After the preview of Amabili Confini with Emanuele Trevi, one of the most appreciated Italian writers and critics, the journey leading up to the official opening of the exhibition stopped in the prison of Matera. The Amabili Confini project was born with a predominantly social vocation, with the aim of reactivating the sense of community, the spirit of solidarity and sharing, in stark contrast to the current trend in society towards accentuated individualism. To respond to the need to make the initiative as accessible and inclusive as possible, the “Social suburbs” section was created, with which a window was opened onto neglected worlds deliberately separated from the social context: that of detention and immigration. In this way, the so-called “restricted” children and migrants in reception centers were offered the opportunity to make their voices heard by finding in words the right key to redeem themselves from the conditions of segregation – in the case of prisoners – and marginalization – existential condition of migrants. Both prisoners and migrants participated in the Amabili Confini exhibition with their writings on the theme of the ninth edition: “Oblìo”.
After Pierpaolo Vettori and Carmen Verde, this year the Association hosted Marilù Ardillo, communications manager of the Vincenzo Casillo Foundation in Corato (BT) and author of “Parlami inside” a collection of letters that ordinary people sent to unknown prisoners, already presented in numerous penitentiary institutions, arousing unanimous emotions and appreciation.
In Matera the meeting with the inmates was held yesterday, Wednesday 8 May in the city’s prison. Some students of the Institute of Higher Education “I.” attended the presentation of the volume. Morra” and the “Loperfido-Olivetti” State Technical Institute for Commercial and Surveyor.
In every city we live in, there is a multitude of people who make words the reason for every day, who have had to give up the freedom to go out, to do, but not to hope.
Even those who have made a mistake can continue to use all their energy to evolve. For that multitude of people, the Vincenzo Casillo Foundation and Liberi inside Eduradio & TV have launched a call to words, an invitation to share a narrative gesture of resistance: writing a letter to an unknown detained person.
To deliver a fragment of free life that becomes stimulus, inspiration, hope. From tables, desks and school desks in every part of Italy, around a hundred people from 10 to 93 years old responded to the call. Talk to me inside is a book that makes you feel happy to exist and to be part of a humanity that throbs and resists, which can help us understand that the meaning of our existence does not end in the mistakes we make. Professor Giuseppe Paterino of the “Loperfido-Olivetti” State Technical Institute for Commercial and Surveyor commented on the initiative: “This event represented an extraordinary growth opportunity for the students of our institute. The dialogue with the prisoners (some of them also students) was full of food for thought on fundamental concepts for everyone’s life: freedom, affection, recognizing the beauty in our daily lives. The inmates have repeatedly underlined the importance of school as a tool for emancipation. I thank them for wanting to share part of their personal stories with us. I thank all those who made this initiative possible, in particular, Prof. Liliana D’Ercole. Life teaches each of us, we just have to always be students.”
