Naples, the archbishop: 'Social garden represents redemption of the territory. Now the administration must do its part'
“Today I see a social garden inhabited by many people, who struggle and want to redeem themselves. This is a place that represents the beauty and social redemption of a territory. I have always believed that no one is irredeemable. For example, drug addicts are not the sick part of the city but are part of a sick city.
We are all dependent on something, on vices, on money, on everything we need to fill the void we carry inside. The kids have made a hole for themselves but we have made a cistern of disvalues. Therefore there is a need for paths of liberation and redemption.
Today here I have touched with my own hands these paths that are paths of friendship, solidarity, liberation, redemption, inclusion. Paths that must be valued. Today, with respect to the requests that are made to politics in this place, I say that I am here and I will support them as much as I can”.
This was said by the Archbishop of Naples, Don Mimmo Battaglia, after the introductory walk to meet the community of the Ponticelli Urban Social Garden, a project for the care of the city's greenery, social inclusion and citizenship that has been active for seven years in the eastern suburbs of Naples and promoted by the Lilliput day center, an intermediate socio-rehabilitation structure for people with addiction problems of the ASL Napoli 1 Centro managed with the Gesco social enterprise group through the Era social cooperative.
“Don Mimmo today helped us see the extraordinary social laboratory that exists in this part of the city. The city – highlighted Sergio D'Angelo, president of Gesco and city councilor – has a debt to these kids. The institutions should recover the pedagogical function of the past, lead by the hand the citizens who have shown great responsibility. Once here the Camorra hid its weapons, this place was a place of dealing and consumption of substances, now together with the gardens, people have sprouted.
Now the administration must do its part: bring water here, toilets because young people and old people work inside this place, and introduce a video surveillance system so that the Camorra never returns”.
Also present was the municipal councilor for health, Vincenzo Santagada.
"You have to believe in this administration, this Garden - he stressed - it is a place of beauty and redemption and needs to feel the closeness of the institutions, we as a Municipality are already carrying out interventions to redevelop the city's greenery in the area, even in the suburbs, we are also publishing them from time to time on our website so that everyone can give their contribution to networking, which is a very important element. Our goal is to bring a smile back to a community that is experiencing difficulties".
The walk was also attended by the health director of the ASL Napoli 1 Centro Maria Corvino, the director of the Addictions department of the ASL Napoli 1 Centro Gennaro Pastore and the president of the VI Municipality of the Municipality of Naples (Ponticelli, Barra, San Giovanni) Sandro Fucito.
Article published on May 11, 2022 - 17:09 pm
