A simple gesture that becomes a collective responsibility

The young people of the Novitiate of the group Agesci Gela 4 wanted to send a simple and powerful message: do not resign to degradation, but choose to be part of the solution. From this conviction, the initiative was born that led them to regenerate a stretch of the eastern seafront, restoring dignity to a long rusty railing overlooking one of the most picturesque views of the city. Armed with brushes and paint, the young people transformed a symbol of neglect into a concrete sign of care, evoking that sense of responsibility towards creation also mentioned in the encyclical Laudato si’.

The idea matured during the weekly meetings of the scout educational path, when the group decided to dedicate time and energy to an action beneficial to the community. After obtaining the authorization from the Municipality, the young people self-taxed to purchase the necessary materials and organized what, in scout language, is a true “enterprise”, carried out on March 21. Their intervention fully aligns with the spirit of Article 118 of the Constitution, which recognizes the role of citizens in the care of common goods and in the shared management of public spaces. Not surprisingly, during the activity, many citizens stopped to observe, encourage, and thank the volunteers, a sign of how simple gestures can generate trust, relationships, and a sense of belonging. For the young people of Agesci Gela 4, this experience was much more than a maintenance intervention: it was an opportunity to learn that the city is a common good for which everyone is co-responsible and that even what seems immobile for years can change if someone decides to start. Once again, scouting demonstrates its educational strength in forming active citizens, ready to “leave the world a little better than they found it”.