The commitment of a president

The Sermig Fraternity remembers Giorgio Napolitano

On 11 March 2011, the President of the Republic Giorgio Napolitano, in Turin on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy, visited Sermig and received the Artisan of Peace award.
Addressing the young people, the volunteers, the authorities and the numerous people present, the president thanks and comments: «Ernesto Olivero didn't ask me one thing and he could have asked me: to put a signature under everything he said. I would have been ready to put it - and assume that I put it - because I share all his thoughts and above all I have sensed, if not listened to, many extraordinary stories which are stories of lives saved from war, poverty, illness, and they are also stories of living energies, not only of this country, which have been able to find hope and I am sure they will be able to find their way thanks to Sermig, and thanks to the extraordinary inspiration and passion of Ernesto Olivero.

This is truly the world today: here is a living image of what the world is like; of how we would like it, of course, but of how it already is in this community.
Italy is this too. We are celebrating 150 years of history but Italy is radically different from what it was when it was born as a united nation, as a unitary state. Today Italy has many colors: it is very nice to hear Italian spoken by many who were born speaking different languages. This is the fruit of dialogue, of mutual understanding, of the effort to get closer to which you contribute so much."

«I also thank you for this solidarity award, the Craftsman of Peace award. Today, serving peace also means finding ways to reach out to persecuted populations, as was said in the Charter of Youth Commitment. Go and bring help without remaining indifferent to the suffering, the repression, and we know what I'm talking about. This is a commitment that may appear harsh, but it is a commitment to peace, it is a commitment to solidarity, it is a commitment to the rights of peoples, to the freedoms of peoples.
It is my commitment to pursue this goal, it is my commitment to cultivate these values, and I am happy that you give me this recognition because it encourages me to move forward. And in the meantime, go ahead, Olivero, and all of you."

The Sermig Fraternity
NP October 2023