From Italy, "Seeds of Peace" Draws Inspiration from Martí

When we proudly say that José Martí was a universal figure, it might seem like exaggeration or chauvinism, but there are good reasons for it—reasons upheld by Professor Luca Bondi from his city of Tarquinia, Italy:

"I work in Italy, at the Citadel of Seed of Peace, and truly, José Martí's thinking has inspired our actions to help the children of the world. We have found in José Martí's universal legacy the strength, the spirit to keep working in the world at a very particular, very difficult, very complex moment in history. But Martí gives us hope, and we must nourish that hope for the world and for the good of children.

"When Martí said that children are the hope of the world, we know what that means. It is not just a phrase—it is a reality. But we must work to make it possible for children to live and to become that hope for the world. This is a mission that all of us adults share, a great mission we must fulfill, because it is said that when a child is happy, it means a community is happy. When a child is happy, a nation is happy. When a child is happy, the world is happy. And we know how many children suffer in the world today, so we must transform children's sadness, pain, and suffering into hope and happiness."

The project carries out in-depth civic preparation for children and young people, focused on education in a culture of peace, and does so through volunteer work, with a team of individuals convinced of the importance of standing by children during such turbulent times.

The professor also noted that they are currently preparing the second edition of an international artistic-literary competition on José Martí, and that, while attending a workshop in Cuba, he received the themes from Italy that will form the proposal for the upcoming contest: "The messages kept arriving while I was here. What a coincidence! But there is no such thing as coincidence—there are dynamics that align for the good of the world. And that is what we believe in..." he concluded.

Translated by Sergio A. Paneque Díaz / CubaSí Translation Staff