A view from Stignano. The villages in the Locride’s area, in the souther Italian region of Calabria were almost abandoned. The traditional way of living was being lost and young people were migrating in the north leaving these villages empty and at risk of dying
THE WORLD IS A SMALL TOWN
In the late ‘90s the medieval historical town of Riace, inhabited mostly by old people like many others in the Locride's area in Calabria, was about to die. Than in 1998, a boat crowded with Kurdish refugees landed in the nearby coastline, changing the course of history. The people of Riace offered them food and shelter, and some citizens, such as Domenico Lucano, who became mayor in 2004, started to dream about a project of integration for refugees to repopulate the town and create a culture of hospitality and exchange. Shops and ateliers were created, employing both asylum seekers and local people, in jobs such as copper and glass laboratories, farming and breeding, constructions and education. Migrants could live in the house abandoned by those who left to work in the North, benefiting local people too with jobs and rents. Riace’s model inspired nearly 60 other towns in Calabria, which developed similar models. Despite the difficulties, towns like Camini, Gioiosa Jonica, Stigano, Caulonia and other, started their own reception projects, to change the course of history and colour the present of a new life. But a few months after right-wing populist Salvini became interior minister, Lucano was arrested for having celebrated a ‘white marriage’ between an Italian and a migrant and processed for embezzlement. For these villages that had welcomed the migrants, it was the hardest time. Many of the refugees living in Riace had to leave, then Lucano lost the elections and now struggles to keep his projects and his political vision alive. The nearby village of Camini in the meantime, nowthe Italian town with the highest percentage of refugees population, has developed the reception project in ambitious and effective ways. Camini’s project is based less on politics and more on entrepreneurship in order to depend less on the state, and develop an economy that can survives even the shocks of politics.
U PAESE è MONDO INTERO
Il declino, la rinascita, l'entusiasmo, l’utopia, l’arresto, il ritorno, un futuro da ricostruire. Riace, il paese della Locride arroccato su aridi colli che svettano dinanzi alla costa ionica, non si è risparmiato le emozioni forti. Negli anni '90 rischiava la morte per spopolamento. Molti abitanti emigravano per trovare migliori opportunità professionali. Poi tra il 1997 e il 1998 due imbarcazioni di esseri umani in fuga dalle violenze al confine tra Turchia e Iraq, arrivarono a Badolato e a Riace Marina. Erano quasi tutti curdi, un popolo senza stato, che si trovarono all’improvviso accolti da una comunità ospitale. É questo l'inizio dell'utopia di Riace e del sogno di una piccola città dove si potesse recuperare la cultura delle tradizioni, incontaminata dal capitalismo e dal consumismo dell’attuale società. Un sogno diventato progetto di avanguardia del programma di accoglienza diffusa, lo SPRAR adottato poi da molti altri paesi della Locride. Poi nel 2018, con il governo gialloverde e Salvini al Viminale, il sindaco Lucano è stato messo agli arresti domiciliari con l’accusa di favoreggiamento dell’immigrazione clandestina e poi processato per varie accuse, tra le quali peculato. Un colpo mortale per la cittadina che già cercava di sopravvivere al taglio dei fondi avvenuto l’anno prima. Molti degli ospiti rifugiati sono stati costretti ad andarsene, nonostante la maggior parte delle accuse all'ex sindaco si sono rivelate infondate. Nei paesi vicini intanto, questa esperienza è stata utile per creare nuovi progetti, come quello di Camini e della cooperativa ‘Jungi Mundu’, che ospita circa un centinaio di persone tra rifugiati e richiedenti asilo. Camini è oggi uno dei paesi in Italia con la più alta densità tra rifugiati e abitanti. In un clima politico critico, questi progetti portano avanti l’idea di una comunità visionaria che vuole resistere al vento dell’intolleranza e non vuole smettere di sognare.
In 1997 when the boat ‘Ararat’, filled with refugees from Kurdistan landed in the coast between Badolato Marina and Santa Caterina dello Ionio. The major of Santa Caterina refuse to deal with the refugees, but the mayor Gerardo Mannello decided to give them shelter. His fellow citizens opened their houses to cope with the emergency. One year later another boat arrives nearby, in Riace Marina with a few hundred refugees from Kurdistan. The citizens of Riace opened their houses, giving the start to a project of reception that has inspired the whole world.
One of the migrants who is returning home in the old city of Riace, Calabria. A symbolic currency was created so that the migrants spend their bonus only inside the town. In Riace both the migrants and the locals have benefited of this program.
The signal at the entrance of Riace with the different nationalities of people living in it.
A religious procession in the village of Camini, located 3km far from Riace. Camini has a population of about 300, and host almost 100 refugees.
A kid received through the SPRAR project in Riace, with his mum on the old town of the city that at the Nineties was about to die, because of the ageing population and the migration of most young people.
In Riace some refugees are also living since years out of the project. This allowed young boys to grow up together.
A Nigerian girl walking towards the Pentecostal church for the mess given by pastor Victor.
A Sunday gospel celebration on the ‘salvation evangelical church’ of Riace, October 7th, 2018.
Mohammed from Mali and Afissiata from Ivory Cost on the day of their wedding on October 9th. Mohammed is deeply touched and sad that his parents are far away and could not be with him on this special day. Afissiata was previously living in Riace and met Mohammed in Caulonia, who was received in the SPRAR (protection system for asylum seekers) project of Caulonia. Caulonia, like other 60 small town in Calabria has adopted 'the model Riace', to receive migrants and save these almost abandoned villages from death.
Kassai from Eritrea is feeding donkeys on the didactic farm in Riace. He is in Riace since 3 years and a half, in Eritrea he was working as a mechanic. He didn’t got paid about his job in the last 3 months, however he is hopeful that he will. He does not know what will be about the future of Riace. He is ready to leave if the project brought forward by the major will be thwarted.
Thanks to the reception program of the SPRAR program (protection system for asylum seekers and refugees), the city found life again. Now the migrants are about 350 in Riace, but in the previous years they were up to 700, almost half of the entire local population.
Domenico Lucano, mayor
“I have been an activist and a member of Autonomia Operaia when I was studying in Rome. I always wanted to come back to my home town to live and work.
Kolli from Gambia is being thought by Teresa from Camini how to make bread in the oven
with the traditional way. Before the reception project the oven was broken and abandoned. He was reconstructed and now is being used almost every day.
Until the beginning of 2017, life was going well in Riace. People had jobs and many refugees and asylum seekers were involved in activities and atelier, such as the one of copper and glass, where Hare Gu from Eritrea and Maria from Riace where working. With the beginning of the investigation in Riace, the SPRAR funds were cut and Domenico Lucano and his administration had to look for private funds to sustain the project he had struggled to created in the last years. After months of efforts, Riace had to capitulate. The ateliers were closed because there were no money to sustain them anymore
Domenico Lucano, mayor of Riace speaking at the telephone in his home while he is staying under house arrest, in relation to allegations of aiding illegal immigration.
Aboubakar Soumahoro, syndacalist who has follow closely the case of the murder of Soumaila Sacko, 29from Mali killed on 2 June 2018 in a shooting in the Aboubakar Soumahoro, syndacalist and activits, protesting with other about 5 thousand people against the arrest of Domenico Lucano on October 6th. Aboubakar had closely followed the case of Soumaila Sacko, 29 years old syndacalist from Mali killed on June 2nd after a shooting in the tent city of San Ferdinando in Reggio Calabria.
Domenico Lucano showing the left fist to the crowd that have gathered outside of his home to show him solidarity after his arrest on October 6th
On Monday November 5th, the guests of the SPRAR project were given the new destinations where they will be moved. They could decide whether to accept the new destinations or to stay in Riace without funds. 64 out 74 of them decided to leave.
Guests of the SPRAR project of Camini and local people during ‘Camini Community Retreat’ a project organised to favoured integration through dance, yoga and other activities.
Guests of the SPRAR project of Camini and local children having dinner during ‘Camini Community Retreat’ a project organised to favoured integration through dance, yoga and other activities.
Filmon Tesfalen arrived in Italy in September 2013, as a refugee from Eritrea. When he lost the right to international protection, he was given a job by the cooperative 'Jungi Mundu' where he works on agriculture and constructions.
Presis during a visit at the nearby village of Placanica. For for the whole Locride, what is happening in Riace is a ring alarm. The fear is that the government is willing to give up with this experience that in Calabria was successfully applied as a working process of integration and relaunch of the local economy. The new law on migration drafted by Interior Ministry Matteo Salvini goes in the opposite direction of these projects, changing completely the way the SPRAR are working, reducing the funds and the people entitled to take part on its project.