A lesson in peace

Alexander Bani is 10 years old and is a very normal Italian child, son of an Italian father and a Russian mother. He attends elementary school in Città di Castello, in the province of Perugia, and last year, after the outbreak of war, Sasha, a Ukrainian child, fleeing like many others from his martyred country, arrived in his class.

Alexander recounts: «In the first few days there was a translator, but since I spoke Russian, I felt compelled to help him. The teachers had entrusted me with the task of translating and I took care of him, to help him in the difficulty». The spontaneous welcome helped Sasha regain a sense of normalcy and a beautiful friendship was also born. «We have become very close friends and we still talk even now even if he is back in Ukraine; – he continues – I would like to ask Sasha how he is and I would like to see him again ».

Last month Alexander was appointed Bishop of the Republic by President Mattarella for the solidarity and friendship shown towards little Sasha, a Ukrainian child who fled the conflict and was a guest of an Italian family for a few months. But the two of them never talked about the war, indeed it was a topic to be avoided because - he says with the spontaneity that only a child can have - "there must never be war again, we must always be at peace".

Even the parents tell of the beauty of this gesture and of the recognition received: «The emotion was great, precisely at the moment in which, shaking hands with the President of the Republic, he realized that thanks to his generosity and naturalness he was able to put a first brick for his dream "to have a world of Peace". We are proud and moved."

Alexander in his simplicity gives us a lesson in peace and teaches all of us adults to want it more and more strongly, even if sometimes it seems impossible: to believe in it like children, so that truly desired dreams can come true, and above all the first step, knowing that true peace is built in silence and always starts from me.

Roberto Lerda

NP Marzo 2023