Our Story
The Augurusa Foundation was established in 2020 in memory of the young Antonio Emanuele, and inspired by his vision of a “House of Peace.” Today, we operate at both national and international levels in the fields of Education, Social Inclusion, Sustainability, Culture, and Safety, through the value-based and methodological framework of Generative Restitution, developed to create virtuous cycles of social impact.
1986 - 1998
Antonio Emanuele Augurusa was born in the spring of 1986 in Filogaso, a small village in Calabria, Italy, where he tragically passed away on a football field in the summer of 1998. During his short life, Antonio Emanuele dedicated himself with love and care to the community of Filogaso, his peers, and the natural environment around him. He imagined a fair and just world, which he represented through a drawing in the shape of a “House of Peace”.
1998 - 2015
Antonio’s family began collecting testimonies about his life and his vision from those who had the privilege of knowing him. Aware that they held a legacy of love and compassion for others, the family chose to follow Antonio’s example by continuing the values he embodied during his life. Over the years, they carried out acts of solidarity and charitable support in his name, involving the community that had been Antonio’s own “Home.”
2020
June
The Augurusa Foundation was established through the will of the Augurusa family to continue Antonio Emanuele’s legacy.
September
The experience of the social start-up Virtus Lab was donated by the President to the Foundation, becoming the first model of Generative Restitution.
2021
June
We officially introduced the Foundation to the press and citizens at the Basilica of San Vitale e Compagni Martiri in Fovea in Rome.
November
We travelled to Argentina for our first institutional mission, with the aim of exploring the international application of the Virtus Lab model.
2022
May
The Centre for Integral Human Development was established in Lamezia Terme to strengthen the impact of the Virtus Lab model in Southern Italy.
September
Thanks to the Virtus Lab model, we became finalists in the “Welfare, che impresa!” capacity-building program.
October
We became an ETS (Third Sector Entity), officially registered in the RUNTS (National Single Register of the Third Sector).
We launched our support for scientific research by signing our first agreement with the University of Pisa: we funded a PhD research project dedicated to the reuse of disused ecclesiastical heritage for social purposes.
2023
October
We hosted the national event of UCID (Christian Union of Entrepreneurs and Managers) entitled “Transforming Human Capital to Unlock the Country’s Potential”, during which we drafted the “Pact for Decent Work and Sustainable Development”, leading to its signing by institutions, the Church, and businesses.
2024
February
We became founding members of the MASK ITS Academy Foundation (Mediterranean Academy for Digital and Logistics Skills).
May
We participated in the event “The Future of Work” organised by the International Catholic Migration Commission, contributing to the consultation process for the development of a Roadmap for Decent Work.
October
The first spontaneous prayer groups in Antonio Emanuele’s name were established in the Philippines.
November
President Augurusa was invited as a speaker at COP29 in Baku.
2025
March
We launched The Social Impact Manager (SIM) model: the first free advanced training programme in Italy dedicated to educating professionals in the field of social impact.
September
The SIM model was further specialised with the first “Green” edition, dedicated to renewable energy, climate change, and just transition.
October
Father Anthony Pizzo O.S.A., Provincial Prior of the Augustinians of the Midwest, was appointed Spiritual Guide ad quinquennium of the Augurusa Foundation.
November
We participated in Brazil in the 30th Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (COP30) as panellists at the Italy Pavilion, presenting our experience with Virtus Lab and Green SIM to the international community.
Dicember
President Augurusa was selected as a Peace Torchbearer for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Games.
2026
January
The Augurusa Foundation US Fund was established in New York through Myriad USA.
February
We launched our first project on Sport and Food Security in Iquitos, Peru, together with the Augustinians of Chicago and the Augustinians of Malta.
Inside the Foundation
Learn about the mission, organization, and story of Antonio Emanuele.