CREMONA – «This year we wanted to ‘raise the bar’ in involvement of young people in republican celebrationsstarting to weave a more constructive dialogue, also foreseeing moments of musical attractionwith whom we will liven up the historic center on Sunday afternoon, trying to convey – in a direct, informal and carefree way – the pleasure of being together on the day of the Italian Day”. The prefect of the province of Cremona, Corrado Conforto Galli, thus highlights the desire to honor 2 June, Republic Day, which is celebrated today in Piazza del Comune, focusing on the strong involvement of the young generations in the belief that they should be entrusted with the baton of conservation and propagation of the values and feelings that led Italians to choose democracy and freedom on 2 June 1946 after fascism and horror of the Second World War.
Since your arrival on 8 March 2022, you have characterized your action with little formalism (there are many surprises, some of them very spectacular, that the Festival will reserve), privileging the human relationship with the people of Cremona. And also on this occasion you call the people of Cremona to participate and cohesion.
«I believe that it is fundamental, especially in the current period in which there is widespread apathy and growing disaffection towards public affairs, to try to reinvigorate the sense of belonging to the national community. This is the reason why we intended to organize a Republic Day that touches all the buttons, in an attempt to involve all the components of our society: from institutions to citizens, up to young people. In short, a people’s celebration that is capable of strengthening the sense of communityhighlighting the elements that unite, such as the Tricolore, which must not be perceived as a simple external sign of belonging, but on the contrary as a symbol of union, bond and element in which everyone recognizes themselves, since it represents the set of those values that a true Nation must necessarily have as ‘fundamental’ shared by all, without uncertainties and without conditions”.
The prefect Corrado Conforto Galli
Scrolling through the day’s program one can sense the desire to move beyond the mere institutional context to make it a moment of collective reflection, but above all a special day for all citizens.
«I think it is essential to consciously live this anniversary, which ultimately represents the pride of being part of a national community. To do this, in my opinion, we need to approach the celebration of June 2nd not as a simple ritual ceremony, but take advantage of this opportunity to reflect and be intellectually honest and ask ourselves how much each of us, in our own small way, does for the national community. Are we doing enough? That is, a strong assumption of responsibility on the part of every citizen is needed. Which is basically summarized in the slogan we wanted to choose for this Republic Day, namely: ‘Italy called… and I am also Italy’, which will be the subject of a whole series of aggregative moments that we have decided to give to our young people, even outside of the morning celebrations, in the name of the Tricolore. Slogan that can be read, at the same time, both as a message of desire to be part of this national community and as the duty of every citizen, ‘called’ to do their part.”
Starting with young people, to whom particular attention is paid.
«Moments like this can be the turning point in creating a true spirit of belonging. Too often there is the risk that institutions and the youth world travel in watertight compartments, like microcosms that – in my opinion, only apparently – struggle to dialogue. So, from here comes the effort to identify new methods to improve this dialogue. The Prefecture has always been a place open to these requests. There are numerous visits from school groups in the province, during which we try to represent our tasks and our mission. Sometimes a contagious and in some ways unexpected enthusiasm is generated, as in the case of the Antonio Campi lower secondary school in Cremona which in the reconstruction project of the historic center of Cremona through the ‘Minecraft’ program also strongly wanted to create a sort of of the ‘Virtual Prefecture’, reconstructed in an absolutely extraordinary way down to the smallest details, which will also be open to visitors this morning, 2 June, in an immersive form with viewers in the stand specially set up by the students in the ‘SpazioComune’ area in Piazza Stradivari. It is beautiful and comforting to still read in the eyes of many young people the enthusiasm in being involved in initiatives that only superficially seem to connect distant worlds.”
Society changes rapidly, institutions must adapt to new forms of communication, the messages they can send are less rhetoric and more joy if they do not want to run the risk of remaining isolated.
«Maybe this one we send is also a signal of the need for the institutional world to identify other tools, other ropes to approach the world of young people, who are certainly more willing and available to be involved, even on these issues, than adults ultimately perceive”.
It will be a celebration with many protagonists, in addition to the institutional moment, demonstrations and exhibitions are planned with the police, the military, the various bodies that make up the backbone of the Republic. In short, an Italian choral festival.
«I want to thank all the components and bodies of the State and local authorities operating in the province for the enthusiasm and participation in the streets at this celebration, which is the simplest and most direct way to encourage the meeting, without mediation, between these components and the citizens. I also thank all the structures of the Municipality of Cremona for their precious collaboration in organizing the event and for the institutional sensitivity, not always taken for granted, which allowed us to offer, this year too, the spectacular unrolling of a long tricolor by the SAF group of firefighters from the top of the Civic Tower in Piazza della Pace, which is one of the most spectacular and awaited moments by citizens during the celebrations of June 2nd. The message we want to send is that the State, in its constitutional meaning (i.e. composed of the set of local and central realities), is always there and works for the whole community».
