Fundraising by Franz

Here in the Lagorai mountain range in Trentino, the dialect expression “è una Palestina” refers to a truly fertile, fantastic place.

When I went there, I discovered that this is truly the case.

A magical land to which farmers and shepherds have such a strong bond that they draw strength from it—a surprising desire to live peacefully among boundless hills where anything can flourish.

At times, it felt as if I were right in the middle of a nativity scene—too bad it’s an occupied one.

For a long time now, in fact, the only thing left without borders has been the starry sky. Under the occupation, the daily lives of these families consist of the demolition of homes and villages, arrests, and violent attacks by soldiers and settlers—armed with machine guns and iron bars—even against children, whom they often try to prevent from going to school if the route requires passing near settlements or outposts.

I had the opportunity to visit with Operazione Colomba, the Nonviolent Peace Corps of the Pope John XXIII Community, which has maintained a continuous presence there since 2004 to support these Palestinian communities in their daily resistance.

Recently, the situation has worsened further: the settlers, authorized to use the weapons they have been given, are acting—in a wave of extreme violence—in a climate of virtual impunity, attacking and, sadly, even killing local residents and destroying their villages.

An international presence is the last guarantee of some form of security to defend those who simply want to live on their own land.

That is why it is necessary to support the nonviolent resistance of Youth of Sumud and the Palestinian people.

SUMUD means perseverance, steadfastness in a life of nonviolent yet active, vibrant, and vital resistance.

An individual and collective value: to exist in order to resist.

Standing by their side therefore means rejecting the practices of confinement that humiliate, degrade, divide the rich and poor worlds, and lead to deportations and conditions of extreme precariousness.

Standing with those who seek to free themselves from all of this helps us trust that it is possible to change this fate.

Thank you for your support!