On October 2nd [2023] there was the presentation of the World March for Peace and Nonviolence third edition, at the Congress of Deputies of Spain in connection with the Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica. A passage from one continent to another one could say, as is happening with the various European and American coordinations. The initial working groups where little by little cities, states and continents will come together to give life to the World March, to that group of people who from 2 October 2024 to 5 January 2025 will travel the entire planet in the name of Peace and Nonviolence, bringing requests, gathering experiences, giving more and more voice to those who are not listened to, making known that world that is so ignored.
The European meeting on the third World March took place from 13 to 15 October in Spain, at the Park of Reflection and Studies in Toledo. These were three very intense but very inspired and enthusiastic days. 30 people came from various places in Spain, from France, from Italy, and also from Germany. Everyone told how they experienced the first and second World March. Some were not there in the [second] edition but have now returned with the same determination that led to that moment between 2 October 2009 and 2 January 2010 that no one believed [possible].
From Italy a very cheerful group with some members of World without Wars and without Violence, with Marco Inglessis and three very interesting women (Virginia. Letizia, Camilla) from the Human Rights Energy Association. Despite what happened in 2020, when at the time of the passage of the international delegation everything was stopped because of Covid, already now eighteen cities have expressed their desire to be there in this new edition. A number of events have been organized during 2023 that are part of the path to this third World March: the “Walk in the Path” on January 5 (a route that connects downtown Milan to the Old [Via] Francigena and from there [goes to] Northern Europe and then North Africa-Middle East); the national meeting in February with the presence of Rafeal de la Rubia (the creator and coordinator of the World Marches who had promised to start again precisely from Italy when it was decided to stop everything because of the pandemic); the participation in the Perugia-Assisi March; the event within EireneFest in May and the meeting inside the Chamber of Deputies in June with the presence of university students from Turin, Como, Rome and Perugia. A path within schools was started with the Europole.org network. Collaboration is being pursued with the University of Perugia, which will liaise with the other universities in the Italian Network of Universities of Peace. From Italy, synergies have already been created with neighboring bordering [countries], with Ticino Switzerland (with the Culture Ticino Network Association), and with Alpe Adria. During the Toledo meeting, new possibilities were envisaged [to go] across the mountain ranges between Liguria and neighboring France. At the same time as the Spanish meeting, commemorations were taking place for the 60th anniversary of the Vajont massacre (where a landslide that broke off from Mount Toc plunged into the waters of a dam whose overflow caused flooding and destruction with 1,917 people killed, including 487 children and adolescents). The October 9 Victims Committee is part of the Italian promoting coordination. There, too, the World March will pass to remember [the tragedy] but also to give hope for the rebirth of life despite the destruction humanity causes.
.
During the virtual link, Alessandro Capuzzo (Trieste anti-nuclear movement) relaunched the project Mediterraneo, Mar de Paz e livre das Armas Nucleares (Sea of Peace and Free from Nuclear Weapons) (proposed by Rafael de la Rubia during the second edition during which there was in November 2019 a sailing trip in the Western Mediterranean), proposing Trieste and Koper (nuclear transit ports) as venues for an international conference on the Mediterranean inside the Peace Boat (home to the Hibakusha, the survivors of the atomic attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki) just before departure from San Jose, Costa Rica. Capuzzo again stressed the importance of the Peace March that will take place at the end of the year between Gorizia and Nova Gorica with the conference on Civilian Peace Interventions. He also recalled that on October 2 [2023] (World Day of Nonviolence and the presentation of the Third World March) a complaint was filed by 22 representatives of pacifist and anti-militarist associations with the Public Prosecutor’s Office at the Court of Rome in order that the presence of nuclear devices on Italian territory be verified and, subsequently, their illegality established on the basis of domestic and international law.
The Spanish meeting concluded with a moment of reflection and a wish that this third attempt to go around the world would come to fruition in spite of the current serious moment, indeed precisely because of what is happening.
The next European meeting will be virtual on 14/11, a few days before the coordination in San Jose, Costa Rica (Nov. 17-19) of the entire American continent. Italy has been proposed for the new meeting in person. Studies are made with the Italian organizing committee to find out what could be the location to host this new ensemble meeting that will hopefully be as inspired and full of enthusiasm as the one at Toledo Park.
Info: segreteria_italia@theworldmarch.org
Some moments from the meeting at the Park of Reflection and Study in Toledo
