The flyer of the event
“Milan is in the forefront on the subject ot the Arab and Muslim Righteous against terrorism. After the inauguration of the Garden of the Righteous of Tunis in the past month of July, we keep on with this commitment in Milan, too. We have chosen to remember those who struggle against fanaticism and hatred and for dialogue.These Righteous figures show us the way to go: their example confirms the value of human solidarity and the respect of the other, which is eternal and even more necessary in moments of crisis such as the current one”. So Gariwo chairman Gabriele Nissim commented in October upon the choice of the new Righteous to be honoured in Milan's Garden.
The theme chosen for the ceremony to be held to mark European Day of the Righteous is "The Righteous of Dialogue: the meeting of diversities to overcome hatred”. After the tragic events of the past few months, we felt the urgent need to recall people's attention to the meaning of respecting the human plurality as a condition for dialogue, through the stories of five exemplary figures of the past and present. The ceremony, to be held on 15 March at 11 a.m., is the apex of a series of initiatives organized by Gariwo, that will start on 6 March, European Day of the Righteous. Following is the event calendar.
6 March, 3 p.m. Palazzo Marino Inauguration of the Virtual Garden of the Righteous and bestowing of the parchments.
To be followed, at 4 p.m., by the commemoration of European Day of the Righteous at the Milan City Council
14 March, 3 p.m., Alessi Room - Palazzo Marino “Tales of the Righteous"
Remarks by Piotr Kakubowski and the Righteous chosen in 2017.
Hamadi ben Abdesslem meets with the Italian tourists whom he had saved at the Bardo Museum, with Gabriele Nissim and the Italian Ambassador to Tunis, H.E. Raimondo De Cadorna.
Readings and Kletzmer music with the Goldene Medine Quartet.
15 March 2017, 11 a.m. Giardino dei Giusti di tutto il mondo (Garden of the Righteous worldwide), Monte Stella Hill - Milan
Ceremony of dedication of new trees to five Righteous
Seizing the occasion of European Day of the Righteous, at the Garden of the Righteous on Monte Stella Hill we will dedicate five new trees to: Hamadi Ben Abdesslem, guide to the Bardo Museum who saved the lives of 45 Italian tourists during the terror attack; Raif Badawi, Saudi blogger sentenced to 1000 lashes for talking about secularism; Lassana Bathily, young Malian naturalized French who rescued some Jews during the terror attack of 9 January 2015 in France; Etty Hillesum, diarist during the Holocaust, writing before she was deported and murdered in the Auschwitz camp; and Pinar Selek, Turkish activist unfairly charged with complicity with the PKK and sentenced to life in jail.
During the ceremony, remarks by Giuseppe Sala, Mayor of Milan, Valeria Fedeli, Minister of Education, Lamberto Bertolé, President of Milan City Council, Gabriele Nissim, Gariwo Chairman, Giorgio Mortara, Vicepresident UCEI, Piotr Jakubowski, Garden of the Righteous of Warsaw, Giovanni Bloisi, Remembrance cyclist, The Righteous Hamadi ben Abdesslem, Lassana Bathily, Pinar Selek, Riccardo Noury, spokesperson Amnesty International Italia for Raif Badawi, and Klaas Smelik, Director Etty Hillesum Research Center Middleburg for Etty Hillesum.
The events come under the patronage of the Italian Chamber of deputies.
Organized and curated by Gariwo on behalf of the Associazione Giardino dei Giusti di Milano, which Gariwo belongs to with Milan City Hall and UCEI.
For information [email protected] or phone no. 02 36707648/49