The mission of Rondine to the United States starts; the core of the trip is the global campaign Leaders for Peace. On Saturday the 8th of December, the delegation of the association leaves; it is composed by around seventy persons and twenty Rondini d’Oro, former students became leaders in their own countries and protagonists of the conflict resolution. 

The program of the trip is intense. It includes 6 events in 10 days, in 3 cities: New York, Washington D.C. and Toronto, Canada.

Rondine at the United Nations

It all starts in medias res on December the 10th, with the event at the United Nations, in New York, promoted by the Italian Representation; the name of the event is “Leaders for Peace. Rondine youth appeal for human rights”. During the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a young Israeli and a young Palestinian – representing the 200 leaders trained in Rondine – are going to read together the Appeal for the reduction of armed clashes around the world to the 193 Member States, demanding a concrete engagement in educating peace leaders.

The Italian ambassador Mariangela Zappia is going to attend the event, and the speeches from Marie Paule Roudil (director of the UNESCO office in New York) Ben Majekodunmi (from the OHCHR office in New York) are scheduled. At 10 a.m. the event is on live-streaming on the United Nations web channel, http://webtv.un.org/.

The event is promoted with cosponsorship of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Unesco, Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth.

Networking for a global citizenship

On December the 11th, at 10 a.m., at the New York Church Centre, the round table “Human Rights and Conflict Transformation” is held: a reflection on the role of religious organisations in developing a new approach for the promotion of a global citizenship. Moderated by Joseph Cornelius Donnelly, head of the Caritas Internationalis delegation at the United Nations, the round table scheduled the speeches from: Mons. Giorgio Biguzzi, Emeritus Bishop of Makeni (Sierra Leone); the rabbi Joseph Levi, President of the Florence School for the education to interreligious dialogue; Rima Salah, former executive director of UNICEF; Marie Dennis, Co-president of Pax Christi International and Father David P. Charters, second secretary of the Holy See Permanent Mission at the United Nations. 

First international discussion on the Rondine Method

An international summit aiming to achieve the first critical evaluation of the Rondine Method, already applied on over 200 youngsters coming from conflict contexts all around the world. This is the objective of the summit to be held on December the 13th, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Washington, at the Italian Embassy Auditorium, with the collaboration of the George Madison University. The discussion is officiated by the Italian ambassador Armando Varricchio and includes different social and geopolitical aspects, with a pragmatic perspective. International experts and scholars are going to talk about conflict resolution, peace building, philosophy, cultural anthropology, social psychology, with a focus on development and the relationships degeneration of different violence contexts. Among the experts, Andrea Bartoli, Dean of Diplomacy School, Seton Hall University; Gerard F. Powers, from the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame; Jack Nusan Porte, from Harvard; Miguel Diaz, former ambassador and currently professor at the Loyla University and Sebastiano Maffettone, professor of Political Philosophy at LUISS “Guido Carli” University.

Dissonanze in Accordo

The witness-show “Dissonanze in Accordo” comes back on stage overseas. On December the 11th at 5.30 p.m., the Italian General Consulate in New York hosts personal stories of pain, but also hope, counted by youngsters who came from conflict contexts all around the world and lived the experience of the Citadel of Peace. A real live narration, with the Ensemble Rondine orchestra, composed by Italian and international young musicians from the Oida – Orchestra Instabile of Arezzo, presenting four elements including violins and flutes. The show is going to be repeated at the famous Caffè Milano of Washington on December the 12th, with the support of Franco Nuschese, adviser of Rondine and famous entrepreneurs with Italian origins, and finally in Toronto, Canada, on December the 14th at 5.30 p.m., with the support of the St. Michael’s College University.

Partner

The campaign Leaders for Peace is promoted with the collaboration of Rondine International Peace Lab, the Italian Representative at the United Nations, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Unesco, Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth, with the patronage of Tuscany Region and the support of CEI, Fondazione Mondo Unito, FAI – Fondation Assistance Internationale, Fondazione Brunello e Federica Cucinelli, BCC – Federazione Toscana e Fondazione Baracchi.