A thunderous and long applause welcomed the Italian President Sergio Mattarella, at his entrance to Pavilion 8 of the Padua Fair for the inauguration of Padua as the European capital of volunteering 2020.
The President began by bringing “a greeting to this wonderful volunteer room. From today for the whole of 2020, the CSVs with associations will be the protagonists of an active citizenship laboratory “.
The President recalled that “donating one’s time gives confidence for the future. We speak of ancient but always current values: gratuitousness, self-giving, constancy in action. Continuity is an essential trait of volunteering, which is not meant to be occasional. The work of the volunteers is not only about repair. Passion defeats indifference, which begins towards the difficulties of others and which in history has presented itself with cynical presence. Volunteering knows how to express this passion “.
The President did not fail to express concern for Silvia Romano and to remind the boys in the Civil Service, the social cooperatives and in general all the realities of the Third Sector grappling with the challenges related to the Reformation.
In conclusion of his long and passionate speech, Sergio Mattarella urged “to speak to young people, by example, and to involve them is foresight” and reiterated to the volunteers: “The work you do is invaluable. You contribute to making Italy better. “