June 17, 2024 10:36 am
We talk about the Mediterranean and the opportunities offered in the socio-cultural and economic-demographic sphere of Calabria, without neglecting the migratory phenomenon which is also a response to the depopulation especially of the internal areas, as well as encouraging the integration between different cultures and religions, contributing to a peace process that is increasingly called for from below. The occasion is offered by the Association of former regional councilors of Calabria, which, with the collaboration and moral patronage of the Archdiocese of Reggio Calabria-Bova, promotes the conference entitled “Mediterranean, a laboratory of integration. The potential contribution of Calabria”, scheduled in the city of the Strait, Wednesday 19 June, at 9.45 am, at the headquarters of the Regional Council, the “Casa dei Calabria”.
An opportunity to also reflect on “how little has been done in terms of cooperation between states to manage a global movement that seems to be unstoppable”. This is underlined by the CENSIS researcher, Anna Italia, one of the speakers at this conference, who adds: «Giorgio La Pira’s reasoning on the possibility of creating a single Mediterranean geopolitical space of full integration, based on the identity of the values and ideas among the men who live there”.
It is no coincidence that Cardinal Gualtiero Bassetti, former president of the CEI, was invited to give the main speech. The prelate will illustrate the internationally important project “Mediterranean, frontier of peace” inspired by the thoughts of Giorgio La Pira, the “holy” mayor of Florence, advocate of the “Mediterranean Talks” between the 1950s and 1960s. For La Pira, the “geopolitical Mediterranean space” was a focal point of world peace and the “Mediterranean Talks” were initially focused on dialogue between the peoples of the three monotheistic religions: Jews, Christians and Muslims. A project that continues after the three stages of Bari (2020), Florence (2022) and Marseille (2023) in which Pope Francis and the Presidents Sergio Mattarella and Emmanuel Macron participated, involving representatives of the religious and civil institutions of 60 metropolitan cities of 20 countries of the Mediterranean basin.
La Pira’s thought, a constant dialogue to create peace processes also from below, is reflected in the “good practices” implemented by the Mediterranean territories themselves, such as Calabria. In this regard, the conference will be enriched by the contribution, in addition to the CENSIS researcher who will report on the “Mediterranean Resource for Calabria and the country”, by Domenico Marino, professor of Economic Policy at the Mediterranean University, who will speak on “The role of the Mediterranean in the new geopolitical and economic scenario”. Regarding the reception and integration projects, the following will speak: Father Gabriele Bentoglio, former undersecretary of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People, current director of the diocesan office of the same name in Reggio-Bova; Francesco Creazzo, press officer of SOS Mediterranee; Mariangela Ambrogio, director of the diocesan Caritas of Reggio-Bova; Stefano Calabrò, outgoing coordinator of the ANCI Calabria Commission for immigration and reception policies.
The works will be opened by institutional greetings from Archbishop Fortunato Morrone, president of the CEC, and from the presidents of the Regional Council Filippo Mancuso and of the Association of former regional councilors Stefano Priolo. Moderated by Giacomo Gambassi, journalist of the newspaper Futurethe work will also focus on some “good practices” in the field of reception-integration, primarily of Municipalities, through the projects of the “Sai Network” (Reception and Integration System). In Italy, as of 31 March 2024, these projects are 884, 114 of which are in Calabria alone.
The aim of the conference is also to contribute to the “Mediterranean, frontier of peace” project by bringing to it – from below – a tangible piece of the integration process essential to peace. This also finds support in the recent declarations of President Mattarella, on the occasion of the delivery of the certificates to the new Standard Bearers of the Republic: «Peace – which we all say we aspire to – is built first and foremost starting from everyday life, from the meeting with those who it is close, even if whoever is close to us at that moment is a stranger, who crosses our path by chance.”
