Mattarella receives the Standard Bearers of the Republic at the Quirinale: “You are witnesses of solidarity: happiness is being responsible towards others”

“For me, it is a real pleasure to welcome you here because you are witnesses of solidarity”, began the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, speaking at the Quirinale on the occasion of the award ceremony for the Alfieri della Repubblica. There were 29 Certificates of Honor from “Bishop of the Republic”. Solidarity for the environment and culture is the prevailing theme that inspired the choice of young Alfieri in 2023.

[[(gele.Finegil.Image2014v1) Mattarella ai giovani “Alfieri”, voi testimoni di solidarietà]][[(gele.Finegil.Image2014v1) ai giovani “Alfieri”, voi testimoni di solidarietà]]]]

The floods that hit our territory in 2023, in particular Romagna and Tuscany, once again brought to light the altruism, generosity and sense of community of many young people. The Certificates valorise voluntary actions, examples of active citizenship, as well as the stories of young people who have been able to transform their passion for writing or science into a “bridge” to reduce inequalities. The cases chosen, however, do not constitute examples of rare actions, but are representative of widespread behaviors, of spontaneous solidarity: actions and feelings to be encouraged to spread among young people those values ​​that can allow them to become builders of a sustainable future, adults aware of importance of solidarity in a world crossed by conflicts, climate change, environmental crises. Alongside the awards oriented towards the annual theme, there are certificates of honor relating to acts performed with particular courage and emblematic gestures of friendship.

President Mattarella also awarded three plaques for collective actions of young people and very young people who have expressed the values ​​of solidarity with great force. The ceremony, conducted by Federica Mango, was opened by the speech of President Mattarella.

“Witnesses of solidarity”

“Witnesses because they are an expression of generosity, friendship, social passion, civil commitment; attitudes which fortunately are widespread among our young people. The experiences in which you have personally highlighted yourself are not exceptions. You bear witness to a wider reality of exemplary behaviour. Your stories, the recognitions you receive today, represent it.”

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“Social life does not take place only on the basis of respect for the rules it has given itself: this is the minimum”, he continued. “To live truly well together, to achieve a truly fulfilling condition of social life, in which one truly feels inserted with full satisfaction, it is necessary that, in addition to the awareness of one’s own rights, there is an awareness of one’s responsibilities towards others. It is the exercise of this responsibility that makes you feel fulfilled, that makes you calm and, even more so, that makes you happy.”

“Solitude, individualism, the consideration of others as not only strangers but hostile, progressively become prisons. One is a prisoner of self-closure, where personal growth slows down and is held back; and where the taste for life dries up. Solidarity is also the main source of collective security. Because being able to count on others makes us more secure. And because it makes us grow in trust.”

“We rarely pronounce this word: brotherhood. It is considered by many to have an exclusively religious meaning, if not a naive illusion of dreaming souls. But this is not the case. There is no need to have complexes or restraint in pronouncing this word. And in living it. Peace – which we all say we aspire to – is built first of all starting from everyday life, from the encounter with those close to us, even if the person close to us at that moment is a stranger, who crosses our path by chance”.