A Matera among the new Standard Bearers of the Republic

The President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, awarded 29 Certificates of Honor of “Bishop of the Republic”. Solidarity for the environment and culture is the prevailing theme that inspired the choice of young Alfieri in 2023. The floods that hit our territory in 2023, in particular Romagna and Tuscany, once again brought to light the altruism, generosity and sense of community of many young people. The Certificates valorise voluntary actions, examples of active citizenship, as well as the stories of young people who have been able to transform their passion for writing or science into a “bridge” to reduce inequalities. The cases chosen, however, do not constitute examples of rare actions, but are representative of widespread behaviors, of spontaneous solidarity: actions and feelings to be encouraged to spread among young people those values ​​that can allow them to become builders of a sustainable future, adults aware of importance of solidarity in a world crossed by conflicts, climate change, environmental crises. Alongside the awards oriented towards the annual theme, there are certificates of honor relating to acts performed with particular courage and emblematic gestures of friendship.

Alfonso STIGLIANI, 29/7/2005, resident in Matera. For the maturity and depth with which he spoke about himself in an autobiographical book. Being able to ask for help when you are in difficulty is a great generational theme: discussing it can also be useful to many peers who experience moments of discomfort.
Alfonso is a boy who was able to react to family problems and school hardship that affects many young people, committing himself to writing a book, which was presented at the Turin International Book Fair in 2023. In these pages he decided to tell the story of the period of Covid and how this helped him to deal with his problems as a teenager and to recover the difficult relationship he had with his father. A heartbreaking story from which the value of family relationships and the importance of asking for help when you are in difficulty emerges in all its power.