Bridging Generations

The CEO of CO.AS.IT. Melbourne reflects on his journey from migrant to political leader and community advocate. In this intimate profile, he shares insights on identity, service, and the vital role of genuine social cohesion in an increasingly divided world.

In the quiet offices of CO.AS.IT. Melbourne, Marco Fedi speaks with the gentle conviction of someone who has spent a lifetime listening. Not just hearing, but truly listening—to elders in need of care, to new migrants navigating unfamiliar terrain, to young families seeking connection to their heritage. A former parliamentarian and now CEO of one of Australia's most enduring Italian community institutions, Fedi's journey from Ascoli Piceno to Adelaide, from political corridors in Rome to the grassroots of multicultural Melbourne, is a mirror of the broader Italian-Australian experience—layered, evolving, and deeply human.

Fedi arrived in Australia in 1983, following his wife, an Australian of Italian descent. Like many migrants of his generation, he came with skills and a sense of pragmatism. “I have never been unemployed”, he recalls—a testament not only to his resilience, but also to a time when Australia's doors and economy were more open.

Yet his trajectory was far from ordinary. From work in construction to advocacy and, eventually, political office in the Italian Parliament, Fedi has consistently sought to serve. “For me, everything was preparatory to that goal,” he says of his ascent to public life. Still, after 12 years in politics—and a profound personal health crisis—Fedi chose to return to community-based work, where change, though quieter, feels more meaningful.

At CO.AS.IT., Fedi found a different rhythm, one grounded in listening and action rather than ideology and rhetoric. “Listening has always found a concrete response in us,” he explains. Unlike in politics, where listening can feel performative or frustratingly futile, the needs of the community at CO.AS.IT. are tangible, immediate, and addressed with purpose.

He is candid about the institution’s challenge: remaining relevant in a rapidly diversifying society. The Italian-Australian community is aging, while new generations bring different languages, cultures, and expectations. Initiatives like Witcare, created during the isolation of COVID-19 to support young Italians on working holiday visas, reflect this responsiveness.

“It’s not just about preserving tradition,” Fedi notes, “but adapting it, innovating it, so that no one is left behind.”

Fedi’s reflections inevitably return to one of his most passionate concerns: social cohesion. “Social cohesion concerns everyone,” he insists, pushing back against the reductive framing of cohesion as something needed only by migrants or the disadvantaged.

In a time when inequality deepens even in affluent countries, Fedi urges us to see cohesion as a collective commitment. “If a society does not experience true cohesion, its contradictions become violent,” he warns. The danger lies not in diversity but in the failure to distribute opportunity fairly.

It’s a deeply moral stance that critiques political systems obsessed with short-term wins and soundbites. For Fedi, real progress comes from investing in services, education, infrastructure—and in people. “Perceptions are often used as blunt instruments to win elections,” he says, his disappointment in political cynicism palpable.

After surviving a life-threatening illness in his 50s, Fedi’s view of time sharpened. His current projects—which include establishing a universal community library, digitising education tools, and reviving a community-run childcare centre and program—are all part of what he sees as a necessary evolution for CO.AS.IT. and the broader Italian-Australian presence in Victoria.

“Our elderly must not be left behind,” he says. But neither should the next generation—those born with hyphenated identities, navigating a globalised world with both pride and uncertainty.

He’s especially proud of CO.AS.IT.’s Università della Terza Età, an educational program for older adults that reinforces his belief that aging doesn’t mean disengagement. “‘Pensare’ (to think) and ‘pensionare’ (to retire) share the same root,” he says with a smile. “It’s time for reflection.”

When asked where he feels he belongs, Fedi pauses—not out of hesitation, but because the question itself seems too narrow. “I don’t feel only Italian. I’m also Australian.” He has built a life in Melbourne, raised daughters who bridge languages and cultures, and now enjoys time with his young grandson, Alberto. But he remains a man of broad roots and open branches—a cittadino del mondo (citizen of the world) who embodies what it means to belong to more than one place, one identity.

As he contemplates the next chapter of his life—one with more time for family, reflection, and perhaps a return to gym routines—he does so with humility and clarity. “Looking ahead … but also looking back to make sure no one is left behind.”

This isn’t just the ethos of a leader—it’s the essence of social cohesion.