blog #13 Napoli ti amo Gianni

Young people every day in danger

When young people have no idea what to do with their life, when school is not really working for them, when at home nobody is a good role model, when your needs are not recognized, when the future is not a rose garden .. then somebody can fall into the darkness of criminality. Young gangs in Naples walk around to find a victim to rob and sometimes it goes totally wrong. An accidental bullet can end a life like the life of Gianni, only 15yr young .. everybody sad but what can we do, really do to end this? What is it we must change? Where to start? I bring my students to the square where it happened and we talk about this tragic story .. and we create something new and hopeful out of it. We transform bad into good and we hope more people follow.

blog #11 Genio di Palermo part 1

Palermo tour – walking with the Genius of Palermo / part 1 for Nat Geo

introduction

Influences from outside Sicily shaped Palermo for centuries. Also now the unstoppable stream of refugees and immigrants create many beautiful things in addition to the well-known problems. During my Palermo tour you can see this in architecture, street art, the food culture and the mentality of the residents: tolerant, open, hospitable.

arrival

A fast ferry is wonderful .. but I am very relieved when, after a turbulent journey by sea, the angel in the port of Palermo welcomes me with open arms: “Bienvenuto” – welcome! Next time I will take the regular ferry like the locals.

Genio / the Genius

Leaving the port towards the city, I see the Genio of Palermo in marble: an old man with a beard and crown and a snake biting his chest. This spirit will be my guide on my journey. There are 8 statues of the Genio, each with its own story, in a special place in the historic center.

To get to know the real nature of the Palermitani, I follow Genio through their history of domination and survival, integration of foreigners and their cultures alongside the tough individuality of the Sicilians.

to be continued > blog 12 Genio di Palermo part 2