From the City of Mazzarino to all the mayors of Mayors for Peace
Be Mayor for Peace doesn’t mean just fight against nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction. Be Mayor for Peace should be a clear example given to the people of peaceful coexistence.
In Mazzarino (Sicily- Italy), I am proud to be the Mayor of an important City of Art but also to be the Mayor of an important Reception City.
Since 2007, Mazzarino is hosting several Unaccompanied Children Asylum Seekers coming from the Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and so on.
The Mayor Vincenzo D’Asaro is the Legal Guardian of them and has given the entire management of the project to the “I girasoli” Association. This local reality has been recommended as project excellence by the Servizio Centrale SPRAR, (System of Protection for Asylum Seekers and Refugees).
Mazzarino is a very old city in the middle of Sicily island. The good practice of the project is due to the right integration of the children inside the Italian community: they live like the other children, they go to the same schools, the play in the same way as the rest of the children in all over the world.
Looking at the last events of Northern Africa, I – the Mayor of Mazzarino – have accepted to host other 15 Unaccompanied Children Asylum Seekers responding positively to the appeal of the government. I have explained to the community that their presence is very important for several reason:
• Restore the dignity of the Children that have been traumatize in their Countries and then, during the trip to
Italy;
• Give a house, food, clothes, literacy and Health care system;
• Integrate them in the territory and in the community;
• Give an important opportunity to the city to interact with them.
When they arrive to Mazzarino they have just few things with them. Once here, they will have assured all this services:
1. Health Care;
2. Social Assistance;
3. Multicultural Activities;
4. School placement;
5. Linguistic and Cultural mediation;
6. Orientation and Legal information;
7. Services for housing;
8. Services for job placement;
9. Services for training;
10. Other (i.d. driving license)
The Association “I Girasoli” that are managing the reception in all his parts, gives to all the community a very clear example of integration and good practice in using public money. They have a direct and privileged channel with the Mayor to inform him about every Minor. The Project personnel inform, for example, of encounters between Mayor and minors both private and public. For on the occasion of the Saint Patron’s holiday I wanted that the youths under his guardianship sat with me in Church and in front row, usually reserve to the Authorities and influential persons of the town. They all were astonished, but we think they got the message.
In everything that we do together with them we have to respect their origins and their religion, even in the choice of menu there is absolutely religious respect. For example, the Muslims are not served any pork and Ramadan Feasting is observed. The Eritreans, during the period of penitence before Easter, which prescribes a vegetarian diet excluding meat and fish, and so on.
I would like to share this important experience with all my colleagues around the world as a real testimony of peaceful coexistence among different communities and to suggest them that we, as Mayors, have to do more and more, day by day because we are the only institution really close to the population.
Best regards,
The Mayor of Mazzarino
Vincenzo D’Asaro
Cabinet of the Mayor:
sindaco@comune.mazzarino.cl.it
luciano.scambiatolicciardi@comune.mazzarino.cl.it
www.comune.mazzarino.cl.it
Tel. +39.0934.300.110
Fax. +39.0934.38.1289