Rondine youngsters chosen as Olympic Truce Torchbearers in Arezzo

Viktorija and Bind, the young peace leaders who will carry the Flame through Arezzo on 10 December, the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

 Rondine Cittadella della Pace has been selected by the Milano Cortina 2026 Foundation as one of the key protagonists of the Arezzo leg of the Olympic Flame Journey dedicated to the Olympic Truce, one of the highest symbols of peace and reconciliation in the Olympic tradition.
On 10 December 2025, the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, two students from Rondine—coming from historically conflicting communities, once enemies, now engaged in a path of coexistence and creative transformation of conflict—will carry the Flame: Viktorija, from Serbia, and Bind, from Kosovo.

The choice of Rondine’s young people reflects the Milano Cortina 2026 Foundation’s intention to identify, during each stage of the route, a “torchbearer of peace”—an individual or institution embodying values of dialogue, civic commitment, and support for communities.

The Arezzo Leg on Human Rights Day

From 10 to 12 December 2025, the Flame will travel across Tuscany, passing through 18 municipalities and 7 UNESCO sites.
The Flame’s arrival in Arezzo—home to Rondine and to its internationally recognized peacebuilding experience—will take place on a highly symbolic date: 10 December, the anniversary of the proclamation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

This anniversary carries deep meaning for Rondine’s history:
in 2018, for the 70th anniversary of the Declaration, the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs appointed Rondine as a “concrete example” of human rights promotion at the United Nations. On that occasion, the global campaign Leaders for Peace was launched—an appeal written by Rondine’s students—calling on UN Member States to invest in the training of young peace leaders and to integrate human rights education and creative conflict management into national school curricula.

The campaign received the moral support of President of the Italian Republic Sergio Mattarella, Pope Francis, the Italian Government, numerous countries and Permanent Missions to the United Nations, as well as the collaboration of international organizations and institutions.
Rondine also holds consultative status with the United Nations (ECOSOC) and is an UNESCO partner.

The Torchbearers: Stories that Build Bridges

Viktorija, a Serbian linguist and pedagogue, and Bind, a Kosovar economist, live together at the World House, the International Student Residence of Rondine. Here, young people from countries in conflict learn to transform the image of the enemy through daily coexistence, empathetic listening, and conflict education.
For both, this journey is not only a training program but a true act of personal courage: choosing to share life with someone who, until a few years ago, would have been considered “the other”, “the opposite”, “the adversary”.

Viktorija embodies the gentle strength of someone who believes in the power of education and dialogue. Her days in Rondine are marked by deep listening and mediation, driven by the hope of inspiring future generations of young people in the Balkans to imagine a different tomorrow.
Bind, with the analytical eye of an economist and the creativity of an entrepreneur, has chosen to question the narrative of conflict that shaped his childhood, convinced that peace can only exist where there is dialogue, mutual understanding, and responsibility.

In their shared path—through study, dialogue, challenges, and unexpected discoveries—lies the most authentic essence of Rondine’s mission and the spirit of the Olympic Truce: a concrete demonstration that encounter can overcome fear, and that the courage of two young people can speak to the entire world about the power of respect, recognition, and friendship.
A message that the United Nations has reaffirmed at every edition of the Games since 1994 through the resolution “Building a peaceful and better world through sport and the Olympic ideal.”

The Olympic Truce and the Journey of the Flame

Reinstated in modern times and supported by the United Nations, the Olympic Truce—approved with a UN resolution on 19 November 2025—invites all countries to suspend hostilities from one week before the start of the Olympic Games until one week after the end of the Paralympic Games.

While it may not be enough to halt ongoing conflicts, the resolution stands as a political and cultural symbol of great significance, especially in today’s global context marked by wars and tensions.

The Olympic Flame Journey—lit on 26 November in ancient Olympia—is one of the central initiatives through which Milano Cortina 2026 aims to promote the Olympic Truce, selecting at each stage figures capable of showcasing the power of sport to build bridges and foster peace.
This year, the young peace leaders of Rondine also carry this message forward, as emphasized by Giovanni Malagò, President of the Milano Cortina 2026 Foundation, in his address to the torchbearers:
“Each of your steps will remind the world of sport’s power to build bridges, break down barriers, and create together a healthier and more sustainable future.”