On Saturday 16 November, the Community of Sant'Egidio organised a conference in Parma entitled “The courage to hope”. Voices and testimonies of those who seek a future of peace", which was attended by about 200 university students.

A testimony was given by Abid, a young Bangladeshi who attends the School of Italian Language and Culture of the Community of Sant'Egidio, who came especially from Rome to tell the hard experience of his journey to Italy. The conference, which opened with the images and words of the Pope during his visit to Lampedusa, ended with a moment of prayer to remember the victims of all the journeys of hope.