Maison de la Paix || Casa Universale delle Culture (EN)

 

CASA UNIVERSALE DELLE CULTURE

The Maison de la Paix - Casa Universale delle Culture is a place strongly representative, in which will convey the knowledge of the different identities and cultures, structuring permanently initiatives aimed at the spreading of peace, necessary for the shared development.

The Maison de la Paix - Casa Universale delle Culture (MdP) is a project conceived by Michele Capasso, approved by many Countries and international organizations. It is an architecture that keeps the memory of many Peace activities which created history, often more than the wars, but it is – above all – a space "to build” Peace.

The architectonical complex has an important symbolic worth: it represents the Countries of the World engaged in the Peace process and the Countries victim of the conflicts.

Proposed by the Fondazione Mediterraneo with the Maison des Alliances – together with the main adherent organizations, such as the Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly, the League of Arab States, the "Anna Lindh" Euro-Mediterranean Foundation and others, the MdP represents a referent point for all the ones who dedicate their lives to peace.

The symbol of the MdP is the "Totem for Peace", an artwork by the Italian sculptor Mario Molinari which the Fondazione Mediterraneo is promoting all around the world, creating the network of the "Cities for Peace".

The first seat of the MdP was inaugurated on the 14th of June 2010 (Maison de la Paix - Casa Universale delle Culture) in the historical building of the Grand Hotel de Londres in Naples.

The action of the Maison de la Paix - Casa Universale delle Culture aims at improving the main activities of the "Universal Forum of Cultures" in: Barcelona (2004), Monterrey (2007), Valparaiso (2010) and Naples (2013).

The Maison de la Paix performs most of the initiatives jointly with the Maison de la Méditerranée.

 

The president of Palestine,  Abu Mazen, during a meeting with Francis Pope in Vatican, expressed his desire to sign a peace agreement with Israel. During the consultation the Palestinian leader invited the Pope to visit Holy Land, and a similar invitation was made before also by Israeli president  Shimon Peres. Abu Mazen  choose Rome as first step of an European travel which will lead him to Germany and Bruxelles, in order to made aware Europe about Palestinian issue. The topic of peace negotiations with Israel was one of the central points of the meeting with Francis Pope, who hopes in a agreement as soon as possible. He did it in his own way, when he donated to Palestinian Authority a fountain pen, which reproduces the column of the canopy of San Peter’s Altar, artwork of  Gianlorenzo Bernini: For sure you have to sign so many papers…”, he joked. And Abu Mazen understood his allusion: “ I hope to sign with this pen the peace agreement with Israel”. “Soon, soon!”,  pushed the Argentinian Pope. In a following statement, Vatican let known that Pope asks to Israeli government and to the Palestinian one: “to take with determination and under the support of international community brave decisions in favour of peace”. Francis Pope expressed his “faith that the peace process helds to the aimed fruits in order to find a right and long lasting solution to a conflict which ends reveals to be every day, more needed and urgent”. After the new invitation the visit of Francis Pope in Holy Land seems to be closer. Holy See didn’t officially announced the visit but it can be supposed it will take place between march and april of 2014. In the afternoon, president of Anp at Quirinale met Giorgio Napolitano to whom consigned “Palestinian Star”, the most important award of the Territories. The peace process had a significant moment few months ago, when President Abu Mazen visited Fondazione Mediterraneo, which recognized his role in the pacification process.

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The Awards ceremony for the “2013 Mare Nostrum Awards” took place in Rome.
Created by the “Grimaldi Magazine”, the Mare Nostrum Awards are dedicated to the promotion of Sea Motorways. Its aim is to valorize this exceptional opportunity for exchange, linking and sustainable development for all countries in the Mediterranean area. The prize money value of the Mare Nostrum Awards amounts to euro 50,000 as every year, shared among the first five award winners. The international panel of the Award is composed of eminent representatives from the fields of journalism and culture. In fact, its President Folco Quilici was assisted by Vassiliki Armogeni, Greek journalist for the magazine Efoplistis, Michele Capasso, President of the Fondazione Mediterraneo, Diana De Feo, RAI reporter, Mimmo Jodice, photographer, Paul Kyprianou, former President of the Associazione Armatori RoRo Europei.

The Awards Secretary is Luciano Bosso, journalist and director of Grimaldi Magazine Mare Nostrum.

During the event, hosted by Massimo Giletti, the Ambassador of Morocco in Italy Hassan Abouyoub emphasized the need in such difficult times to “show courage” in every field to promote peace and development. In a convivial atmosphere, meeting with Min. Pl. Enrico Granara, Raffaele La Capria and and Folco Quilici, Michele Capasso referred to their joint experiences in dialogue and protection of the environment.

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In visit at Lampedusa, in the aftermath of the massacre which has been cause of 300 deads, the Prime Minister Letta, the president of  European Commission Barroso, Ministry Alfano and European Commissioner Malmström, promised the intervention of Europe in order to avoid similar tragedies. "It is never too late" – declared President Capasso which Fondazione Mediterraneo for years warned about refugees unbearable situation, launching a new appeal on 8 July 2013 in occasion of Francis Pope’s visit.

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At the presence of Pia and Jacopo Molinari, the president of Turin City Council Giovanni Ferraris, Turin Culture Assessor Braccialarghe and neighbourhood people, has been inaugurated "Sala Molinari" dedicated to the great sculptor.
On this occasion, the memorandum of understanding for the "Library of Peace" in Naples was signed.

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In occasion of the meeting of Union for Mediterranean, at the presence of general secretary of UPM Fatallah Sijilmassi, high functionaries of European Union, and ambassadors of 43 Euromediterranean countries, president Michele Capasso renewed the Appeal for Lampedusa and his refugees, launched by Fondazione Mediterraneo on the 8 july 2013, in occasion of the visit of Francis Pope to the island.
The appeal sadly recalled the tragedy happened once again for the lackness of a clear European policy about migration and refugees right.

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