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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

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Napoli  ||  21 March 2015
Iniziative (EN) - Maison de la Paix (EN)

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.”.