Today, in Montecitorio  in the "Sala della Lupa", was held the presentation of the book "Making Peace. The Community of Sant'Egidio in international scenarios" published by  Leonardo InternationalThe speakers were Giuliano Amato, Gianfranco Fini (President of the Chamber of Deputies), Franco Frattini (Minister of Foreign Affairs), Marco Impagliazzo (President of the Community of Sant'Egidio) and Walter Veltroni.

Rome, May 12 (Adnkronos) - "The Community of Sant'Egidio has been in over forty years, a reserve of moral energy for Italy, as a  peacemaker and not a pacifist entity that is able to successfully tackled the new complex international reality.

This is why it represents the heritage of our being witnesses of a humanity that does not give up believing, despite everything, that we can be  better. " This was said by the speaker of the Hoouse Gianfranco Fini when he intervened in  Montecitorio at the presentation of the book "Making Peace. The Community of Sant'Egidio in the international scenario", with the intervention of the Foreign Minister Franco Frattini, Giuliano Amato, Walter Veltroni and the President of the Community of Sant'Egidio Marco Impagliazzo.

"In a famous speech to members of the Community, which goes back three decades, Pope Wojtyla -Fini recalled- condensed its characteristics in three "S"  that are "hope (Speranza), solidarity and spirituality. In less suspicious times, long before the theories on the clash of civilizations, the men and women of Sant'Egidio realized the importance of religion  that could not be confined to dimension (...) but which must never be exploited for political purposes. "

"The greatest thing of the Community of Sant 'Egidio - said Veltroni -  is trying to say that it is not written anywhere that identity and dialogue should conflict. It is essential that each cultivates its own identity, each of us is the child of a story, but the cultivation of identity does not mean the consideration of the other as an enemy. We like globalization a lot, but when the other is materialized in the flesh, we are afraid".

Peace is "a common good but also a collective responsibility that you must share." Said the foreign minister, Franco Frattini, in his speech, announcing that the foreign ministry after the "extraordinary" experience of dialogue and partnership that was carries on for years with the Community of Sant'Egidio, is now "working to formalize a global agreement between the Foreign Ministry and the Community. "

Explaining the new concept of peace ever more "multilateral", Frattini said that now all the peace missions "involve more and more all international actors: the UN, European Union, NATO,  the African Union ' . Speaking aboput the work done together with the Community of Sant'Egidio, Frattini recalled the mediation processes, as the case of Mozambique,  the efforts in Africa, including in the fight against AIDS, the intercultural and inter-religious dialogue and with Indonesia and the battle, "that continues" against the death penalty.

"Dialogue -President Impagliazzo said -is in the chromosomes of the Community. But, in the nineties, and especially after September 11 this quest for dialogue appeared naive in a world that seemed destined to clash of civilizations and religions. War, both the cultural one  but also the one that is fought, was regarded as a painful necessity. " We never never believed in this axiom, that was presented as a necessity. It is not pacifism of principle but realism developed through the experience of peacemaking in the different conflicts described in this book. "
 
"Anyone can work for peace, coexistence, this is our deepest conviction. In this high place of Italian democracy-concluded Impagliazzo-I would say that the name of Italy is loved and respected in the world also thanks to this humble and tenacious work

Full text of intervention of Marco Impagliazzo