(Arezzo, April 15, 2025) — President of the Italian Republic Sergio Mattarella will officially open YouTopic Fest, the international festival on conflict hosted by Rondine Cittadella della Pace (Citadel of Peace), scheduled to take place from June 6 to 8 in Arezzo, Tuscany. The Head of State has accepted our invitation, thus fulfilling the commitment he made to the young people of Rondine whom he hosted at the Quirinale Palace in 2018. He will inaugurate the event on Friday, June 6, at the conclusion of the traditional “On the Road for Peace” march from Arezzo to Rondine — a symbolic opening to the three “disarming” days of YouTopic Fest, which every year gathers around five thousand participants, both young and adult. The march takes place in the distinctive style that has taken root over time: no flags or party symbols, no barriers or exclusions, not “against” but “for” — a movement shaped by the embrace of the youth of Rondine, who rise above the hatred born from war and choose to live an experience of peace.
President Mattarella’s visit and his words will especially speak to two ongoing humanitarian tragedies in desperate need of resolution: the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. These are painful realities that Rondine experiences firsthand every day, alongside young people from affected countries who stubbornly weave relationships as a preview of the future we hope they will one day lead.
The President will be here especially for them: the young people of Rondine’s World House — Israelis and Palestinians, Russians and Ukrainians, and many more from nations devastated by forgotten wars. He comes to support their courage in saying no to hatred, their personal commitment to move beyond the logic of the enemy that fuels every current and future war. And from this unique place in the world, he will help launch a new message — one that can help the world overcome the logic of war and enter a time of peace.
These are young people whose faces and stories bear witness to the work of leaving armed conflict behind — who choose to walk, coexist, and build the future together with their “enemy.” These include not only international youth, but also Italians, who through Rondine’s Fourth Year Program and Rondine Sections (now 32 across Italy) are being trained in the Rondine Method for conflict transformation. Every day, they practice the small steps needed to disarm themselves and escape indifference.
A future built together — a message that echoes the theme of this year’s YouTopic Fest: “ImmaginAzione” (a play on the Italian words for “imagination” and “action”). Because imagining is not daydreaming. “Imagination is dreaming as a prelude to designing change,” says President and founder Franco Vaccari. “It is both the fruit and nourishment of every relationship: a we oriented toward the future. So how do we advance dreams that change the world and banish nightmares? By imagining together — by drawing near to those who suffer, those who are afraid and disoriented — we share a part of who we are and what we can be. It means trusting in the future despite the thick fog of the present. To imagine together is to take a direction, to risk, to move forward, and then to design. Because ‘there is always another possibility.’ And that possibility can only grow in the concreteness of relationships.”
President Mattarella’s visit will leave a lasting mark on the entire three-day festival, an event that will be etched into Rondine’s history. We are proud to share it with everyone who has supported this journey over the past thirty years — a journey that, from a small Tuscan village, has sought to cultivate the seed of hope in the world. With everyone, starting with the city of Arezzo, where this adventure began, and with all those who, even if only for a few steps, have walked this road with us. This is a story of relationships that continues, tenaciously, to support the courage of youth who believe in a brighter tomorrow.
Join us on June 6, 7, and 8 at Rondine Cittadella della Pace and be part of this journey at YouTopic Fest.
The festival is made possible with the support of the 2021–2027 PR FSE+ program of the Tuscany Region, and thanks to the contribution and participation of numerous partners and supporters
