Even Quartu Sant'Elena has organized for today, " World Day of Cities for Life, Cities against the Death Penalty ", an event in which the school world took part with great participation.

The boys threw colored biodegradable balloons into the air and the bells of each church rang together.

Various initiatives have had the former Capuchin convent as their epicenter. A delegation of students brought their contribution to the meeting in the Fresco Room of the historic building in the centre, in the presence of the Councilor for Public Education Cinzia Carta, the Councilor for Extraurban Territories Tiziana Cogoni, the President of the City Council Rita Murgioni, the entire Public Commission and Education and Culture, led by President Ketty Giua and Vice-President Laura Perra.

Also present was the criminal lawyer Aldo Luchi, an expert in the protection of human rights and founder of the Cagliari Cell of the Luca Coscioni Association.

“Today - explains Cinzia Carta - is a day of awareness that we wanted to share together with the lower secondary schools of the city, and therefore many middle school students who are showing interest and also a great sense of civility . They worked in class with their respective teachers, whom we thank for having given us so much availability. This meeting will allow us to share reflections and thoughts on an important and delicate topic, because there are too many countries in the world that still use this cruel and inhumane practice today. Sharing the morning with these kids, in a context other than the school one, represents an experience that we believe will remain imprinted in their minds”.

Compliments to the students came from councilor Cogoni: “We had the opportunity to talk about it all together, giving value to this anniversary. I hope that a day like this can help you in your growth path and I also hope that there will be many other meetings of this level ”.

Lawyer Luchi wanted to give the example of the 4 very young Sicilians arrested for the murder of two carabinieri in the town of Alcamo: "They were arrested, practically forced to confess and sentenced to life imprisonment, but then deemed innocent, 36 years later the arrest. If there had been the death penalty they would all have died, and no one would have found out they weren't guilty. The death penalty is heinous for this reason and because it is administered by the state. The state cannot descend to the same level as a criminal. That is why it is necessary to get rid of this real barbarism which is the death penalty ”.

For health reasons, Prime Minister Rita Murgioni was unable to take part in the event, but still wanted to share a message for the boys: "We wish to unite the voice of the City of Quartu with the choir of the many cities of the world which on this day say no to the death penalty. I want to applaud the community of Sant'Egidio in particular for having proposed membership, unanimously approved by the City Council, and for the civil commitment it has made in this world-class campaign in recent years. An evolved and globalized society such as ours has a duty to do everything to bring the death penalty to an end in all countries where it is still in force . Only if we fight for this will we be able to consider ourselves a civil society".

“We want to start a 'contagion' of sensitivity, so that basic human rights and the life of every person are protected, without renouncing justice – added Ketty Giua -. Pope Francis himself has invited everyone, not just Christians, to do their best to spread a culture against war and the death penalty, defined as an inhumane measure that humiliates personal dignity and violates the right to life. Indeed, it is a cruel and inhumane punishment that has never demonstrated its deterrent value and does not necessarily comfort the victim's family members; it could also be a mistrial. This is why it is important to be heard and it is even more significant that young people do it".

Vice-President Laura Perra is on the same wavelength: “The death penalty is still practiced today in as many as 58 states, in most cases these are states governed by dictatorial regimes, but unfortunately it is also present in democratic countries. But regardless of the places where it is still applied, today it is interesting to note which functions can still be attributed to the killing of an individual following a conviction. Any tribunal in the world today shouldn't pursue vengeance goals but rather just punishment. It is an act of violence by the State against a citizen, while any penalty must instead have a re-educational purpose, giving the offender the possibility of redeeming himself".

The morning ended in the cloister of the former convent, with the launch of many colored biodegradable balloons, which also took place simultaneously in the various school complexes, and with the ringing of the bells of all the city churches.

(Unioneonline/ss)

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