Peace, rights and disarmament: in Capitanata the march from Emmaus to the NATO base of Amendola

It was an intense, participatory and highly symbolic two-day event that took place in Capitanata between May 10th and 11th, promoted by the Network of Peace Committees of Puglia and the Capitanata Coordination for Peace . Two events, one message: no to wars, no to European rearmament, yes to disarmament and social justice .

“A World at War”: the Conference at the University of Foggia

On Saturday afternoon, the Auditorium of the Department of Economics of the University of Foggia hosted the conference “ A world at war. The answers of pacifism ”, with prominent speakers from the national and international scene. Among the speakers, Isidoro Mortellaro , professor of international law, and Alessandro Marescotti , president of Peacelink, who analyzed the global escalation of conflicts and the growing risk linked to European rearmament supported by NATO and the Italian government .

The debate was then enriched by the voices of Angelica Romano (Un Ponte Per), Azmi Jarjawi (Palestinian Community of Puglia and Basilicata), and representatives of CGIL Puglia , with the final contribution of Flavio Lotti of the Fondazione PerugiAssisi. The event opened with a heartfelt memory of Cesare Sangalli , journalist and historic pacifist activist who passed away three years ago in that very Auditorium, during a heated speech against the war.

A Thousand on Foot to the Military Base: The Emmaus-Amendola March

On Sunday morning, over a thousand people took part in the XII Peace March from Emmaus to Amendola Military Airport , one of NATO's strategic military bases in Italy, where F-35 fighter-bombers that can also be armed with nuclear warheads are in operation, as well as control and command systems for war drones . A symbolic 10-kilometer walk, starting from the historic Emmaus Community in Torre Guiducci and arriving at the gates of the base, to reiterate opposition to the militarization of the territory and the war industry.

The most intense moment was the final flash mob , with the protesters lying on the ground , motionless, to the sound of a siren simulating an air raid. A choral and powerful gesture, to represent the absurdity of war and its devastating effect on civilian populations.

The march was dedicated to Pope Francis , and the organizers recalled a phrase of his that served as a common thread throughout the entire demonstration: “War is madness, a failure of humanity.”

Memberships from all over Italy

Numerous organizations have joined, starting with historic national pacifist organizations such as Assopace Palestina, Pax Christi, Peacelink, Centro Gandhi of Pisa, Centro Sereno Regis of Turin, Operazione Colomba, LOC – Lega Obiettori di Coscienza, Un Ponte Per , and many others.

The success of the two events confirmed the existence of a silent but determined majority , which in Puglia as in the rest of Italy is opposed to the logic of weapons , to international complicity in conflicts, and to a future increasingly threatened by military and industrial interests.

“Mobilizing from below is necessary”

“This is precisely the moment in which it is urgent to mobilize from below , in places of education, work, aggregation and faith – the organizers underlined – to reaffirm a principle as simple as it is revolutionary: war solves nothing, it makes everything worse . And those who govern should remember this before signing more billion-dollar checks for rearmament”.

The day ended with a convivial moment at Emmaus , with shared food, stories and new commitments for the next nonviolent battles. Because, as a protester said during the march, “ peace is not built in silence, but step by step, walking together .”

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