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On November
30th 300 cities around the world will join the city of Rome in
saying
NO TO
THE DEATH PENALTY
November
27th, 28th and 29th: public events and lighting up of symbolical
monuments in every city
Connection with Rome in the evening on Sunday, November 30th,
during the final event at the Coliseum
Sentences
to death, especially in Europe have luckily become a sad memory
of the past: in the last thirty years most Countries around the
world have started to abolish them or no longer make use of them.
The
Death Penalty is a warning light of the level of barbarity
present in a society: there is a close connection between the
death penalty and war. On one side, war increases the risk of
greater use of the death penalty (also by introducing special or
military laws), on the other, the horrors of death and violence
that take place in every war decrease the perception of the
value of life and respect for human dignity.
It
resembles torture and slavery, widely practised during the first
millennium of human history, which were abolished during the
second. We strongly believe that the third millennium may
finally mark the end of the capital punishment on our planet.
For
several years now, the Community of Sant�Egidio has focused a
part of its international engagement on the fight against the
death penalty: it promotes the Appeal for a Universal Moratorium
which has gathered for than 5 million adhesions around the world
in 150 countries. A united, interreligious and lay moral front
against the death penalty was born worldwide.
In
the second half of 2002, in agreement with all the world
organisations working in the same direction (World Coalition
Against the Death Penalty), Sant�Egidio launched the First
International Day of Cities against the Death Penalty, on
November 30th. The day was chosen because it reminds
us of the first abolition of the capital punishment in the Grand
Duchy of Tuscany on November 30th, 1786.
On
November 30th this year more than 300 cities from
different continents shall join together to say their no
to the death penalty, by promoting a series of initiatives �
on November 27th, 28th and 29th
� and lighting up their symbolic monuments, they shall join
the worldwide chain of �Cities for Life � Cities against the
Death Penalty�. There will be a connection with Rome on the
evening of November 30th, during the final
demonstration starting at 7.00 p.m. |