a psychotherapistPiera Serra), in September 2017. The manager reported that during her lunch break she observed people in restaurants eating their lunch in silence: perhaps some of them would have appreciated exchanging a greeting or a word with the people near them. Perhaps restaurants could become hubs for social connections.

The psychotherapist was very struck by the idea that every public space could offer social exchanges.

The non-profit association in Lugano was immediately involved. Psychology and Psychotherapy Research Society, who conducted a study on attitudes towards table sharing in Ticino (interviews, focus groups, an online questionnaire, tests on existing shared tables).

“Historic” restaurants in Lugano, such as Olimpia in Piazza Riforma, Pestalozzi in Piazza Indipendenza, Oops Bar and Birreria Al Forte, readily agreed to offer tables "Ciao Table greeting practice”, adopting our centrepiece:

Some Computer Science students from the Università della Svizzera italiana built a website for free. Several professionals, such as designers, project managers, and event promoters, also offered their services free of charge. Other non-profit associations collaborated on promotion. Within a few weeks, the City of Lugano also gave its support.

After some time, the initiative was admitted to the Google Ad Grants programme for non-profits.

However, openness to contact does not always occur immediately, especially during meals: people must overcome mental barriers based on the ancestral tendency to hoard and consume food only within the close circle of relatives or clan members (a tendency associated with survival necessities, obviously now overcome for centuries). Furthermore, an obstacle to seeking social exchanges is the stigma of loneliness, the shame irrationally associated with seeking company.

Therefore, in May 2019, we created a new project: actively researching venues, clubs, associations, and parks where it is possible to experience conviviality.

“Conviviality experience” refers to a conversation, a shared activity, or even just a greeting that has generated a positive feeling.

To build our friendly venues map, we've had the cooperation of many people who reported venues where they had a pleasant social exchange with people they hadn't met before.

#Also beyond

In the spring of 2020, whilst the population was busy fighting the novel coronavirus through social distancing measures, we suspended the campaign to find LGBT-friendly venues and launched the new #ancheoltre campaign.

#ancheoltre began with the observation that many cultural associations had reorganised themselves to continue running various activities with their members, making use of mostly free online applications: bridge or chess tournaments, literary gatherings, drinks receptions, lectures, etc.

These were activities that could easily have been offered to those who were not yet members of the association.

The person who was interested could therefore, despite the isolation, have the opportunity to create new online relationships that they could cultivate in person when it was possible.

The intention was to meet the needs of people who, despite the difficult times, wanted to distract themselves by keeping their intellectual abilities active and, at the same time, looking after their social network.

With the pandemic restrictions now over, "Ciao Table greeting practice” has decided to support these associations with an annual Open Day. As they do not operate commercially, they are almost always without a budget for their own promotion. See:

Open Days for associations offering cultural and leisure activities run by volunteers.

Scientific events 

Alongside the cultural activities, "Ciao Table greeting practice” He/She promoted scientific events.

"Ciao Table greeting practice” organise seminars and scientific conferences concerning themes that are scarcely investigated by scientific research.

In 2019, the theme was what factors encourage spontaneous social interactions (e.g. between strangers at a bus stop). The collaboration of lecturers from the University of Italian Switzerland was essential.

In 2020, again in collaboration with the Università della Svizzera italiana, we focused on “New Perspectives on Research into Social Exchanges and Loneliness”.

In 2022, the theme was the role of people related to or friends with those who perpetrate or are victims of violence in combating violence; this conference was promoted in partnership with the Università della Svizzera italiana, Objectif Désistance, and the association Giustizia Riparativa.

The next conference will be on the stigma associated with the condition of loneliness. Click here [link to newsletter] if you wish to be informed about this event.

Social Research Prize International biennial award established from 2020.

Being resilient in relationships

"Ciao Table greeting practice” It wished to address the people in the entourage of those who suffer or perpetrate violence and who wish to do something to stop the aggression, offering them psycho-legal counselling in a “cultural” context, meaning neither medical nor judicial. This project was developed in 2021 and discussed in January 2022 with the Restorative Justice association (Bruno Balestra), with Luisella Demartini-Foglia and Marlene Masino from the Rehabilitation Assistance Office, and with lecturers Anna Maria Astrologo and Sara Greco from the University of Italian Switzerland, and presented at the conference. “The violence we don't look at” (8 October 2022) .