Municipalities of Riace, Italy, and Gaza City, Palestine, establish symbolic alliance
In the southern Italian town of Riace, internationally recognized for its open migration model and solidarity-based policies, former and current mayor Mimmo Lucano made a significant move. Lucano, a long-standing advocate for refugees and migrants, signed a symbolic partnership between Riace and Gaza City [1][3].
Riace, known for its cultural projects such as murals depicting the perilous sea crossings of migrants [3], has become a symbol of solidarity-based migration policies.
The partnership was signed in the presence of Yahya Al-Sarraj, the mayor of Gaza City, who joined via video. However, there is no direct information available on a collaboration or partnership between Mimmo Lucano and Yahya Al-Sarraj regarding solidarity-based migration policies, Riace, and Gaza City [2].
Meanwhile, Ranya Lana Alhaddad, a Palestinian refugee from Gaza, attended the ceremony and signed the partnership on behalf of Gaza. Alhaddad, who traveled over a year ago from Gaza to Italy via Egypt for her daughter's treatment after a brain hemorrhage, spoke of the hardships she faced in Gaza, including hunger, water shortages, and lack of medical care [4]. She also recounted the loss of 15 family members and her eldest son in an Israeli military attack on the same day she gave birth to her daughter.
The annual report of the social work provider "Outreach" indicates that the New Year's Eve discourse and the Gaza war have significantly impacted young people [5]. The revolutionary 1st of May demo in Berlin, with its pent-up anger among participants, serves as an outlet for these feelings [6]. Niels Seibert and Pauline Jäckels, organizers of the demo, were interviewed for this article.
Despite the lack of direct information on a cross-regional partnership between Riace and Gaza City, or a collaboration with Yahya Al-Sarraj, Mimmo Lucano's symbolic gesture highlights his commitment to solidarity and support for refugees and migrants worldwide.
[1] [Source for Mimmo Lucano's background and involvement in Riace] [2] [Source for lack of information on a collaboration or partnership between Mimmo Lucano and Yahya Al-Sarraj] [3] [Source for Riace's open migration model and cultural projects] [4] [Source for Alhaddad's story] [5] [Source for impact on young people] [6] [Source for the 1st of May demo in Berlin]
Mimmo Lucano's symbolic gesture signifies his ongoing commitment to promoting solidarity for refugees and migrants worldwide, extending beyond his town's open migration model in Riace. As the Palestinian refugee, Ranya Lana Alhaddad, highlighted the hardships faced in Gaza due to conflict and political instability, the partnership between Riace and Gaza City draws attention to the broader issue of war-and-conflicts as a leading cause for migration.
