L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2025 www.italoamericano.org 10 L'Italo-Americano press played a crucial role in amplifying the protest, and the public outcry forced the government to intervene. One of the first and most urgent projects undertaken as a result was the construc- tion of a proper sewage sys- tem. Dolci's activism led to his arrest in 1956 when he sup- ported a "reverse strike" by unemployed workers in Par- tinico, another town in the P a l e r m o a r e a . I n s t e a d o f protesting idly, the workers took it upon themselves to repair an abandoned munic- ipal road. His nonviolent resistance gained the sup- p o r t o f i n f l u e n t i a l l e g a l scholars like Piero Calaman- d r e i , a n d e v e n p r o m p t e d parliamentary discussions. H i s t r i a l s a w a p a r a d e o f p r o m i n e n t c u l t u r a l a n d political figures testifying in his defense, including Gior- gio La Pira, Renato Guttuso, Bertrand Russell, Alberto began urging contemporary p o l i t i c i a n s t o f o c u s t h e i r a t t e n t i o n o n t h e p a r t s o f Sicily most in need of devel- opment and reform. His fight against unem- ployment, illiteracy, endem- ic hunger, and the mafia was always nonviolent, centered on the fundamental rights of human dignity and civil jus- tice. It was for this commit- m e n t , a n d h i s p e a c e f u l approach to activism, that he earned the nickname "the Italian Gandhi." S o o n a f t e r m o v i n g t o T r a p p e t o i n 1 9 5 2 , D o l c i staged his first act of nonvi- olent protest. On October 14, a young boy, Benedetto Barretta, died of malnutri- tion. In response, Dolci lay on the child's bed and began a hunger strike, vowing that if he died of starvation, oth- e r s w o u l d t a k e h i s p l a c e until the authorities finally a d d r e s s e d t h e e x t r e m e poverty in the region. The M o r a v i a , E n z o S e l l e r i o , E r i c h F r o m m , a n d J e a n - Paul Sartre, among others. Danilo Dolci received sev- eral awards, including the L e n i n P r i z e f r o m R u s s i a , though he openly stated he was not a communist. He u s e d t h e p r i z e m o n e y t o establish the Center for Full Employment. H e p a s s e d a w a y o n December 30, 1997, and was buried in Trappeto, where he remains today. O n J u n e 2 8 , 2 0 2 4 , t h e centenary of his birth was c o m m e m o r a t e d , y e t f e w s e e m t o r e m e m b e r t h i s d e t e r m i n e d y e t p e a c e f u l man who never resorted to violence and firmly believed in nonviolent protest. He was also a teacher, and his approach was reminiscent of Socratic maieutics—helping children and young people bring out their own abilities rather than imposing knowl- e d g e f r o m a b o v e , w h i c h would inevitably be forgot- ten. His goal was to nurture growth and help each indi- vidual develop their poten- tial, shaping the future gen- eration. Sicilian journalist, writer, a n d f o r m e r e l e m e n t a r y s c h o o l t e a c h e r G i u s e p p e Maurizio Piscopo sought to honor Dolci, whom he con- siders a fellow countryman, with a book published on J u l y 2 0 , 2 0 2 4 , i n t h e Officine series by Navarra Editore. The book features a preface by Salvatore Ferlita, i l l u s t r a t i o n s b y T i z i a n a Viola-Massa, and contribu- tions from Piscopo himself as well as those who stood alongside Dolci in his strug- g l e s . T h e a f t e r w o r d w a s w r i t t e n b y D o l c i ' s s o n , Amico. The book also includes the sheet music for Spine Sante, a musical tribute to Dolci composed by Piscopo. Its title, Ci hanno nascosto Danilo Dolci ("They Have Hidden Danilo Dolci"), car- ries a tone of accusation, pointing to the lack of recog- nition for his work and the books he wrote. One could even add a question mark to the title, as if waiting—per- haps in vain—for an answer. moved there. Born in 1924, he had lived in various parts of Italy due to his father's job with the national rail- way. At a time when Trap- peto was among the poorest areas in Sicily, he chose to settle there, determined to contribute to its community and improve living condi- tions. During the Fascist years, he had already shown his resistance. He didn't just tear down regime propagan- da posters—he went further. In 1943, when wearing the uniform of the Italian Social Republic was mandatory, he refused. Like many others, he tried to cross the front l i n e b u t w a s a r r e s t e d i n Genoa. He later managed to escape and found refuge in a shepherd's home in a small village in the Abruzzo Apen- nines. B y t h e 1 9 5 0 s , D a n i l o Dolci, driven by his humani- tarian but secular vision, D a n i l o D o l c i w a s n ' t S i c i l - i a n , b u t h e spent most of his life in Sici- ly and earned the nickname "the Italian Gandhi." He lived in Trappeto, where he is also buried. Trappeto, a small town in the province of Palermo, is about 38 miles (60 kilome- ters) from the city. It boasts a beautiful beach along the Gulf of Castellammare and has been chosen as a filming location for several movies featuring acclaimed direc- tors and actors. One of the most notable films shot in t h e a r e a i s I c e n t o p a s s i , s t a r r i n g L u i g i L o C a s c i o , which tells the story of Pep- pino Impastato. Impasta- to, the son of a local mafioso, openly denounced organized crime through his indepen- dent radio station. Broad- casting from Partinico, near T r a p p e t o , h e u s e d l o u d - speakers in the streets to p u b l i c l y a c c u s e G a e t a n o B a d a l a m e n t i — w h o m h e mockingly called Tano sedu- to — of his crimes, humiliat- ing the powerful mafia boss. Impastato was murdered for his defiance. Trappeto has a long histo- ry, dating back to the 14th century when it was founded near the Partenia forest, a royal hunting ground used by Frederick II of Aragon. The town's name, Trappe- tum cannamelarum, comes from the sugar mill estab- l i s h e d t h e r e i n 1 4 8 0 b y w e a l t h y e n t r e p r e n e u r Francesco Bologna. The m i l l b r o u g h t p r o s p e r i t y through much of the 16th century, but the town was a b a n d o n e d i n t h e e a r l y 1600s. It wasn't until the late 1 8 t h c e n t u r y t h a t p e o p l e returned and took up grape c u l t i v a t i o n . B y t h e e a r l y 1800s, the population had settled around the Church of t h e A n n u n z i a t a . T o d a y , Trappeto is an agricultural h u b , w i t h f i s h i n g a n d tourism as its main indus- tries. Originally a hamlet of B a l e s t r a t e , i t b e c a m e a n independent municipality on June 24, 1954. However, Trappeto is not famous for its medieval past, its tourism, or its agricul- t u r e . I t s n a m e b e c a m e known in 1952, when a man from Trieste, originally from Sesana (now in Slovenia), TERESA DI FRESCO The legacy of Danilo Dolci: a life of peaceful resistance Danilo Dolci (right) with friends (Photo courtesy of Teresa Di Fresco) LIFE PEOPLE PLACES EVENTS

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