During a ceremony at the headquarters of the “United States of the World” in Naples, the “Mediterranean Diplomacy Award 2026” was presented to Amira Arifović-Harms, Ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina to Italy.
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29 May 2026
Parent Category: Tutte le Attività (EN) -
Category: Anno 2026
The Secretary-General, the Council of Ambassadors, the Executive Board, the representatives of the branch offices, the International Scientific Committee and all members extend their deepest sympathies to his wife Sabah and all his family following the death of our dear Edgar Morin, a great philosopher but, above all, a close friend and guiding figure for the “Mediterranean Foundation” and the “United States of the World”.
The statement issued for this occasion reads:
“Edgar Morin and Michele Capasso have been linked by a cultural and intellectual partnership spanning over thirty years, centred on the promotion of dialogue, peace and the idea of a shared future for the peoples of the Mediterranean. The French philosopher Edgar Morin and the architect and essayist Michele Capasso have been collaborating since the 1990s through the Fondazione Mediterraneo, which has its historic headquarters in Naples. Together with other figures who founded the foundation with them – from Predrag Matvejevic’ to Gerardo Marotta, from Oscar Nicolaus to Mauro Ceruti, from Massimo Cacciari to Umberto Eco – they have launched numerous appeals for peace, including the historic appeals for the victims of the former Yugoslavia and Gaza.
Morin is a leading member of the International Committee of the “United States of the World” and has spearheaded high-profile initiatives such as the “Averroès Chair of Advanced Mediterranean Studies – UNESCO”, based in Marrakesh.
The link with Capasso and his associates is based on a shared commitment to the principles of “complexity” developed by Morin, to the extent that the two institutions have collaborated on the activities of the “Edgar Morin” Centre for the Study of the Philosophy of Complexity.
The relationship between Morin and Capasso combines Morin’s sociological and philosophical analysis with the diplomatic and cultural work on the ground carried out by Michele Capasso, with consistent stances in defence of brotherhood and against global conflicts.
The bond was further strengthened in Marrakech, where Edgar Morin delivered a memorable series of lectures from 2 to 7 March 2000 – as part of the “Averroès Chair” – entitled “Penser la Méditerranée, méditerranéiser la pensée”.
“Edgar,” says Secretary-General Capasso, visibly moved, “drew energy from the other side of the Mediterranean as well. To escape the winter gloom, he would move to Marrakech every winter with his wife Sabah, enjoying the serene sweetness of life. From this second home, he kept his thirst for knowledge intact, continuing to follow the daily news and reply to messages, under the watchful eye of his wife. Resilient and passionate about history, he summed up his insatiable intellectual appetite thus: ‘Whether in Paris or Marrakech, I have never ceased to be curious about the world of which I am a part’.”
Two events were held to accompany the exhibition, curated by prof. Pica Ciamarra.
For four days, Villa Lais – one of the most beloved historic parks in the area between Appio Latino and Tuscolano – will once again be filled with books, talks, music and words, including the launch of Michele Capasso’s books *Diari di guerre. Bosnia* and *Raffaele, il Sindaco*.
In Naples on 8 May 2026, whilst blessing visitors to the emotional exhibition dedicated to Pope Francis – located on the ground floor of the headquarters of the United States of the World and the Museum of Peace – Pope Leo XIV established an ideal link with his predecessor and, in particular, with the encyclicals “Laudato sì” and “Fratelli tutti” promulgated by Pope Francis.