In Ischia the first edition of the International Award 'Domenico Savio'

Among the many workers awarded, the volcanologist Giuseppe Luongo and the mayor of Bacoli Josi Della Ragione.

On the island of Ischia, in the “Sandro Pertini” room of the ancient municipal baths, the first edition of the International Award named after Domenico Savio was held, a communist political and trade union leader who dedicated his entire existence to the strenuous defense of the rights of the world of work and the weakest in society and who died on March 13, 2020 at the age of eighty. Founder of the political monthly “L'Uguaglianza Economica e Sociale” and of the Italian Marxist-Leninist Communist Party, in Italy and abroad for decades Savio represented a safe, trusted and consistent point of reference for the exploited and oppressed peoples. This is a prestigious and unique Award of its kind in Italy because it is entirely reserved for the protagonists of the world of work and their culture of struggle and social conquests. Reserved for workers of the arm who have distinguished themselves for industriousness and honesty and for workers of the mind, that is, those who in life, through their profession, have distinguished themselves for having contributed to the civil and social growth of their territories of belonging. Fifteen were awarded. For the "work" section, the Award was given to Fiorenzo Cuomo, Sisina Di Costanzo, Domenico Barone, Stanislao Strazzi, Michele Panariello and in memory of Pietro Patalano.

For the “Civic and Social Commitment” section, the Award was assigned to the mayor of Bacoli Josi Gerardo Della Ragione who spoke live on the phone due to institutional commitments, announced his desire to organize an initiative in Bacoli to remember Domenico Savio. For the same section, the Award was assigned to Francesco Di Iorio known as Garibaldi, in memory of Giuseppe Varchetta and Silvio Carcaterra who spoke by phone because he was hospitalized due to a delicate surgical operation.

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For the “Science, Research and University” section, the prize was awarded to volcanologist Giuseppe Luongo, while for the “Journalism” section, it was awarded to Ida Trofa and Ciro Cenatiempo. Finally, for the “Italian Marxist-Leninist Communist Party” section, the prize was awarded to Angelo Giancotti and to the memory of Nina Andreeva, a leading figure of the PCUS, Communist Party of the Soviet Union. After the introductory speech by the President of the Organizing Committee, Angelo Giancotti, and that of Gennaro Savio, son of Domenico, who outlined the political and human profile of his father, the mayor of Ischia Enzo Ferrandino brought those present the greetings of the municipality that for the important initiative made the hall of the Antiche Terme Comunali available.

Immediately after, the award ceremony for the winners of the Prize consisted of a framed parchment, a pen and a bookmark. And among the winners who knew Savio, there were moments of sincere emotion. Finally, Gennaro Savio wanted to give his closest family members, his wife Gemma, his sons Domenico and Simone, his sister Gabriella, his niece Martina and his brother-in-law Libero, a pen from the Prize and a bookmark as a sign of affection for the fact that they have always, and not without sacrifice, tolerated and supported his political commitments.

THE SATISFACTION OF ANGELO GIANCOTTI AND GENNARO SAVIO FOR THE SUCCESS OF THE FIRST EDITION OF THE INTERNATIONAL PRIZE “DOMENICO SAVIO”

“Today we had the duty to remember Domenico Savio – declared the President of the Organizing Committee Angelo Giancotti – a sincere and coherent communist leader who with courage and determination and without ever betraying their expectations, fought tooth and nail to strenuously defend the present and future interests of the Italian working class and workers all over the world and of whom I was honored to be a friend and collaborator. His foresight made him a giant of politics at an international level and today we have the duty to remember every year the thought and work of a man who with great humility dedicated and sacrificed his entire existence to give voice to the voiceless and to defend the last of society. To improve it right away – concluded Giancotti – living conditions and for the Socialist perspective”.

“I am moved – said Gennaro Savio – for the extraordinary success of the first edition of the International 'Domenico Savio' Award, an Award that, among other things, faithfully retraces the 'Spartaco' Award that my father himself established in the 80s and of which there was only one edition. In the years that followed and until his death, dad always had the desire to resume that important initiative that put the unspeakable sacrifices of the world of work at the center of attention, but between electoral campaigns in which we participated, various political and journalistic commitments, we never had the time to resume it. Today, three years after his death, we have realized my father's dream by resuming the 'Spartaco' Award with his name. As a son, to note that three years after his death my father continues to be loved by the people and by the workers he defended so much with his battles, is for me a source of great pride. The success of the first edition of the International Prize 'Domenico Savio' is an additional incentive to repeat this initiative every year and I won't hide from you that we are already working on the second edition that will be held next year, always in the same period in which the anniversary of my father's death occurs".

THE WINNERS AND THE REASONS FOR THE “WORK” SECTION

Florence Cuomo

A mechanic with extraordinary professionalism, from a very young age he has shown himself to be a true mechanical wizard who with patience and commitment manages to "reanimate" car engines that for other colleagues would have inexorably reached the end of the line. Appreciated by all for his availability and honesty, despite his seventy years of age he continues to be in the prime of his professional activity. He has always been linked by a mutual relationship of esteem to Domenico Savio, of whom he was the trusted mechanic together with Arcangelo Di Palo and Giovanni De Luca.

Sisine of Costanzo

A farmer, housewife and school assistant loved by all, since she was a child she learned to use herbs, berries and roots as natural medicines and dedicated herself, with extraordinary generosity and altruism, to alleviating the ailments of the community. Gifted with great temperament, she courageously engaged in political and social struggles to defend the rights of the weakest. Memorable, in recent years, was the victorious battle against the location of the waste landfill in the Testaccio plain, conducted alongside Domenico Savio for whom she always showed great esteem and appreciation.

Domenico Barone

A tireless worker, he distinguished himself for his extraordinary professionalism in various sectors of the world of work. Farmer, fisherman, master builder, tiler, painter, baker, cook and pizza chef are just some of the professions that he carried out with great competence and skill throughout his life. He sacrificed his entire existence to hard work in order to support his very large family of twelve children with great dignity. In the early 90s he was named Cavaliere della Repubblica.

Stanislaus Strazzi

A long-time seafarer, he worked hard on salt water, sailing the seas and oceans of the world, always making his extraordinary professionalism available to the new generation of navigation. In his Procida, with the help of Domenico Savio, towards whom he constantly showed great esteem and appreciation, he always stood out for having defended the interests of the community, fighting for administrative transparency, for the defense of public maritime and land transport, for the defense of the right to health, to housing and to free beaches.

Michael Panariello

Seafarer at the former public shipping company Caremar on whose ships he first embarked back in 1989, he has always been active in the trade union movement in defense of the rights of workers in the maritime sector. In recent years he has been a member and representative of the OR.SA Marittimi Base Union and after 35 years of honorable work, he paid for his commitment as a trade unionist with dismissal. He has always shown great esteem and admiration for the political, social and journalistic commitment of Domenico Savio who has always been at the side of the battles carried out by seafarers and sea workers.

Pietro Patalano, Memorial Award

Tireless and hardworking master builder and farmer with a passion for the sea and fishing, he dedicated his entire life to hard work in construction and in the fields. Loved by all for his kindness and honesty and for his extraordinary availability and innate altruism, from a young age he always supported with perseverance, commitment and enthusiasm the political, trade union and social battles led by Domenico Savio to whom he was bound by an indissoluble bond of esteem and friendship. He was a candidate several times on the lists of the Italian Marxist-Leninist Communist Party of which Domenico Savio was the founder and General Secretary. Having died prematurely, he left an unfillable void in society and among those who were fortunate enough to know him.

FOR THE “CIVIC AND SOCIAL COMMITMENT” SECTION

Josi Gerardo Della Ragione

Founder and highest representative of the civic movement "Freebacoli", since he was a boy he has fought for social justice and for the economic, social and environmental rebirth of Bacoli and the entire Phlegraean area. Rebirth of his City that as mayor he started with great determination without being intimidated by the death threats of crime. He has always shown great esteem and appreciation for the political and social battles led by Domenico Savio especially during the years in which, as founder of the PCIM-L., he held the position of opposition municipal councilor in the Municipality of Forio

Silvio Carcaterra

Cancer patient, for years he has been fighting like a lion to have the island of Ischia equipped with the equipment to perform Pec-tac and to build a radiotherapy center, in order to spare the islanders suffering from cancer the strain and the continuous and unspeakable inconveniences that are suffered in having to go to Naples every day for the necessary treatments. Founder, together with Paola Falco, of the "Apo", Cancer Patients Association, he has always shown great esteem and appreciation for the political and social battles led by Domenico Savio.

Francesco Di Iorio known as Garibaldi

An independent and courageous commentator, through his writings and his positions supported by lucid and timely political and social analyses, he has always taken on the responsibility of denouncing local and national misgovernment and the injustices of which honest citizens are often victims. He has always shown great esteem and appreciation for the political and social battles led by Domenico Savio, constantly and actively participating in all the initiatives organized over the years by the combative founder of the PCIM-L.

Giuseppe Varchetta (Memorial Award)

for having represented an extraordinary example of human dignity for the Ischian and Italian society as he distinguished himself as a heroic fighter in defense of the right to mobility of the disabled, fighting, among other things, with courage and tenacity, for the demolition of hateful architectural barriers. It is right to honor his memory for his tireless civil commitment carried out in defense of the rights of the socially weakest. He has always shown great esteem and appreciation for the political and social battles led by Domenico Savio.

SECTION “SCIENCE, RESEARCH AND UNIVERSITY”

Prof. Giuseppe Luongo

Professor Emeritus of Volcanism Physics at the University of Naples “Federico II”, an internationally renowned volcanologist, former Director of the Vesuvius Observatory of Naples and Senator of the Republic, Prof. Giuseppe Luongo has dedicated a significant part of his life to the study of telluric phenomena on the island of Ischia and in particular to those of the Municipality of Casamicciola Terme, scene of the catastrophic earthquake of 1883. Author of over 250 scientific publications and several volumes, he has always shared a relationship of mutual esteem with Domenico Savio.

FOR THE “JOURNALISM” SECTION

Ida Trofa

Independent and courageous journalist, through her professional activity in addition to giving extremely timely news related to the current events that occur on the island of Ischia, thanks to her journalistic investigations she has often exposed the anti-popular political choices of the local political power, promptly paying the consequences in person. She has always shown great esteem and appreciation for the political and social battles led by Domenico Savio.

Ciro Cenatiempo

A nationally renowned journalist from Ischia, he has been involved in news and sports since he was very young. He has signed services and reports on tourism, culture and food and wine for international newspapers (Traveller, Gambero Rosso, Weekend Viaggi), collecting important awards and bringing the name of Ischia throughout the world. A prolific author of books and publications, a pen with extraordinary human qualities, vast culture and great professionalism, he has always favored territorial, environmental and social issues. He shared a fraternal relationship of deep esteem and sincere friendship with Domenico Savio.

SECTION “ITALIAN MARXIST-LENINIST COMMUNIST PARTY”

NINA ANDREEVA (Memorial Award)

A highly esteemed professor of chemistry at the Leningrad Technological Institute, Comrade Nina Andreeva was a leading figure in the glorious CPSU, the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. A communist with extraordinary coherence to the principles of Marxism-Leninism, in 1988, in an essay published in the newspaper Sovetskaja Rossija, she bluntly attacked perestroika, the wicked process of dismantling the former USSR carried out by the anti-communist and traitor of the Soviet people, Michel Gorbachev. Present in 1995 on the island of Ischia at the conference held on the occasion of the centenary of the death of Frederick Engels, she was linked to Domenico Savio by a relationship of deep esteem and friendship.

Angel Giancott

National leader of the Italian Marxist-Leninist Communist Party, for decades he was one of the major political collaborators of Domenico Savio, to whom from the very beginning, and until the last days of his life, he was linked by a very close and indissoluble relationship of profound esteem and fraternal friendship, always following him in the initiatives organized by the PCIM-L throughout Italy.

To Comrade Angelo Giancotti, highly esteemed and appreciated dentist from Rome, go the thanks and gratitude of the friends, Party comrades and relatives of the founder of the PCIM-L for having always supported our Domenico and for having accepted to hold the position of President of the Organizing Committee of the International Prize “Domenico Savio”.