The World March in the Italian Parliament

It was not easy, it took us several months, a work of patience, hope and hope, but the October 3 did it.

At 10.30 we were in the conference room (former Nilde Iotti) of Montecitorio to tell the story of the start of the second World March for Peace and Nonviolence.

We had the opportunity to see the first images we received from all over Italy of the events that were organized to celebrate the start of the second World March for Peace and Nonviolence on World Nonviolence Day, on the 150 anniversary of the birth of Gandhi, ten years after the first World March.

We all have a role, an experience, but first of all we are human beings

If you have come pushed by slanderers and hypocrites to listen to this man so that what you hear can later serve as an argument against him, you have taken the wrong path because this man is not here to ask you for anything, nor to use you, because he doesn't need you.”

From Rafael de la Rubia (promoter of the World March and international coordinator of the first and second World March) we want to quote a passage from his November speech of 2018, when the launch of the World March in Madrid took place during the World Forum on Urban Violence

“What we really want are people who have a need, who feel the problem, or who have an inspiration, or who have the intuition that something can be done. We encourage them to put it into practice, to jump, but to do it from a small perspective. We encourage you to take a small action, to observe it, measure it and then expand it, to increase the number of people, cities or places and even the quality. So let's start small, but aim to make it bigger. We know the phrase “think globally and act locally”; We could reformulate it by saying that it is necessary to “act locally thinking about acting globally.”.

The World March has among its objectives the dissemination of the culture of Peace

The World March has among its objectives the dissemination of the culture of Peace and Non-Violence, disarmament - especially nuclear disarmament -, the defense of the environment and the enhancement of diversity.

During the event, “The beginning of the end of nuclear weapons” is screened, a work produced by the international press agency Pressenza on the occasion of the second anniversary of the approval of the UN Nuclear Disarmament Treaty (ICAN campaign, Nobel Prize Peace 2017). The documentary aims to contribute to the goal of reaching the end of the World March with the ratification of the TPAN by 50 countries to make it binding.

In his greeting Tony Robinson, the producer, stressed: “The world we live in today is ruled by bullies who intimidate us with these nuclear weapons.
And they think that just because they have it, they have the right to keep it forever. And the international community says no, it is not enough. And initiatives like the World March for Peace and Non-Violence give people the power to tell the people of the world, to demonstrate to the other peoples of the world that we can resist these arrogant people.”.

“how much has been done with it but how much remains to be done”

Fulvio Faro (from the Humanist House of Rome) reminded us of how much has been done with him but how much remains to be done.

Meetings such as the October 3 are intended not only to publicize significant works such as “The beginning of the end of Nuclear weapons” (Accolade 2019 Award), but to unite more and more institutional forces with civil society, the simple citizens to build together a world truly free from nuclear threat.

Beatrice Fihn,… from the ICAN campaign in the documentary has shown how fast certain changes are that until recently were really impossible. Why couldn't it be the same with nuclear weapons? The United Nations Treaty of 7/7/2017 is concrete testimony to this.

The honorable Lia Quartapelle, who greatly appreciates the value of the projected work, reiterated that it is possible by joining forces. This was the case in Italy with the sale of weapons in Yemen. “We must continue along this path together,” concluded the deputy.

Also on October 3, the meeting “Europe without nuclear weapons: a dream come true” was held at the Einaudi Campus in Turin.

In order to inform and raise awareness about the danger of nuclear weapons, one of the factors that together with climate change could lead to the extinction of human beings was organized by the coordination of citizens, associations, organizations and local institutions against Atomica, All Wars and Terrorism and moderated by Zaira Zafarana, (Ifor) who recalled the departure of the World March for Peace and Nonviolence during his speech to the UN in Geneva (*).

They share a deep spirit of peace, justice and nonviolence

They share a deep spirit of peace, justice and nonviolence. Rafael de la Rubia, in his initial speech at kilometer 0 of the World March for Peace and Nonviolence, made us reflect with his words.
“It must be said that it is not just a peripheral journey through the skin of the planet, through the skin of the earth. To this walking through streets, places, countries... we can add an internal journey, crossing the nooks and crannies of our existence, trying to match what we think with what we feel and with what we do, to be more coherent , acquire more meaning in our lives and eliminate internal violence”.

Each one can move towards his own peace, that of the soul that really leads to a world without wars.

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(*) http://www.ifor.org/news/2019/9/18/ifor-addresses-un-human-rights-council-outlining-the-urgent-need-to-take-action-to-implement-the-right-to-life

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Drafting: Tiziana Volta.

In the photographs:

• At the head, screening of the documentary “The Beginning of the End of Nuclear Weapons.”

• In the first, we see Tiziana Volta, Coordinator of the 2 World March in Italy.

• In the second, Patrizia Sterpetti, president of Wilpf Italia with Tiziana Volta.