by Adelina Cavaleri
NICOSIA – The demonstration for legality took place at the “Fratelli Testa” institute in Nicosia, which takes place every year on May 23rd in memory of the Capaci massacre carried out by Cosa Nostra in 1992 and in which the judge lost his life Giovanni Falcone, his wife Francesca Morvillo and four escort agents. Since then, every year in Palermo and the rest of Italy, events are held so as not to forget.
This year the children of the Fratelli Testa institute, in continuity with the legality project they are following, have decided to remember the victims of the massacre by inviting two people to their institute who, in the province of Enna, can be defined as among the major promoters of initiatives in favor of legality and the fight against the mafia, despite having different roles. Guests of the school were the regional parliamentarian Fabio Venezia, member of the Ars anti-mafia commission, former mayor and current councilor of Troina, and the journalist Josè Trovato, author of three books on the Enna mafia, threatened several times and recipient of protection measures for the his commitment against the mafia clans operating in the provincial territory.
The meeting took place in the school’s main hall, and the mayor of Nicosia Luigi Bonelli opened the debate, accompanied by councilor Maria Di Costa. The mayor remembered the massacre and spoke about legality to the children present in the room, also answering the questions that were put to him.
The word then passed to the guests Josè Trovato and Fabio Venezia. The latter, answering the journalist’s questions in an impromptu “public interview”, recounted his experience of fighting the mafia, starting from when he began his experience as mayor of Troina. By telling kids like him, with a thousand difficulties, he managed to eliminate the mafia phenomenon in his territory, exposing himself firsthand.
Today Fabio Venezia, as mentioned, is part of the “Commission of inquiry and supervision on the phenomenon of the mafia and corruption in Sicily”. The children actively participated in the debate with the MP, to whom they asked various questions, all the result of the curiosity of the children, who showed commitment and interest. In conclusion, the regional deputy invited the boys to respect the rules, which are the basis of legality, but also to respect men as such. The law is made by men and is not infallible, so the invitation is to be promoters of legality themselves, in their daily actions towards others. “Legality is not only respect for the laws – he concluded – but also daily commitment to the defense of rights”.
The second part of the morning took place with the intervention of Josè Trovato, who talked about his experience as a journalist involved in reporting on mafia trials, and how this had also affected his everyday life. Countering the mafia, telling the facts in their entirety and not from hearsay or as it suited some was the basis of his path to combat the mafia, a way to make his contribution to legality.
He told how the mafia tried to thwart his work at various times, and the attentive and curious boys also asked the journalist several questions. He concluded his speech by officially inviting the school to visit what he defines as the “symbol of redemption of the Barrafranca community”, i.e. the studio confiscated from Cosa Nostra in Barrafranca, and which through a tender by the Municipality of Barrafranca he asked to manage with his cultural association “Officina”. Former studio which should become a branch of the EnnaOra newspaper and a symbol of legality. In what was the lawyer-boss’s office it will be possible to read mafia books, organize meetings, conferences, tell the story of Barrafranca and the nefarious role of criminal organizations as a brake on the development of this Earth.
In short, that property will become a symbolic place open to school groups. “My goal – states Josè Trovato – is to turn the spotlight on the mafia phenomenon, because I am convinced that I have to do right here, on site, looking into the eyes of the citizens of Barri, what I do for years in the rest of the province. Recount the exploits of the bosses and the many subjects at their disposal with names, surnames and nicknames. Promote investigations, make public complaints. All this with the aim, which in my opinion is the most important of all, of demystifying these subjects and everything they represent. Only at that point will the victims who still today, in 2024, have not done so, understand that they can rebel. They will understand how important it is to report and not lower their heads. Because those who are afraid, said Giovanni Falcone, die every day.”
His invitation was clearly accepted by the school director, principal Josè Chiavetta, who concluded the day by inviting the children to be witnesses of legality themselves.
