Benvenuti – Welcome – Bienvenue – Bienvenida – Herzlich – Willkommen – Καλώς ορίσατε – Välkommen – Velkommen – Wolkom – Vítej – добро – пожаловать – Dobro – Pozhalovat’ – أهلا وسهلامَرْحَباً – ברוך הבא – Shalom – Tenastelin- እንኳን ደህና መጣህ – እንቋዕ ብደሐን መጻእካ – Karibu – Bem-vinda – Tashi Delek – স্বাগত – Sbāgata – ようこそ – Yōkoso – 歡迎 – Aloha – स्वागत – 欢迎 – 환영합니다 – Тавтай морилогтун – సుస్వాగతం – Tuloy po kayo – Kale ah maruhabaa – Welkom – Hoşgeldiniz – Bem-vindo – ¡Bienvenido – 欢迎 – Witaj – Isten hozott – Fiţi bineveniţi – Tervetuloa – Vitajte – Bonvenon – Dobrodošli – Benvingut – Mirë se vjen – خوش آمديد – Bi xêr bît, Bi xêr hatî – კეთილი იყოს თქვენი/შენი მობრძანება

100 years and two bridges for Peace: Testaccio celebrates La Garbatella

« Youth is happy because it has the ability to see beauty. Anyone who can maintain the ability to see beauty will never get old. ».

(Franz Kafka)

The idea of Villaggio della Pace was born on an autumn afternoon in front of the Palladium, and is perhaps also inspired by the origins of the district hosting that theater (and that now observes its centenary) – “La Garbatella”, launching and concluding its celebration on the International Day of Peace (21 September 2020), in a tribute to one of the neighborhoods in Rome most adapted to human dimensions. Today one of the most coveted in the capital, as a hamlet it signals redemption for an area long considered a bit infamous.

They say, credibly, that its name derives from the presence in the neighborhood of a tavern whose owner was so notoriously kind and polite (garbata in Italian) that it took on the name “the polite hostel” (la garbata ostella). According to legend, the name of the hostess was Carlotta, and the tavern was located on the main road that pilgrims walked while visiting the seven main churches in Rome. QuotingGianni Rivolta, “The original name Concordia was given by the King as a sign of social détente in the period of the Red Biennium (1919-20) and during the Fascist period the Regime tried to call it Remuria with little success”, but in the end the popular name was imposed: Garbatella.

OBJECTIVES

With Villaggio della Pace, we want to create an international, institutional, and civic awareness – built by, with, and for young people. An inclusive society, without any discrimination based on sex, gender, race, or political or religious affiliation, is achievable through dialogue between young people all over the world to promote peace and human rights. Let’s act together.

Promote dialogue on peace and human rights between young people

Our objective is to raise the awareness in young girls and boys about the importance of peace and human rights as the foundations of an inclusive international society that respects each individual. New generations play a crucial role in the construction of such a society, therefore we’re convinced that their voices need to be heard and listened to at all level of the decision-making process. Villaggio della Pace intends to achieve this goal through:

Development and implementation of a permanent peace lab in several cities. It will be a place where young girls and boys can discuss and promote peace through different projects and activities that directly involve them.

Establishment of common/mutual principles in philosophy and religions

Almost all religions and doctrines include and address the ideas of peace and human rights, in many different perspectives and according to contrasting interpretations. We want to encourage young people to think about these differences and to find common values in order to establish them as the basis of our society through:

Contemporary reinterpretation of philosophical and religious texts from the past (Socrates, Buddha, Christ) to pave the way for a path through human history.
Exchange between citizens and institutions on social, political, environmental and economic needs to engage in a dialogue to find sustainable and durable solutions.

Development of a common international institutional and economic education

With Villaggio della Pace we want to create an international society where each individual is responsible for the wellbeing and the respect of the entire community. In this sense, a revaluation of the education system to invest in the institutional education of new generations is necessary. We will:

Activate the engagement/commitment of young people, civil society organisations, institutions, and Nobel Peace Prize laureates for the civic education of students and young boys and girls.
Promote cooperation between schools, local authorities, secular and religious institutions, media and organisations to include young people in tackling contemporary challenges and build a responsible society based on solidarity.

Changing urban and environmental system

A society that promotes peace and human rights in each field also needs a revaluation of environmental and urban systems, to adapt public spaces to change and to include each and every individual. Villaggio della Pace pursues this objective through:

Actions that tackle the challenges faced by minorities and people left behind: migration, exploitation, racism, violence…
Participation-boosting of young people in the debate on environmental issues and urban regeneration.