THE MAISON DE LA PAIX

 

 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.

 

FLAME TOWERS: NAPLES – BAKU AND RETURN

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Baku | 20 May 2015
Parent Category: Iniziative (EN) - Category: Maison de la Paix (EN)

During his visit in Baku and other cities of Azerbaijian the president Michele Capasso met exponents of cultural, politic, scientific and social world. There is still contrast between the modernity of buildings and the splendour of the shops in the city  center and the extreme poverty which still affects part of the population. “The big challenge for this country – as has been stated by the president Capasso – is to transform the richness coming from oil sources and gas in more specific policies addressed to needy classes.

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THE PRESIDENT CAPASSO PAYS HOMAGE TO THE MARTYRS OF AZERBAIJAN

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Baku | 21 May 2015
Parent Category: Iniziative (EN) - Category: Maison de la Paix (EN)

The President of Fondazione Mediterraneo Michele Capasso paid homage to the martyrs of Azerbaijan  putting wreaths of flowers. From the diary “Nostro Mare Nostro”, written by president Capasso:

“Baku, 21 May 2015. 10.00. I drop in the Funicular and reached the hill.
The whole area is dedicated to the sad memories of a century of wars and tragedies. The first thing I saw was a recently built mosque in Turkish style: in the background the profiles of the three
“Flame Towers”, flame shaped crystal skyscrapers which in the night are illuminated by lights which reproduce the colours of Azeri flag. There is also a mausoleum in memorial of Ottoman soldiers who lost their lives in the route to Baku during the first world war; their names take place in brass plates under a little half-moon. The arrival of Turks was warmly welcomed by “Azeri” brothers and this is the reason why the gravestone dedicated to English fallens, who came back in the aftermath of Russian advance in order to stop Ottomans, raised not a few polemics. The recent history is not less tragic. In 1990 the red army massacred the protesters in the streets of Baku; their graves can be found in the Martyrs path which goes  until the mausoleum in the square which looks to  the sea.
Only two years later, in 1992 there was another war towards Armenia in order to take possession of the area of Nagorno Karabakh: the graves of fallens in this conflict can be found in a path surrounded by roses in bloom. In the black marble are printed the pictures of young deads: some of them now would have been younger than me but they are dead since 23 years! Even though for 25 years I spent my life for dialogue and peace, even though I’m aware of the slaughters of Srebrenica, Gaza and other cities, still now, in front of this monuments I don’t think that every nation needs his martyrs, but I reflect about the need of peace and the uselessness of war. Only a warm sunny day can be a consolation for the sorrowing soul. From this hill there is a wonderful view of the city; not taking in account the Vesuvius this city could look alike my Naples, which with Baku is twin city for 43 years. I laugh: now the “Vesuvius” is here, I laugh, while I take a selfie with the panorama thinking about the nickname that some friends of mine gave me some years ago: “VESUVIO”!.
Before the graves there is a group of kids who, silent and with the lowered head, pay homage to the fathers or parents dead in war. The teacher starts a prayer in Azeri language saying that their goal is the peace. Giving a last hug to the kids, keeping in the heart their hopefully eyes I took my way: Baku – Naples”.

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HOLY SEE: TO KILL IN NAME OF GOD IS A BLASFEMY

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Baku | 18 May 2015
Parent Category: Iniziative (EN) - Category: Maison de la Paix (EN)

Baku, Azerbaijan, hosted the third world Forum about intercultural dialogue, sponsored by ONU and European Council, under patronage of Azeri president Aliyev. The forum is an occasion to discuss about the goals reached until today for what concerns the intercultural dialogue and to promote the mutual comprehension between civilisations and nations. The topic of this year Forum is “Culture and sustainable development in the agenda for the period after 2015. Also Monsignor mons. Melchor Sanchez de Toca y Alameda, undersecretary for the Vatican Conseil of Culture. As follows this is what the monsignor declared to Patricia Ynestroza:

R. – This is the third of a series of meeting which gave birth to the so called “Baku spirit” in order to foster the dialogue in an area which is particularly sensitive. Obviously this should be done in cooperation with United Nations and several initiatives for intercultural dialogue. The object of this international forums is close to the spirit of Pontifical Council for Culture: the idea of culture as meeting point, in which is possible to meet. If sometimes, about dogmatic question, is difficult to find an agreement, at least it is possible to do so in the field of culture. Let’s think about the great universal languages: which are cultural phenomenons and thanks to them the populations can understand each other: the music, the sport, the science and the beauty which are universal languages able to link the populations one to another. At the same time can also be reason of struggle: and we are aware of this...

D. – What is the position of the Holy See in the Forum?

R. –The delegation of Holy See is strong about some questions: in primis cultures should not be isolated, because even though the safeguard of national identity should be protected we should not forget to isolate the culture and avoid any contact. As a second step we should remember that in the core of every culture and intercultural dialogue there are some questions which dunk their roots in the religion, because they concern the sense of existence, of the world, the origin and the destiny of the universe and the problems of sufference and evil. So it is not possible to divide the intercultural dialogue by inter religious dialogue. And we should remember to the governs that the dialogue between religions is important in this times of struggles to religious freedom in several places of the world, should be driven by believers and not by governs which should not replace individual believers. We should remember that Pope Francis said several times that “killing in the name of God is a blasphemy”.And this was also reported that without hypocrisy that freedom of expression has always a limit, as was recognized by all the civil systems: the right to freedom of expression doesn’t allow the right to say every thing of anyone. Also religious beliefs of people should be safeguarded in front of excess and public blasphemy

During a meeting with the delegates from Holy See the president Capasso shared the president Capasso finding them coincident with those of Fondazione Mediterraneo.

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THE PRESIDENT CAPASSO MET ISESCO GENERAL DIRECTOR ABDULAZIZ OTHMAN ALTWAIJRI

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Baku | 19 May 2015
Parent Category: Iniziative (EN) - Category: Maison de la Paix (EN)

The  President Michele Capasso met the General Director of  ISESCO dr. Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri, who is one of the organizators of Baku 2015. Altwaijri praised the 25 years old of activity of Fondazione Mediterraneo and remembered how this organism opened the path of Forum about intercultural dialogue especially with Forum of Naples in 1997 and 2003. The president Capasso gifted Dr. Altwaijri of his book “La Grande Méditerranée”.

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