A letter from the Roman prison "Regina Coeli":  "We adhere to the campaign 'Freedom for the prisoners in Africa'".
31 July 2009 

At the beginning of July, the Community of Sant' Egidio proposed to the prisoners of 200 Italian penitentiaries an action of solidarity with those who share the same condition in the African prisons.

The solidarity campaign, named "Freedom for the prisoners in Africa", proposes some effective interventions of help, but of low cost (from 1 euro onwards).

The reply in the Italian prisons was immediate and enthusiastic. Already some hundreds prisoners decided to support with a small contribution the African prisoners.

A group of detainees in the Roman prison of Regina Coeli wanted to motivate their adhesion with a letter that we publish:

Dear friends,
we answer to your campaign "Freedom for the prisoners in Africa" with a small but felt financial participation. Obviously the sum collected is like a small drop of water that can form a good sea, with the hope that the waves go increasing.
Often, sharing a condition of deprivation and sorrow, one realizes better some situations and so we understood as our duty is to help and to show our unconditional agreement with your campaign. Even if the conditions of the prisons in East Africa are above all a political rather than humanitarian issue. A continent overexploited first by the colonial powers and then by false unstable democracies of governments, these last equal fruit of "our" West.
We wish you good work and good message, with the hope that one day Africa and all of the places on Earth where the rights are denied, see the dawn of a better world.
With esteem
The detainees participating in your and our campaign,
Prison Regina Coeli
Rome.