The Palace of the Province of Cosenza hosted, under the patronage of the Office of President Succurro, the “Round table on legality”as part of Annamaria Verre’s project “whoever opens the door of a school, closes a prison”.
In the elegant “Hall of Mirrors” the students of the “E. Fermi” of Cosenza have dialogued with institutions, judiciary and lawyers, in the presence of the Headmaster Rosanna Rizzo, of the various Institutional Authorities, of the Provincial Committee For UNICEF of Cosenza and an audience of attentive and participatory young people, who, at the end of the speeches, asked the speakers reflections and questions, reporting, among other things, real, family and personal life events.
The works were welcomed by the Mayor of Cosenza, who spoke through the councilor Incarnated, by the President of the Province of Cosenza represented by Rita Benigno and the school principal Rosanna Rizzo.
At the table the participation of authoritative speakers such as Marisa Manzini Deputy Attorney General of the Republic at the Court of Appeal of Catanzaro; Don Giacomo Tuoto delegate of the Metropolitan Archbishop Cosenza Bisignano; Roberto Le Pera President of the Criminal Chamber of Cosenza “adv. F. Gullo”.
In the room, the strong and exciting presence of the “TOGA” as a true representation of legality.
The exceptional moderator was the young student of the Scientific High School Roberta De Bartolo, who began with the exact words “today we are with people who care about our territory and who fight for all of us.”
A meaningful meeting full of emotions through the presentation of Marisa Manzini’s latest book “women guardians, women fighters. The lordship of the ‘Ndrangheta over territories and people”. The speech of the Prosecutor was suggestive, highlighting the role of women in society and, in particular, within the criminal organization, whose strength is manifested precisely in blood ties. The story of Elisabetta Melana, a woman victim of her husband, of her children, of her family – now protected by the State – is touching and emblematic.The role of women” says Prosecutor Manzini “it’s extremely difficult within the criminal organization, but there are women who at a certain point manage to say: enough!”.” It turns out to be important”, he adds, “ that women become aware of what it means to live in that context, so that they are able to first scratch and then determine fractures within the organization, until, over time, they reach the very end of the ‘ndrangheta”. The Prosecutor invites the young people present to make the change that previous generations were unable to make. “Is critical” He says “make young people reflect, talk about this issue within schools, in order to give them awareness and help them understand what the tools are to recognize the organization and defeat it”. He concludes “my hope is that the girls of the ‘ndrangheta family, by coming to school and listening to this topic, can reflect and gradually begin to change their attitude. Understanding that the values are different and not those that breathe within their family, because those are not values, but disvalues”.
An important presence was that of the Church through the intervention of Don Giacomo Tuoto. Through his experience he told the audience of students real life episodes in order to prevent any form of deviance and avoid falling into the network of illegality. “The problem is not legality.” He says “but legitimation of legality. We must activate educational processes so that the school always remains a garrison such that a prison is closed.” Don Giacomo addresses young people, through the words of Don Bosco, “You are not a problem, but the solution to society’s problems”. Inviting them to get involved with commitment and a great sense of responsibility.
Passionate and engaging speech by Roberto Le Pera. The President of the Criminal Chamber of Cosenza appeals to young people to become aware of the duty to bring the culture of legality into their lives and to report any form of abuse. In the context of the topic of “constitutions and rights: presumed innocent and presumed guilty”, Le Pera l’Avvocatura has a specific obligation, assigned to it by the Constitution, to instil into society the fundamental principles of the person, including the presumption of not guilty.” He highlights the presence of a legal profession that walks in line with the institutions in a common struggle for the affirmation of legality. “The lawyer“, says the President of the Criminal Chamber of Cosenza, “he does not defend the crime, the lawyer defends the law”. She addresses young people with strong and emotional words explaining the presence of the toga, as a symbol of legality, “lawyers have the duty, as do magistrates, to wear the toga knowing that it unites magistrates and lawyers, without differences, all aware that the TOGA is the noblest banner of freedom”. The Criminal Chamber of Cosenza “adv. F. Gullo“, in the person of its president, immediately expressed extreme interest in this initiative, feeling the duty to “go out” by the court for “enter” in the gym where people’s civic sense is formed: the school. At the end, in memory of the day of studies on legality, the President presented the booklet as a gift “The toga by Luigi Gullo”.
Day of reflection, as underlined by the creator of the project Annamaria Verre in introducing the event “It is important that this issue is addressed within schools. May this union be created between legality and culture, since school, which has a primary function in the formation of every person’s life. In school you learn to be.”