Maison de la Paix || Casa Universale delle Culture (EN)

 

CASA UNIVERSALE DELLE CULTURE

The Maison de la Paix - Casa Universale delle Culture is a place strongly representative, in which will convey the knowledge of the different identities and cultures, structuring permanently initiatives aimed at the spreading of peace, necessary for the shared development.

The Maison de la Paix - Casa Universale delle Culture (MdP) is a project conceived by Michele Capasso, approved by many Countries and international organizations. It is an architecture that keeps the memory of many Peace activities which created history, often more than the wars, but it is – above all – a space "to build” Peace.

The architectonical complex has an important symbolic worth: it represents the Countries of the World engaged in the Peace process and the Countries victim of the conflicts.

Proposed by the Fondazione Mediterraneo with the Maison des Alliances – together with the main adherent organizations, such as the Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly, the League of Arab States, the "Anna Lindh" Euro-Mediterranean Foundation and others, the MdP represents a referent point for all the ones who dedicate their lives to peace.

The symbol of the MdP is the "Totem for Peace", an artwork by the Italian sculptor Mario Molinari which the Fondazione Mediterraneo is promoting all around the world, creating the network of the "Cities for Peace".

The first seat of the MdP was inaugurated on the 14th of June 2010 (Maison de la Paix - Casa Universale delle Culture) in the historical building of the Grand Hotel de Londres in Naples.

The action of the Maison de la Paix - Casa Universale delle Culture aims at improving the main activities of the "Universal Forum of Cultures" in: Barcelona (2004), Monterrey (2007), Valparaiso (2010) and Naples (2013).

The Maison de la Paix performs most of the initiatives jointly with the Maison de la Méditerranée.

 

After Srebrenica and  Paris the president Capasso is in Manila with a delegation from Fondazione Mediterraneo.
“I come here in honeymoon with my dead wife Rita on january 1980 – declared Capasso – but I have never seen a million people human river. A big emotion, a big hope: for the peace, for the future.” According to the data there were about 7 millions devotes which gathered in the 60 hectares of Rizal Park,  for the last day of Pope’s visit - says father Federico Lombardi, spokeperson of Vatican. The most followed mass in the history: even more than the four – five million presents for John Paul II, here in Manila, the 15 january 1995, in conclusion of World Youth Day. Before the mass, the Pope met with about 30 thousands youngs in campus of university of Saint Tomas in Manila.
“Are we crying when we are seeing an homeless baby, suffering, abandoned, abused and used by the society as a slave?".  If the answer is yes, he asked to youngs, relaunching the question of Jun, ex homeless child: " Why God allow this and why so few people help us?”.
"When the heart is able to address this question and cry- said the Pope – we  cannot understand, there is a secular pity which maximum make us put and hand in our pockets and donate a coin: if Christ would have had this kind of compassion would have just come here, saved 3 or four people and gone back to His Father. Papa Francesco, at the meeting opening, after had asked and get the permission to speak in Spanish said, " First of all, a sad news: yesterday- he told to the presents – before the beginning of the mass, one of the tower felt down and hit one working girl, killing her. Her name was Cristel, she was a 27 years old, young as you and she was working as a volunteer for an association called Catholic Relief Service.

I want all of us and you, young as her, to pray all together  Our Virgin Mary and let’s do a minute of silence for Cristel. Let’s pray. She was an only child. Let’s pray also for his father who is coming to Manila to see her and her mother whom is coming from Hong Kong. "In today’s society women have too much to tell us- says Francis Pope -  so many times we are chauvinist, but a woman is able to see things with a different look, particular gaze, to address questions we men are not able to understand, they are more careful, they are addressing questions: but the only question which doesn’t have answer has have been made by June. The word weren’t enough, so she cried, she needed tears, so when the next Pope will come to Manila, let’s made more women come, please! We need to learn how to cry.”

Read more: ...

The Directorate of  Fondazione Mediterraneo, gathered to commemorate Pino Daniele, confirmed the will to realize two initiatives strongly desired by the great artist too and decided during his recent visit at the Foundation the last 18 december 2014. «The last time I saw him was on the second of January, three days before his departure – remembered president Capasso,  we talked at 21.00 and I told him I was in retreat in San Biagio house of worship during  Christmas week. As soon as I told him I slipped in Saint Benedict cave in Subiaco he bend over with laughter and told me once again what he had said on 18 december 2014 during his visit at Mamt Museum: “Michele, you are a personaggio!”. And he proposed to realize a “Concert for Peace” every year, on 19 september, in Naples harbour, in front of the Monument dedicated to the Uknown Migrant. “It has to be an international event which has to be carefully organized. Our peace message should be universal, we cannot and we mustn’t do a carnival. On the other project, which aimed to dedicate to him “Music Hall” of  MAMT museum, he was agree unless it be a place of exchange and formation for youngs  in order to realize in Naples what already exists in other cities: a cultural datum point about Naples musical history as it already happens for Fado in Portugal, Flamenco in Spain and so forth.  “Michele, be carefull, don’t forget about Gesualdo from Venosa: he was important to me, everyone of us owes something to him. Now it is enough, I’m not in the mood to speak at the phone. I’ll wait you in Tuscany for a couple of days, so we can talk about the details…”. These were his last words addressed to me. The two projects, if the family will agree, will start as soon as possible, beginning with the multimedia reallocation of MAMT museum.

Read more: ...

The president Michele Capasso, with a delegation of Fondazione Mediterraneo coming from different countries, joined  to the freedom march against terrorism.

"An emotional moment, it should be hoped that from these words and emotions come real actions by Europe and rulers from different countries– declared president Capasso – highlighting what was already stressed in 2007 by Fondazione and the necessity of a dialogue for peace”.

The president of  Fondazione Mediterraneo Michele Capasso –here in Paris, where he joined to anti terrorism march –commemorated his friend Pino Daniele, recently passed away.
«A human river which was screaming  “Je suis Charlie”and old, timeless words Freedom, Brotherhood, Equality - declares- while I was marching, as I was catched by an uncontrollable desire, I asked to a group of friends of Fondazione Mediterraneo - French, Spanish, Moroccans, Tunisian, Jordans and Portogues  whom are supporting us for 25 years- to stop. I’ll take the pencil – symbol of this freedom day and I start to write on a sheet of paper: Parigi è mille culure; Parigi è senza paure; Parigi è ‘a voce de’ criature ca vonno ‘a libertà, e mò ‘o sai ca nun si sulo; Parigi è ‘nu sole doce; Parigi è addore ‘e pace; guagliù scetateve do’ suonno ca’ ce vede tutto ‘o munno, nui vulimme ‘a libertà» which in English means: Paris is one thousand colours; Paris has no fears; Paris is the children’s voice whom want freedom, and now you are aware you are not alone, Paris is a warm sun, Paris is a peace scent; guys wake up, the whole world is staring at us, we are looking for freedom».
The president Capasso acted as a choral director , and Pino Daniele, lived again in Paris.: the best way to commemorate him in behalf of freedom and peace.

Read more: ...

More than one thousand people payed homage at Piazza del Plebiscito to Pino Daniele during the funeral celebrated by Sepe Cardinal and by father Renzo, Pino’s friend.
“A big emotion- declared by president Capasso –also the Sea is crying with us”.
During the morning the funerals took place in Rome.

Read more: ...