FONDAZIONE JOINS WORLD SOCIAL FORUM. MORE THAN 70.000 PARTICIPANTS

Tunisi | 24 March 2015
Parent Category: Iniziative (EN) - Category: Totem for Peace

A delegation of Fondazione Mediterraneo joined the World Social Forum held in Tunis. After Porto Alegre, the Forum took place in Campus Hached El Manar, ten days after the attack to the Museum Bardo. At the slogan “People of the whole world united for freedom, equality, social justice and peace. In support of Tunisian people and all victims of terrorism, against every form of oppression.” more than 70.000 people joined seminars, conferences, workshop and different cultural events which were addressing topics linked to the hanno partecipato a seminari, convegni, workshop ed eventi culturali diversi, con tematiche connesse all’altermondialismo. The Forum ended Saturday 28 March 2015 with the Palestinian people solidarity. The death of migrants in the Mediterranean sea was one of the most discussed topics. The mothers of Tunisians who lose their lives after the 2011 revolution are asking again to Europe to: "Give back our children". There are more than five hundred Tunisian mothers who are in search of their sons whom have become "desaparecidos" during their travel to Italy. The grief of Tunisian mother is partaken also by Middle American ones. At Tunis there was also Marta Sánchez Soler, coordinator of Middle American Migrant Movement which intends to focus the attention to lost people in the world and build a global network between Tunisian, Algerian and Plaza de Mayo mothers at the hopefully and yelling the slogan: “ They took them alive and we want them back alive.” At Tunis Forum mothers partook their grief and struggle towards the institutions which are trying to distort the truth. In the pictures and in the faces which mothers held in their hands there is the will to take identity and give back identity and give human form to the data: these are the efforts of European civil society and Tunisian one which thanks to the Forum had the occasion to become one thing. The aim is to “build a Mediterranean space and make it be a space in which dignity, social justice and rights for all are ensured”.
Particular appreciation was addressed to the efforts made by the Mediterranean Foundation >to restore dignity to migrants died in the sea, in particular the recent implementation of the " Totem of Peace with the urn of Migrants Unknown".

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THE TOTEM OF PEACE WITH THE URN OF UNKNOWN MIGRANT IN OCCASION OF THE 150° ANNIVERSARY OF PORT CAPTAINCY – GUARD COAST

Napoli | 21 March 2015
Parent Category: Iniziative (EN) - Category: Totem for Peace

Saturday 21 March 2015 at 19 o’clock, after a moment of common prayer, the urn with the remains of “Unknown Migrant” was blessed. The urn was put in the “Totem of Peace” which has been realised in Naples Harbour as a symbol of the migrants who lost their lives in the sea.
The project of the artwork dates back to the 2011, when the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean – under which are gathered Mediterranean Countries- and other international institutions – decided to celebrate the 21 March as “Day of the Mediterranean and the Migrant”.
The International Committee of Fondazione Mediterraneo, on date 2 July 2014, decided to dedicate the “Totem of Peace” with the remains of the “Unknown Migrant” to all migrants who lost their dignity, freedom and peace. This was a promise made to Francis Pope in occasion of His first visit in Lampedusa in July 2013, promise made in order to fight the so called “globalization of indifference” and focus the attention on our brothers lost in the sea.
The artwork of the sculptor Molinari – love and hope message – has been installed in the square of the Maritime Station of Naples Port, from where in the last century, thousands of migrants left in order to find work and dignity.
Fondazione Mediterraneo donated it to Port Captaincy – Coast Guard in occasion of the 150° anniversary of their establishment (1865-2015), as a sign of their being grateful to the 11.000 men and women who everyday risk their lives in order to save migrants from hunger and violence.
The urn coming from Lampedusa will be put in the “Totem of Peace”, as a fraternity gesture towards victims of the sea. The men who will put the urn in the totem will the members of Port Captaincy- Coast Guard –to who Francis Pope – welcoming a delegation in Vatican on 17 February–addressed with these words:

“I do admire you, I mean it: I feel little if I compare myself to the job you do every day, risking your lives and I really thank you for this. I support you as much as I can: with prayers, supportive words and love.”.

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POPE FRANCIS IN NAPLES AND THE MONUMENT DEDICATED TO THE UNKNOWN MIGRANT. “MIGRANTS ARE NOT SECOND CLASS CITIZENS”

Napoli | 21 March 2015
Parent Category: Iniziative (EN) - Category: Totem for Peace

During His pastoral visit the Holy Father Francis dedicated particular attention to the migrants.
His words were:

I would like to answer to the sister who spoke in behalf of migrants and homeless people.
She asked for a word which ensures that migrants too are citizens and God’s sons. Is it necessary to arrive at this point? Are migrants second class human beings? We owe let our migrant sisters and brothers that they are citizens as us, God’s sons, they are migrants as us, because we are all migrants to somewhere and maybe we all arrive it. Nobody has to lose the road. We are all migrants, we are all sons of a God who put us in walk. It is not possible to say: “Migrants are in this way and we are in this way”. No! We are all migrants, we are all walking a path. This sentence is not written on a book, but is in our flesh, life path which ensures us that we are migrants, we are all walking and this ensure us that in Jesus we are all sons of God, beloved, desired and saved. Let’s think about this: we are all migrants in the life path, nobody as a stable house in this world, everyone has to go. And we have to go to God: one by one or as that old clever man: “Yes, of course, you can start going, I’ll come as last.”

These words had been pronounced just few minutes before the departure of the Holy Father while he was passing before the Monument with the urn of the “Unknown Migrant” , blessing the participants. In the monument has been hosted the urn with the remains of the “Unknown Migrant”.

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CORTEN PROTECTS THE MONUMENT WITH THE URN OF UNKNOWN MIGRANT

Napoli | 12 March 2015
Parent Category: Iniziative (EN) - Category: Totem for Peace

The “Totem of Peace” with the urn of the “Unknown Migrant” and taking place in Naples harbour is covered with “Corten” who makes it change colour according to the light. The rust idea- or patina – states the “abandon” and, at the same time, the “protection”: to signify migrants don’t have to be left alone and thanks to them we will be able to give birth to a mixed society.

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