Giovanni Caccamo guest on Fiorello's show to explain "The Ark of Change"

A symbolic crossing of the Atlantic aboard the “Oosterschelde”, an ancient Dutch sailing ship from 1918, to ideally evoke the route of the slave trade and serve as a spokesperson for a new humanism.

The creator is the Modican singer-songwriter Giovanni Caccamo, who participated yesterday via telephone in the popular program by Fiorello on Radio 2, “La Pennicanza”.

The Sicilian showman expressed pride and deep respect for the initiative that, in a global context marked by violence and conflict, sends a signal of hope and peace through “The Ark of Change” – “L'Arca del Cambiamento” – a project that unites new generations, art, and nature in a journey designed to awaken global consciousness.

Having set sail on March 5 from Cape Verde, the schooner will arrive in Suriname on March 21, after crossing the Atlantic Ocean with ten boys and girls of different nationalities on board, determined to promote real and measurable change.

In the name of disarmament, the crew discusses the values that young people identify with, aiming to draft a cultural manifesto of concrete proposals to envision a different future.

The crossing is not just a maritime venture, but a journey of memory that retraces the tragic Atlantic slave trade and puts the two “lungs” of the planet in dialogue. On board, participants carry symbolic seeds of biodiversity to reaffirm the centrality of sustainability and respect for the Earth.

A few days before departure, Caccamo was a guest on Rai 3's “Kilimangiaro”, hosted by Camila Raznovich, where he illustrated the initiative announcing his intention to “repudiate violence” and demonstrate that “only through the sharing of fragilities can hope be reborn in the world”.

Faces and stories of struggle, hope, and resilience animate the venture: among them Andrew Johnson Raphael, a former homeless person from Malawi now working alongside children in need, and Manisha Maharjan, a young Nepalese woman who survived violence and now supports marginalized women.

Their testimonies, along with those of many others, will converge into a “Charter of Values” that will be presented to the United Nations during the “Change the World Forum”, an event dedicated to promoting human rights and peace.

Art accompanies every step. Mimmo Paladino has transformed the sailing ship into a floating work of art, decorating it with 40 flags that make up a Gran Pavese measuring 80 meters.

At the end of the route, the seeds collected will give rise to the “Forest of Change”, in collaboration with “Fondazione Sylva” and “Associazione Arte Continua”.

“The Ark of Change” is part of the broader program “Youth and Future”, from which the “Manifesto for Change” emerged, presented to the United Nations in 2025. The initiative involves leading institutions such as the Vatican Museums, MAXXI, Yale, Harvard, and the Berklee College of Music.

With the support of partners such as Zurich and numerous patrons, the project has taken shape by involving thousands of young people around the world.

The idea originated from the listening work done by Caccamo in universities, prisons, and reception centers, starting from a simple and radical question: «What would you change about the society you live in and how?».

The experience, promoted together with the association “Youth and Future – Parola ai Giovani APS”, will be told in a docufilm directed by Oscar winner Luc Jacquet, with photographs by Jamie Hawkesworth.