Università degli studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia

"Peace in the Field": Unimore participates in peace-themed training seminar at Fossoli

The initiative will take place from 6 to 13 July 2026 in Sant’Antonio in Mercadello, just a few kilometres from the Fossoli Camp, an iconic site of remembrance for 20th-century Europe. The history of Fossoli will serve as the starting point for a journey of reflection on contemporary challenges—marked by armed conflicts, global inequalities, and profound technological transformations—with the aim of promoting alternative approaches based on dialogue, individual and collective responsibility, and a culture of peace.

The programme will involve 16 young participants and includes workshops, discussions, and meetings with experts. Key themes include mediation and non-violent conflict management, disarmament and conversion processes, the evolution of non-violent movements, and the role of technology in peacebuilding.

The training experience will also be enriched by historical and civic activities, including a visit to the Fossoli Camp and the Museum-Monument to the Deported, as well as participation in the commemoration of the Cibeno Massacre of 12 July 1944.

The seminar will be officially opened on 6 July at 3:00 pm by Professor Maria Chiara Rioli, University Delegate for Peace and Social Equity and member of the Fossoli Foundation's Scientific Committee, with an inaugural lecture entitled "Places of Memory, Spaces for Peace".

As Professor Maria Chiara Rioli explains: "The Fossoli Camp was established in 1942 as a prisoner-of-war camp for Allied soldiers. After 1943, it became the main concentration and transit camp in Italy for the deportation of Jewish people and political opponents to Nazi concentration camps. Between 1943 and 1944, approximately 2,800 Jewish people and 2,600 political deportees from Northern Italy passed through it. In the post-war period, the site welcomed foreign refugees, the Nomadelfia community, and, subsequently, the San Marco Village, which was designated for Julian-Dalmatian refugees."

"Unimore's sponsorship of 'La Pace in Campo' stems from the conviction that educating the younger generations on the themes of peace, non-violence, and responsible citizenship represents a fundamental investment for the future of our communities," Professor Maria Chiara Rioli continues. "Places of remembrance, such as the Fossoli Camp, are not merely testimonies of the past, but living spaces for reflection and learning. Through dialogue, study, and exposure to different experiences, 'La Pace in Campo' offers practical tools to analyse and understand contemporary conflicts, as well as the pathways to building justice and peace."

Categorie: International - english, Notizie_eng