Bari, “Redfest – Redentore in festa 2023”: the education festival.

Bari, “Redfest – Redentore in festa 2023”: the education festival.

After starting with the "RedBook", the educational book fair underway today in the "Don Bosco" neighborhood library, the RedFest_Redentore comes alive tomorrow with the Education Festival.

RedFest is an initiative dedicated to community building that offers books, meetings, round tables, moments of play, entertainment and discussion on issues of legality and a large street party aimed at the whole city starting from a symbolic place in the Libertà district, Piazza del Redentore. Among the precious events of this long week, a vigil and a votive mass for the Blessed Rosario Livatino, the Sicilian judge killed at a very young age by the mafia, beatified in May 2021 and of whom a relic will be present in Bari.

In collaboration with local associations and city schools, the rich RedFest program was curated by the coordination group of the Salesian Opera, led by Don Pasquale Martino.

Coming then to the program, tomorrow, Friday 19 May, from 18 pm, Piazza del Redentore will come alive with the great Education Festival, now in its second edition and made possible thanks to the lively collaboration of numerous local associations. The mayor Antonio Decaro, the councilors Paola Romano and Francesca Bottalico and the president of the 19st Municipality Lorenzo Leonetti will also be there to greet the community, expected at XNUMXpm.

In a long afternoon of activities, creative workshops, games, reflections and discussions will be offered: among many, Libera will start creative writing experiences starting from words of legality; Alumni Mathematica games to spread the culture of STEM disciplines; the Caps cooperative will be present with its street unit for the simulation of drunk driving; the Cnos Fap stand will provide information on training and professional orientation; Tou play will liven up the square with traditional games of the past; Retake will return with its actions dedicated to reuse in particular in the game and - once again - will clean up the square; Slow Food will let children get their hands on pasta so they can prepare their own orecchiette, Avanzi Popolo will prepare extracts with surplus fruit and vegetables in collaboration with operators from the market of the former tobacco factory in the Libertà neighbourhood; Save the children will illustrate the document relating to the UN convention on the rights of the child.

The associations and entities participating in the Education Festival are: Cnos Fap-Vocational training centre, Laboratorio Don Bosco Oggi, Insieme day centre, the socio-educational center The boys of Don Bosco, the APS Piccoli passi, Alumni Mathematica, Retake Bari , Libera Puglia, Avanzi Popolo, Marancio, Slow Food, Spazio 13, Burdi, Mamme Contatto, Opera San Nicola, Tou Play, Help, Gruppo Eduriamoci alla pace, San Nicola volunteer service centre, Punto luce Save the children, Mamma happy , Casa Shalom-Caps, Freedom Family Service Center.

The program for Saturday 20 May includes: at 10 am "Agorà", discussion for the recognition of the professional figure of the youth worker; at 19pm the show “Sola contro la mafia” with Arianna Gambaccini, directed by Vito d'Ingeo of the Teatrermitage company, based on the book by Francesco Minervini “Non la battere. Alone against the mafia” (La Meridiana editions); at 20.30pm “Dr. Why Quiz and Oratorian Pub”, quiz evening and prizes in the Oratory courtyard for young people and families.

Sunday 21 May, at 20pm, “Redentore's got talent” is scheduled, an artistic competition for children, young people and adults; in the evening the reception of the relics of the Blessed Rosario Livatino, while due to the dubious weather forecasts the "Family Festival", with inflatables, games and stands, has been postponed to Sunday 28 May at 10.00 am.

The program of events is packed on the days of the anniversary of the Capaci massacre.

Monday 22 May begins at 9 am with the meeting with primary and lower secondary schools (“Don Bosco”, “Salvati”, “Garibaldi – Principessa di Piemonte”). At the center of the meeting is education on legality, with the intervention of Don Gero Manganello of the Diocese of Agrigento who will focus on recounting the figure and commitment against the mafia of Rosario Livatino. At 12, the relics of Blessed Livatino will be welcomed at the Palace of Justice, with a moment of discussion coordinated by the President of the Court of Appeal Francesco Cassano.

In the afternoon, at 17.30 pm, the round table "Believers and credible", whose chosen title is inspired by the words spoken by Livatino "We will not be asked how much we have been believers, but credible". Speakers will include the regional councilor for Welfare Rosa Barone, the municipal councilor for Legality Vito Lacoppola, the magistrate Giannicola Sinisi, the mayor of Andria Giovanna Bruno and Don Angelo Cassano, representative of Libera Puglia, who will then preside over the mass in the evening, at 19.30 pm votive of Blessed Livatino.

Tuesday 23 May we begin at 9 am with the meeting with the secondary schools ("Bianchi Dottula" and "Scacchi"): the children will focus on a discussion on legality and juvenile deviance with the magistrate Michele Parisi, Don Gero Manganello and with Patrizia Lotito, head of the Community 16 August.

At 15 pm, in the "Don Bosco" neighborhood library, an afternoon dedicated to training for educators, teachers and animators with "RedLAB_experiences and creativity techniques". The trainers Anna D'Attolico, Cinzia Ponticelli, Immacolata Barile and Marina Greco will lead the workshops.

At 19 pm the prayer vigil "Sub tutela Dei" for the young people of the Diocese of Bari and the Salesian Youth Movement; finally at 20.00 pm the day ends with the musical show in the square “MòMò Murga”.

The long week of RedFest will end on Wednesday 24 May with the celebrations for Mary Help of Christians, a holy mass at 19pm and the procession of Mary Help of Christians at 19.30pm.