Stories and News

Stories and News No. 911 A Thai real estate developer had the idea of creating in Khlong Toei , a densely populated area of Bangkok, irregular playgrounds, trying to get the most of limited space. The capital of Thailand is an eight million inhabitants city practically built on a swamp, and, because of the growing overpopulation, is desperately in needs of space, with new shopping centers and residential projects to the detriment of the poorest communities... Well, the game is about to begin. It must do it. It is a matter of life and life . Because death is not an expected result. It does not when kids are ready to deal with everything to play. They say that the important thing is to take part , where the lines are straight and the ball rolls smoothly. You know, here taking part is not the only important thing. Everything is. Even losing. Because it means that the game was really there. That someone has taken the field. And someone else saw and told everything. H...

Stories and News No. 910 According to UNICEF since last Friday, only in the eastern Aleppo, Syria, at least 96 children were killed and 223 were injured . "These children are trapped in a nightmare," said deputy executive director Justin Forsyth. "There are no words to describe the suffering they are experiencing." Words are over, for us. Trapped in a nightmare. Maybe we only escape to reach more or less manipulated images. Blurt between an alleged beautiful diva and a new super-equipped gasoline drinker. At worst normalized in the large muffler called world news . Maybe we even go out in an inspired speech. In the sense of made by other heart and mind. Even in a warlike gathering of cheaters dressed as doves. We could also get out in a prayer, even if said as heaven commands. A blessed speech, as they say. Remembered with a clear compassion and then everyone out for a walk, the sun is still there. With no hard feelings, indeed, light is...

Stories and News No. 909 In the US, San Diego, for the umpteenth time a police officer has killed an unarmed African-American. So I find again myself writing something about this grotesque, absurd phrase... Police kill unarmed black . Four words. Take them strong in one hand. In a page, if you prefer not to burn yourself. Four words that may break all things in pieces. That's why the page is good, right? Because we can write and read them endlessly. And everything goes on. And everything is repeated. Because we believe in the end that so no one really hurts, in a newspaper. When the newspaper is like a movie. But let us say it is all true, try to believe it. Just like in front of a movie. Look, the spot is here. No, wait, do not pay attention to it, you are not obliged, in spite of colors and mellow sounds. Let us back on the main vision and observe the words one by one. Start from the very first, so no one will be offended. Say letter by letter and now expr...

Stories and News No. 908 Only five days after the death of Dalton Prager, the twenty-five man with cystic fibrosis whose story resembled John Green’s book , which was made into a hit film , wife Katie, 26, passed away because of the same disease. Fault in Our Stars… Fault in Our Stars. Yes, that’s it. There it is the line where we all walk. Between an amazing story and the normal, everyday lives. Between an exciting film and bare ground. Between a dream or nightmare, both memorable, and subsequent awakening. One to remember absolutely or discard instantly as a bad selfie, just now required by the loved one. Nevertheless, we walk, we often run and just as often we fall. Anyway, on the height of the jump, rather than lying on the ground, a significant portion or even the whole of our bravest pupil points there. Towards the brightest area of the sky. Because that is where we would like to see us at that moment. Because that is where we are, when we cannot do otherwise. ...

Stories and News No. 907 Many in Italy criticized an image of the Pro Fertility campaign by the Ministry of Health , where below the supposed good guys symbolizing ‘ good habits to be promoted ’, separated by a fracture, you may see the ‘ bad company to be abandoned ’ (together with a girl smoking weed and a drug addict even a black man…) Here is one day, then. One day far from the good ones... It is morning, very early. Giulia always gets up first, because she loves to breakfast alone. This is the way she gets the time to wake up calmly, but never completely. Because something has to keep on dreaming. Even awake. Then she prepares milk and cookies for everyone, takes a shower, dresses and goes to work, where she teaches Italian to foreigners . It often happens that many in classroom are blacks . Bad companions in the picture painted for the day of fertility. But this does not prevent the meeting of destinies. To be even fruitful. Just as the teacher spreads her n...

Stories and News No. 906 As many of you know today, 21 September, is the International Day of Peace - I suggest you to watch this video , established in 1981 by the General Assembly of the United Nations. A day dedicated to peace... Well, after read some news, I had a discordant, out of tune, out of sync feeling. Difficult otherwise in a day which, among others, speaks about usual clashes with the police for the murder of yet another black man in USA, more civilian deaths in Syria, other victims for terrorism in the Middle East and Africa , and other misfortunes on the tragic narration titled ‘The story of migrants’. It seems that everybody is saying: “Okay, today is the Day of Peace, but the show must go on, I have just pulled the trigger, bought a lot weapons, dropped anywhere death and blood is already flowing”. In a few words, it's ever too late. That's why, in my humble opinion, to celebrate these occasions with the right attention, we need a suspended time b...

Rudyard Kipling’s If was just the beginning. Here we are with the new video by Storytellers for Peace . As you know, every year the International Day of Peace is celebrated around the world on 21 September . The United Nations have declared this as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, both within and among all nations and peoples. Here is the Day’s theme for 2016: “The Sustainable Development Goals: Building Blocks for Peace.” So, this is the way we imagine to build blocks for peace. Sixteen storytellers from fourteen diverse nations, in their first language, tell their own dream of peace for their countries. The final clip is made of different hopes for a peaceful world, together as a great puzzle, every one important for the best of all. As Martin Luther King Jr. oce said: “ Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere .” So, let's build peace, let's do it everywhere . The storytellers and their words in order of appearance: I...

Stories and News No. 905 The British Conservative government led by Theresa May announced the green light for the construction of the new nuclear power station , in collaboration with France and China, at the Hinkley Point site. A £18 billion project, about 21 billion euro, a sharp contrast to the rest of Europe . A sharp contrast with even more... I talk to the animals. That’s it, now I said it. It is always the best to start a post with a good confession, strong stuff, that leaves you breathless and forces the reader to continue, I think I read somewhere. I talk with the animals, but not all, though. Only those who inspire me. But do not misunderstand, please. There is nothing holy in my inclination, so we avoid irreverent comparisons with the best known among the fauna chatter, which I do not name here in order to not be accused of hagiographic blasphemy. Continuing on the path of honesty, the main reason is that it's just me that I speak, usually they do not r...

Stories and News No. 904 Last week, in a major summit in Hawaii, only two countries were the ones among 53 to vote against the international ban on the dumping of mining waste into the sea. Turkey and Norway... We talked about. The other day. Come on, the other day, remember? We talked about of people. Without generalizing, of course, but people are so. Do you see, right? Of course. People are so, they are all different, but also equal for other things, that’s clear. No easy clichés, you cannot merge everybody, come on. Get the Turks . Those Turks, that some aspire to see part of the old, civil Europe. The Turks, without being accused of indifference, are Turks, just that. I would not speak, once again, about religion, don’t worry. About State machismo, that we, I repeat, we have eradicated long ago and you know it. Or the lack of democracy, which – and you know that too, is for us a showpiece to be proud of anywhere. However, take a typical Turkish and tell me....

Stories and News No. 903   "These are children who, after all, have been hungry for their entire lives, and some will die here in the next twenty-four hours," said Jean Stowell , head of Doctor Without Borders center in Maiduguri, Nigeria, where the hunger is causing the death of hundreds of children a day. In the few seconds that remained, there, only at that time, we won. Hooray! The wicked hunger was defeated. A miracle? A magic? Divine intervention, maybe? Or perhaps the fateful good ones’ arrival? No, nothing like that. It took us a while, maybe too much, but in the end, only there, we get it. How to overcome hunger. We opened our eyes once and for all, observing with mature realism the world’s remains all around. So we started to eat what was there. We ate the ground, all, all that could get in a hand and, after grabbing all, the treasure was lonely there, what ‘migrants on the contrary’ steal us, as if it had never been ours. As if we ourselves do no...

Stories and News No. 902   While the King of Norway becomes viral thanks to a truly commendable speech on diversity, in a school in Aarhus, Denmark, the principal has decided to divide students between ‘indigenous Danish’ and immigrants. Let’s play a game. A story, a promise. A dance and a challenge. On the same page. Class, world. In the same heart, if you like. Classes for immigrants and classes for ‘true’ Danish? Well, you can do more, you know? Classes for those who look too profoundly in your eyes and classes for those who just pretend to give up the fight, classes for those who will never arrive first, but they have accepted and classes for those who will never give up. And they are right too. Classes for the ugly inside and classes for those from the ugly past, classes for those who have a beautiful future, but only if they have luck and those from the horrible past, not yet deleted. Classes for those who always forget most futile things and classes fo...

Stories and News No. 901 Today in Brazil the 15th edition of the Summer Paralympic Games is going to start. Paralympics , the parallel Olympics. As if, right side of the supposed high road, another one is really flowing. Somehow lacking something... The most important thing is to take part, everyone remind often. For many that means to win, for others absolutely not to lose, because a tie never really hurt anyone. Perhaps the main thing is not any of those. Let’s think about that. Really, let’s ask ourselves the question, then. Why have we come here? Why did we go out of our lives to come and see the other run and fight, facing the limitations of his own nature? Why, at the end of the story, do we rise up and launch our palms against each other, with growing fervor? Why, in some way, do we feel to have won with her? Why do we suffer for his victory? Why do we feel what they have tried? Why, to be completely honest, did we forget that this was the real reason to ...