Of Andrea Mori
LAWN – “There are interesting and truly brilliant proposals – says the secretary of the Prato Democratic Party Marco Biagioni on the program presented by the Young Democrats – local public transport which must be free for all, the university campus, the issue linked to the rights of all.”
Biagioni has no doubts about Arjana Salimusaj, the very young candidate for the city council: “A generous, brilliant girl, with clear ideas, with the courage of a lion; I believe she is the best figure today that she can bring together with a team of young people, and not only that, this whole program.”
The PD deputy follows him Marco Furfaro: “I will be at your side in the election campaign, especially at Arjana’s side!”
So the Young Democrats, who define themselves as a “political laboratory of participation and training for the new generations, not a group of kids who only discuss the problems of their own generation”, have officially presented themselves to the city.
Presentation which was held late yesterday afternoon at the restaurant next to the Lazzerini library, Schiaccino.
Present were the secretary of the Young Democrats of Prato Niccolò Ghelardini, the deputy secretary of the Gd Toscana Sofian Aboulmachayl, the candidate for the city council Arjana Salimusaj, the mayoral candidate for the PD Ilaria Bugetti, the secretary of the Democratic Party of Prato Marco Biagioni, the dem deputy Marco Furfaro. Finally, the head of the thematic tables Demetrio Berti, Charlie Manetti of the civil rights table and Elena Doctor of the culture table.
“I am 21 years old and I started doing politics in high school – he begins his speech Ariana Salimusaj, visibly excited – after my experience as an institute representative at Gramsci Keynes I was redirected to the Young Democrats because I wanted to continue that path which was very fascinating for me. Compared to the Young Democrats – continues the candidate for the City Council – I understood from the very first moment that it was the space in which I could express my ideas, bring up issues, problems and find a project formula, an idea of the future to build together with many young people and girls with whom I have compared myself over time. But she, she reassures her: “compared to the discussions that have sometimes taken place, in the end we have always found a meeting point.”
The program
Three themes: mobility, civil rights, young people. The first, in addition to the free ticket for under 30s, is divided into other proposals: season tickets in proportion to one’s income, providing exemptions and concessions for lower incomes and for other user profiles, single ticket for the Florence-Prato- Pistoia, increase in the frequency of trips and the number of vehicles so as to guarantee a service that covers, continuously and adequately in terms of times and methods, all areas of the city, TPL trips and train connection on the Florence-Prato-Pistoia line even during the evening and night hours.
The second theme focuses on civil rights with Alias careers and tools for gender affirmation. These are tools to help reduce incidents against trans people and mental health problems, such as generalized anxiety and depression. Priority action in public offices and schools.
Finally, the Young Democrats propose the “Citadel of the young”. It is an interconnected network of youth centers, combining the resources and ideas of various neighborhoods. The network will also be a point of reference for young people who decide to live in the city actively, participating in the socio-cultural life of Prato. To deal with the housing and social challenges of those living abroad or at foreign universities, the sustainable housing model of co-housing is proposed with apartments or shared houses equipped with common spaces and integrated services. Prato, a university city, they say, can transform its historic center into a campus to study, live, work and actively contribute to the local community.
It is also proposed to expand the training offer in local universities by introducing specific anthropology and sociology courses dedicated to understanding Prato as a multicultural city. These courses will offer students the opportunity to explore in depth the social, cultural and economic dynamics that characterize our city, coming into close contact with the realities that live there, and proposing laboratory and research activities together with them. Finally, to ensure a fair and sustainable learning environment, the Gd propose the establishment of a university canteen that offers nutritious meals at controlled prices for all students.
“The parties no longer have training schools – says the centre-left mayoral candidate Ilaria Bugetti – and therefore you can train in a thousand other ways: one is to do activities in the Young Democrats. I was really pleased to be present, and not only because the program is being presented, but also to wish Arjana good luck.” – concludes Bugetti.
I am in love with this symbol (that of the Gd ed.) – says the Pd secretary Marco Biagioni – Many and many of us present here have also joined the Young Democrats, and I think this is the greatest asset that our party has, because it allows young people to organize themselves.” Referring then to the famous currents within the Democratic Party, Biagioni says that “the Gd in Prato, and also at regional and national level, have always had the characteristic of going beyond divisions and creating unity around proposals and ideas; the program they present is very ambitious and beautiful, and also requires the Democratic Party to make a serious reflection on the future of its city and its government.”
The secretary of the Gd Niccolò Ghelardini he attacks his opponents: “In Prato there are those who build the ruling class and government proposals by looking at their own values, making a synthesis between associations and the third sector, listening to the citizens, their base and their militants. Then there are parties that offer places through lotteries or prize games – Ghelardini’s thrust – I’m curious to know what Gianni Cenni thinks of the League’s idea of holding a lottery to build the program and select the candidates. We are talking about our future, the future of hundreds of thousands of people. Are we really thinking of entrusting the choice of who could be administrator of our city to a lottery? As Gd we believe it is unacceptable that the future of Prato is being played with in this way, then leveraging a lottery, as if our city – just look at the data – did not already have enough problems with gambling addiction and gambling. We say only one thing to the League, to withdraw this painful idea and to apologize to the citizens of Prato”.
