II. Definitions and cross-cutting issues need to be included in the decision-making process when States are trying to find solutions to their respective situations. Giving affected populations a voice is not only a necessary step toward making them visible to society at large and raising awareness about their situations, but also an important tool for empowerment. Most importantly, including affected persons from the outset in key activities and processes that address statelessness makes it easier to understand the kinds of activities, policies, and programmes that could or should be elaborated to effectively target the issues pertinent to them. Furthermore, including affected groups usually increases the sustainability of results and makes those results more widely accepted within their communities. Next page: Italy. Stateless youth – Valentino’s dream: Never having been recognized as Serbian citizens after the breakup of Yugoslavia, Valentino and his entire family are stateless. He has 13 siblings, four of which are in foster care. Anxious to find a job, Valentino dreams of opening a pizzeria and reuniting his family. © UNHCR/France Malavolta 19