Offida, the first Italian municipality to sign a partnership for humanitarian corridors

Offida (NEV), June 21, 2019 – Offida, in the province of Ascoli Piceno, is the first Italian municipality to sign a partnership for humanitarian corridors. The signing took place on Friday June 21, between the Federation of Protestant Churches in Italy (FCEI) and the association On The Road.

“At this high-profile humanitarian project, addressed to refugees in vulnerable conditions – town councilor Isabella Bosano commented – we have been working for a year: it started with the Lucciarini previous administration and is ending with the mayor Massa”.
“A different welcome is possible and necessary – underlined Federica Brizi, FCEI’s person in charge of the welcoming service -. We try to demonstrate this through partnerships. A widespread reception, throughout the national territory, which requires that people be hosted in places not far from the city center and civil society. In the last three years we have hosted 1600 refugees”.

The Syrian family arrived in Rome, through a scheduled aircraft, on June 27th and was accompanied to Offida by the operators of the On The Road association.
“It is in the encounter and in the dialogue that true hospitality takes shape – continued Silvia Fabrizi of On the Road -. We are very happy to have the opportunity to take part in this project that represents the common purpose of different local realities. We hope it might really give life to an ever wider involvement and participation in the themes of inclusion and acceptance, which represent an opportunity for growth, change and sharing for our communities”.
Davide Falcioni, member of the support committee for humanitarian corridors in Offida, reiterated that solidarity cannot be considered a crime: “One day all this will be told. Our only goal is to take a very clear position: to be on the right side of history”.
The partnership was signed by Federica Brizi, Stefania Torquati, vice president of On the road, and the mayor of Offida, Luigi Massa.
“This administration receives the project as a gift – concluded the mayor -. It is our way of seriously engaging with solidarity, in a legal and safe manner. Solidarity and acceptance are the terms set by our Constitution and President Mattarella recalled them with a high institutional appeal, underlining the foundations of what distinguishes our civil life. We are committed to making these opportunities concrete, and I would like to repeat that we are doing nothing extraordinary, but following those constitutional principles that we should all share”.