Comunità di S.Egidio


















by
Stefania Tallei

Proposals of Commitment to the Prisoners

Even those who are in prison can do something for others, without allowing themselves to sink into depression, rejection and to feel that they are the victims in life.

For this reason during these years we have involved the prisoners to commit themselves on themes of the defence of human and civil rights in different ways.

The campaign against the death penalty.
The Sant'Egidio Community has proposed an international campaign to support a universal moratorium against capital punishment. The initiative spread also to some penitentiaries in Italy, Spain, Cameroon and Madagascar.
In the course of the campaign, assemblies were held on the topic of the death penalty with the prisoners in Barcelona, Rome (Rebibbia, male and female branches) and Milan, (San Vittore). The prisoners were very enthusiastic. (Letter from a prisoner)
More than 20,000 signatures against the death penalty were collected in the prisons.

The commitment to help the people afflicted by the war in Kosovo
During the month of April, 1999, at the initiative of some prisoners in Rome, we proposed the inmates detained in a number of Italian jails to support the activities of the Sant'Egidio Community in favour of war refugees.
The contribution of the prisoners helped the activity of the Peace Schools for the children, clinics, care for the elderly in the Kukes hospital and health and hygiene measures against epidemics and for pure water.

The commitment for Africa: The Mozambique floods
Starting from February 6, 2000, after 16 years of civil war and a million deaths, the nation was hit by torrential rains which left hundreds of thousands of persons homeless.
Even on this occasion, some prisoners were mobilised in a real show of solidarity, supporting the distribution of aid sent by the Sant'Egidio Community to 38 areas of the nation.