A project to celebrate Youth Day with the participation of South Africa
A virtual bridge to unite South Africa with Basilicata on a historic day: Youth Day, 16 June, which recalls the clashes of 1976 during which black South African students protested against the segregationist policy of the National Party. On the occasion of this anniversary, the Plenipotentiary Minister Mmathari Mashao arrived in Basilicata to participate in a series of educational meetings with students from the province of Matera. These meetings are part of the “South Africa in Basilicata” project, conceived and promoted by Maria Rosito, journalist and entrepreneur in hotel and restaurant tourism, as well as interpreter and teacher.
The project aims to commemorate the Soweto Uprising and pass on the values of Youth Day through a series of cultural initiatives, including cinema, agriculture, music, tourism and fashion, involving local and national schools and institutions. Maria Rosito declared: “I believed in this project to tell a story that talks about the past while looking to the future. Last year I thought of an imaginary bridge that would connect Basilicata to South Africa. Today I am here to imagine something more beautiful that unites our countries: a sort of rainbow that touches the two lands to create a passage of fantasy but seasoned with a lot of reality. This reality is called diplomacy. This is why we are here, today, in 2024, to spread a message of life through teaching and culture.”
Supporting the project, in addition to Maria Rosito, are Piero Marrese, mayor of Montalbano Jonico and president of the Province of Matera, and Cristalla Mezzapesa, head teacher of the Istituto Comprensivo Fiorentini of Montalbano Jonico. The presence in Basilicata of Mmathari Mashao and Jacqueline Ntombentle Mpongoshe of the Embassy of South Africa further strengthened the message of solidarity and international cooperation.
posted in Current Affairs on June 7, 2024 at 11:07 am
