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A delegation from the Fondazione Mediterraneo led by President Michele Capasso took part in the funeral of Giovanbattista Cutolo, the 24-year-old musician killed in Piazza del Gesù on 31 August by a 17-year-old from the Quartieri Spagnoli who shot him dead with three gunshots for trivial reasons connected with parking his moped.
City mourning in Naples for the last farewell to Giovanbattista: at 2pm the funeral chamber, then the start of the service by the Archbishop of Naples, Don Mimmo Battaglia, said:
"We all huddle around Daniela, Franco and Lulu. We are here not to pray for Giò Giò, but to pray with him because he lives'.
Full Piazza del Gesù for the musician's last farewell, the crowd welcomed the coffin as it left the Gesù Nuovo Church amidst applause and tears, as a sign of condolences and closeness with the family, while the Scarlatti musicians sang the Ode to Joy to the rhythm of the funeral march.
Many Neapolitan singers and musicians joined the appeal of Giò Giò's mother, Daniela Di Maggio.
After his father, the mother of the 17-year-old from the Spanish quarters who killed Giovanbattista Cutolo, 24, a musician, also asked the family for forgiveness.
"Naples must rid itself of this havoc," said Michele Capasso, "and for this it is necessary to 'rope in' civil society and institutions, involving young people in particular in a difficult but not impossible task of redeeming the city, as has happened so many times in the past.
"It was and is an enormous pain because it is an absurd death, for no reason, and this affects everyone in the depths of their hearts, but it must also be an opportunity to have more and more civic participation in the city. This terrible death is only the latest, we must remember Francesco Pio, who died only a few months ago and in similar circumstances, and the many other innocent victims of violence and the Camorra, but if we manage to react, if we give a positive perspective to our city then it will mean that these deaths were not in vain'.
At the end of her son's funeral, Daniela Di Maggio, Giovanbattista's mother, announced that she would be at Palazzo Chigi tomorrow, received by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni:
"Tomorrow I will go to Premier Meloni especially for this, because she is very close to me, the institutions have all come. Giovanbattista's innocent death must serve the redemption of humanity, it was a crime against humanity to kill my son".

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A delegation from the United States of the World and the Fondazione Mediterraneo took part in the 729th "Perdonanza Celestiniana" culminating with the opening of the Holy Door.
Secretary-General Michele Capasso emphasised the importance of rites and symbols in building true dialogue and lasting peace.
On this occasion, it was proposed to associate the Pardon with the United States of the World, and the request will be submitted to the next Council of Ambassadors.

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A delegation from the United States of the World and the Fondazione Mediterraneo participated as "observers" at the 15th BRICS Summit that brings together the member countries Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa for three days in South Africa. Among the priorities was aligning economic interests within a common agenda.
In the final declaration, at point 91, Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are invited to join the international organisation: these countries have joined and from 1 January 2024 will be full members of the BRICS.
Secretary-General Prof. Michele Capasso, while appreciating the value and intentions of the BRICS organisation, warned of the risks of fragmentation and conflict with other international organisations, primarily the United Nations.
Hence the importance of the Constitution of the United States of the World, which with the motto EARTH AND PEACE can bring together the various instances with the sole objective of saving the planet and ensuring peace through solidarity and the equitable distribution of available common goods and resources.

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We felt a great emotion today in Fatima because of the presence of Pope Francis: the intensity of his prayer reduced the presence of more than 200,000 people: in silence we prayed the Holy Rosary with him.
It was a strong and heartfelt moment of prayer for the EARTH and for PEACE: two values that we are neglecting and which are admonished in the encyclicals "LAUDATO SI'" and "FRATELLI TUTTI", which form the basis of the "Constitution of the United States of the World" and the action of the "Fondazione Mediterraneo" since 1987.
We wished to pay homage on this occasion to Pope John Paul II - who has supported us in our action for peace from the very beginning - by praying before the statue placed in the centre of the square at Fatima.

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A delegation from various countries of the United States of the World with thousands of young people "Standard Bearers of the United States of the World" participated in the XXXVIIth WORLD YOUTH DAY scheduled to take place in Lisbon from 2 to 6 August 2023.
Secretary-General Michele Capasso recalled the importance of this meeting at this difficult time in human history and Portugal's role in the dialogue and peace process.
"It is a moment that I live with joy -  Capasso said - because of the presence of so many friends who have shared the path of the Fondazione Mediterraneo and the United States of the World from the very beginning: from the Rector Major of the Salesians Angel Fernandes Artime to the Ambassador of Italy in Lisbon Carlo Formosa, from Don Luigi Ciotti to the Presidents of the Republic of Portugal visiting the headquarters in Naples, from the many actors committed to charity to the young people from various countries who are defenders of the EARTH and PEACE.
"The presence of the Holy Father is fundamental, catalytic, - concluded SG Capasso - since his arrival at the Figo Maduro Air Base in Lisbon, the Holy Father Francis has been welcomed by the President of the Republic of Portugal Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and two children in traditional dress offered him flowers. From here an endless series of meetings and appointments that will leave a mark in history".

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