CITIES FOR LIFE - CITIES AGAINST THE DEATH PENALTY

NOVEMBER 30th, this year, every year

Presentation and endorsement by the World Coalition of the International Movement and Day Cities for Life - Cities against the Death Penalty

 Montreal, October 6th, 2004

by Mario Marazziti - Community of Sant'Egidio

Dear friends,

Even if the world is not in a good shape, hardly the death penalty can say that it is in better shape. And this is also thanks to the world initiatives that militants, organizations and governments have undertaken over the last year.

I have been asked by the Steering Committee of the World Coalition Against the Death penalty  to explain to this Assembly the incredible chances that can be connected to the growth of the worldwide initiative called International Day Cities For Life-Cities Against the Death Penalty, promoted by the Community of Sant'Egidio, an International NGO and ecumenical organization rooted based in Rome and rooted in the Catholic Church, which is active and present with membership on a voluntary basis in 70 countries in the world. As you well know, the defense of human rights and the conflict resolution and peacemaking activity of Sant'Egidio - which contributed to achieve Peace in Mozambique after 17 years of civil war and stop some international crisis such as Liberia, Burundi, Ivory Coast, Guatemala, and now active in Darfour, Togo and Colombia as well - has added an important page when the struggle to abolish the death penalty, some years ago has become one of the priorities of Sant'Egidio worldwide, in collaboration with many of you. The call for a worldwide moratorium has gathered more than five million signatures to the petition and in bilateral contacts is achieving new states among its members. It is an important bridge to stop the death penalty in the Moslem and Arab world, as well as the US , Japan, India and other Asian and African states.

In many retentionist states there are relevant components of society that are against the death penalty or liberal administrators that can play an important role.

This is how the idea of Cities against the death penalty started a few years ago. On November 30 1786 Tuscany, the first modern state in the world to do so, abolished the death penalty that was never reintroduced there. On November 30th and in the week before that day, every year, from 2002 - when the World Day against the Death Penalty was celebrated on that special day - Cities of the world create a special link among themselves and dialogue with public opinion launching a great communication offensive in a innovative way. Every City Council and Mayor, on invitation of the Community of Sant'Egidio, of the Mayor of Rome, of Tuscany and the local partner in every area - it can have been and be ECPM, Amnesty International, each of you and your organizations - give as a gift to the campaign against the death penalty the logo, a special monument or symbolic square, that becomes a living testimonial and agora' against the death penalty.

The first edition of Cities against the Death Penalty, in 2002,  gathered more than 80 cities, from Santiago del Chile to Canberra, with spectacular initiatives involving thousands and thousands  of citizens and media. Imagine the Coliseum in Rome, lit up in a special light for three days to launch a higher threshold of civilization, a world without the death penalty, where there is nor justice without life. Imagine the Atomium in Brussels, the Moneda Building or the Casa Rosada in Buenos Aires and Chile, symbols of suffering and struggle for democracy and respect of human rights. And all around initiatives, concerts, testimonials. Imagine 7 cathedrals in Texas, or the area protected by UNESCO as world heritage, called Sassi of Matera, in the South of Italy, where the film The Passion of Christ by Mel Gibson was shot.  Imagine Barcelona, Paris, and…  why not? New York and Washington DC, Abidjan, Djakharta as the theatre for special events and a worldwide link.

Now 170 cities have already joint the movement and we hope to get to 200 this year and 300 next year, with the first American cities and some African and Asian cities. In his Angelus Prayer on November 30th last year John  Paul II himself greeted the initiative and the re-launch of the international campaign against the death penalty in connection with many cities in the world". Last year many Nobel Peace Prize Laureates gathered in Rome put their moral authority and signature under Cities against the death penalty, from Michail Gorbacev to the Dalai Lama.

Now it is a pleasure for me to invite you  officially to become partners and help this movement grow: it can be of great help for local groups that can have international audience and a powerful instrument of communication with society at large. The format is ready. It is out of the experimentation period. The letters to be co-signed are ready to invite the City Councils and the Mayor to adhere the movement. A list of possible initiatives and accomplishments  is ready. In every city a special place can become the designated place to struggle against the death penalty and represent that city in the world. It must be identified a person and/or an office which becomes an interaction to study every year the initiatives. Any local movement, association, can become the pillar and the partner of the worldwide initiative, calling for special initiatives and becoming the reference point for activists and normal citizens.

Every City can apply for writing under its logo the additional logo "City against the Death Penalty" as already happens for de-nuke cities or for sister cities. Every City invites citizens, empowering local organizations, to sign the Appeal for a worldwide Moratorium of executions. Every City can start to contribute, even with little money, to an International fund for the Legal Defense of People Sentenced to Death and can promote initiatives that increase awareness and put pressure on retentionist states or support people sentenced to death, adopting one or more prisoner each.

It is a great chance. No bureaucracy. Maximization of results. Great impact. And nobody prevents from starting a good competition among the Member Cities to create great events in the week of November 30th as well as regional, national, world events.

It is a great opportunity.