Laura Biancalani

The core of ABF Mission is to empower people helping them to realize their full potential and giving them the opportunity to «write» their best stories.

We operate with two different programs: the first, Challenges is focused on scientific and technological research and social innovation with the aim of finding innovative solutions to help people cope with and overcome limitations imposed by their disability and difficulties. The second: “Break the Barriers Program” has the goal to fight poverty promoting intervention in favor of health, education and social integration, and Measuring, as far as possible, the effects of intervention with the objective of constant improvement. One of the most important interventions of Break the Barrier Program is in Haiti, one of the poorest countries in the world, among the lowest in the rankings for childhood conditions, death rates and poverty.

First of all, our approach wants to define the real demand, through a deep insight of the context and a thorough understanding of the needs, that will help us to set clear goals; the second step is to develop precise actions and a clear roadmap aimed at reaching those objectives.

We also strongly believe in measuring the results of these activities using the data to improve outcomes. In the fight against poverty, in Developing Countries as well as in Italy, the process could be the same one, always focused on the human being; identifying needs, giving hope and listening are essential, but knowledge is crucial. In Haiti, with this approach, we defined a roadmap to support 5 communities starting with the construction of schools that welcome about 2,550 children offering them all year round education, food, healthcare. From schools the action then spreads to communities by bringing water, electricity, agricultural development and dignity.

In partnership with St Luke Foundation, nutrition is the cornerstone of every following action, and linked with education and community growth, can sustain development.

«The city is a common home – in which all the elements that compose it are organically linked; as the workshop is an organic element of the city, so is the cathedral, school, hospital. …a single responsibility that is connected to common duties». Giorgio La Pira

Our method has been inspired by the thought of La Pira. From schools we want to carry out projects that go beyond the walls of buildings and reach the most marginalized and needy families in order to create communities. We want to empower each community to favor its own development and wellbeing.

Insight and scientific evidence, social programs and the impact on communities, the will of those involved, and the capacity to understand the real possibilities to get out of poverty, which besides being economic poverty is also the result of a lack of opportunities.
ABF wants to create networks among all the stakeholders who are interested in social programs, a living laboratory in which there is an exchange and sharing, there is cooperation and mutual support, and the will to understand the plight of the poor while seeking for answers to their condition, operating to create projects and effective social policies.
We deeply believe and I would like to borrow the words of “Poor Economics” by Esther Duflo e Abhijit Banerjee, that in the fight against poverty, in developing countries as well as in Italy, hope and listening are essential and knowledge is crucial.

Laura Biancalani, President of ABF Andrea Bocelli Foundation since it was established (2011) has also been performing activities as Head of Institutional activities and Legal Affairs at the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di San Miniato (since 2005). Graduated in Law at the University of Pisa, later she obtained a master in Management of Cooperative and non profit Companies at the School of Business Administration of the University L. Bocconi in Milan. And just in the field of non profit she has gained experience for more than ten years through several cooperations with national and international institutions. Among the positions that she currently holds is that of Chief Operating Officer of an association that carries out micro-credit activities in the territories of Bethlehem and East Jerusalem.