The Calabrian stage of the Marathon for Peace, a national initiative promoted by the CISL which will end on 15 November in Rome with the national assembly, took place at the Technical Nautical Institute of Pizzo.
In the assembly hall, packed with students, managers and delegates, we reflected on the value of an “unarmed and disarming peace” that arises from communities, schools and work. The general secretary Giuseppe Lavia opened the proceedings, underlining the CISL’s commitment “against every conflict and for dialogue, so that even enemies can reconcile”.
The head teacher Giuseppe Sangeniti and the mayor of Pizzo Sergio Pititto also spoke. The debate, moderated by the journalist Danilo Monteleone, saw the participation of students coordinated by the teacher Silvesti and external connections, including that of Ahmed Faghi Elmi, president of Anolf Fvg, who reported on the situation in Somalia.
The testimonies
Ukrainian worker Liudmila Pyliuschenko shared her story of pain and hope after fleeing her country. Don Domenico Muscari, parish priest of Pizzo, recalled the importance of reconciliation, while Don Giacomo Panizza spoke of active and concrete pacifism.
Enzo Porpiglia, coordinator of Doctors Without Borders in the Palestinian territories, recounted his humanitarian experience and recalled that “the first victims of a war are truth and empathy”. The meeting ended with the poetic reading “Verses for Peace” by Patrizia Pavone, CISL delegate.