"For me this is not just a piece of paper. I will keep this diploma in my heart because this space of friendship gives me life", said Tijan, a young man from Gambia that this year received his first diploma from the School of Language and Culture of the Community of Sant'Egidio of Manresa. 

Hundreds of people got together in a conference room in the city centre for the opening of the annual courses, a mosaic of different cultures and traditions from 18 countries, showing the beauty and joy of togetherness among different peoples.

In a city with 17% of foreign population, the culture of living together is a big challenge and learning the language and establishing bonds of friendship and closeness are decisive elements. A group of women from Georgia expressed it like this: "Here we learn the language and the living together that we can not live anywhere else because we spend all day working in the homes of our "elders".The elderly themselves that they take care of  have made their working hours flexible so as to enable them to go to the language school.

The presence of the Mayor of the city and the Director General of the University Foundation of the region pointed out that it was an event of special importance for the city, and thanked the immigrants for their effort and their desire to learn the language and integrate.