Agrigento issues a challenge: a permanent table for peace. Prefect Caccamo: "Let it be a bastion of dialogue"

Agrigento is once again questioning the value of dialogue between peoples and the role of culture in building paths to peace.

Yesterday afternoon, at the Pietro Griffo Regional Archaeological Museum, the conference “Scenarios of Peace: the Role of Peoples and Culture” took place, promoted by the Valley of the Temples Tourist District.

The meeting brought together representatives from civil, religious institutions, and the consular corps to reflect on the contribution that peoples, culture, and international cooperation can offer to the promotion of peace.

Opening the proceedings was Fabrizio La Gaipa, administrator of the Tourist District, who highlighted how the war of the 21st century has become increasingly complex and interconnected, no longer merely a clash between armies but a phenomenon involving technology, energy, economy, information, and society. In this context, he emphasized, peace often arises from the mobilization of societies and the strength of culture. Three fundamental elements were indicated: memory, which helps communities develop moral antibodies against violence; empathy, capable of recognizing humanity in others; and political imagination, which allows for the conception and construction of new scenarios for coexistence.

In his speech, the prefect of Agrigento, Salvatore Caccamo, drew attention to the delicate historical international moment and the role that border territories, such as the province of Agrigento with Lampedusa, the extreme edge of Italy, are called to play. The prefect emphasized the need for collective participation to face the challenges of the present and expressed his willingness to promote a permanent peace table in Agrigento, open to institutions and civil society actors who wish to contribute to the dissemination of the values of dialogue, friendship, and brotherhood between peoples.

Delegated by Archbishop Mons. Alessandro Damiano, engaged at the Sicilian Episcopal Conference, Don Lillo Argento, a member of the Presbyteral Council of the Archdiocese of Agrigento, intervened, recalling the encyclical “Pacem in Terris” by Pope John XXIII, addressed to all men of goodwill during a time of strong international tension. Even today, he noted, the world is going through a difficult phase, and the path of brotherhood among peoples initiated after World War II seems to be called into question. In this context, Agrigento – city of the Temple of Concord – can continue to represent a symbolic place of dialogue and harmony.

The mayor of Agrigento Francesco Miccichè, quoting Pope Francis and his expression of the “third world war in pieces”, emphasized how the Mandorlo in Fiore represents a natural extension of the values of Agrigento, Italian Capital of Culture, embodying the principles of welcome, dialogue, and meeting among peoples that have always characterized the city.

In harmony with this, the intervention of the councilor Carmelo Cantone, coordinator of the Mandorlo in Fiore Festival, recalled the symbolic value of lighting the Tripod of Friendship, defining it as a gesture capable of representing Agrigento's vocation as the gateway to the Mediterranean and a meeting place for cultures.

The presentations were entrusted to the representatives of the Consular Corps of Western and Eastern Sicily, Antonio Di Fresco, honorary consul of South Korea, and Domenico Coco, honorary consul of Azerbaijan for Sicily and Calabria, together spokespersons for a total of 56 consuls representing as many States. Both emphasized the value of the conference “Scenarios of Peace”, now in its third edition, hoping that the topics addressed in Agrigento could contribute to strengthening dialogue among peoples.

Particularly significant was the intervention of Pietro Leto, president of the Peace Commission of Rotary Sicily-Malta and ambassador of the Institute for Economics and Peace, who recalled some alarming data on the global scenario: 57 active conflicts involving 92 countries. Leto highlighted how the nature of war has profoundly changed, with the increasingly widespread use of drones and conflicts that directly affect civilian populations. In this context, he reiterated, talking about peace and promoting culture remains one of the most concrete tools to foster processes of reconciliation.

Concluding the work was Alessio Lattuca, president of Confimpresa Euromed, who highlighted the risks and tensions of the international scenario, while emphasizing the importance of dialogue, cooperation, and culture as fundamental tools for building paths to peace.