from civitavecchia
Among the people who bring packages, you say goodbye even if you don’t know their respective names. We already recognize a few crossings before the destination, in that coming and going of kilos of flour and sugar, of tomato cans and canned legumes. Perhaps for the way of smiling, for the kindness, for that to look aware of belonging to the same mankind. In the old headquarters of the Communist Refoundation Party, in Civitavecchia, as in the Misericordie premises in Santa Marinella, it is no longer known to fix the food that, copious, are coming for Filling the change of ships that will blush shortly to join the “Global Sumud Flotilla”, the largest civil maritime mission ever attempted towards Gaza. A world coalition born from below from human rights activists of 80 countries around the world and who immediately, without political colors, involved believers and non -believers, journalists, doctors, priests, show personalities, ordinary people. Objective: to break the siege towards the strip and create stable humanitarian channels to bring aid to the exhausted population of Palestine.
Here in Civitavecchia, as in Genoa, In a few hours many more packs have arrived than expected. From the elderly party militant to the boys of the oratory, from the lady who hardly brings her shopping envelope to the girl who arrives with the hood full of boxes is a whole assembly line to better fix the stocks for departure. Alessandra calls Sant’Egidio and Caritas, someone else the red cross because nothing will be lost. Once the change of boats are full, everything that will have been advanced will be distributed to those who need it, as well as milk, homogenized and Everything that does not fall into the list of genres requested will serve to alleviate some other suffering.
“I didn’t expect it, but I hoped for it,” says Simona that, here in Civitavecchia coordinates the collection, “because ours has always been a city of port and therefore open, a city of heart. But what he surprised me is that they immediately came to help from the neighboring municipalities. This is the sign that people have not stopped being human and don’t want to look at. We hope that whoever saves can first of all arrive and that their interpretation with their bodies brings the world to think. What is happening in Gaza is unacceptable for a world that wants to call itself civil and each of us becomes guilty if it is silent or indifferent ».
“These actions from the bottom,” adds Don Renato Sacco, by Pax Christi, “are very useful as well as pilgrimages to the Holy Land, as our president did recently. They are all actions that contribute to the only goal of defending people’s lives, their dignity, to say no to wars and rearmament “.
When the Global initiative was launched Sumud (Arab word that means resistance, but also resilience, perseverance, firmness) Flotilla the answer was immediate. Those coordinates, such as from Focsiv and those of individual people. In Genoa where, recalls Don Renato, they are also working for this initiative the Caritas, the NGO Music for Peace and the Calp (the autonomous coordination port workers praised by Pope Francis for the refusal to load weapons on a ship), the basic necessities to bring to Gaza have passed the 40 tons in a few hours established.
At the moment from the whole Mediterranean basin they are planned About eighty ships. The former will start from Barcelona on August 31st and then the Italian ones will also be joined: from Genoa, from Civitavecchia, from Fiumicino, from various ports of Sicily.
A joint action on which, also thanks to social media, you want to maintain maximum attention. Why The only weapons they will have on board are love and solidarity for other human beings. And the only escort, for them and for the success of the mission, will be the attention of world public opinion.
