Creative Conflict Resolution in Action on the World Stage
Moe begins today's show with his 'Moe-ment of Truth," where he condemns today's decision by the Supreme Court striking down a New York gun law that had restricted 'conceal carry.' He is then joined by Jacopo Bencini, who since 2019 works closely with Rondine - Cittadella della Pace, in the role of Campaign and Advocacy Advisor under the wider Leaders for Peace campaign project. The two discuss Rondine and its incredible work. Rondine - Cittadella della Pace, is a non-profit organization based in Tuscany, Italy. Through its restored medieval hamlet 15 minutes by car from Arezzo, it hosts university students coming from conflict and post-conflict areas from all over the world, especially the Caucasus, the Balkans, the Middle East, West Africa, and South America, together with students from all over the Mediterranean and Italy. Rondine’s approach is based on a methodology developed over more than twenty years of activity, called the Rondine Method for creative conflict resolution. At the core of the Methodology lies the residential experience, living and sharing rooms with the “enemy”, and the deconstruction of the “enemy” itself as a poisonous concept. Rondine’s programs last for one or two years, and – as far as we know – are the longest, globally, in the field of creative peacebuilding. Once back home, all Rondine alumni receive support to implement local impact projects, especially if involving communities from the other side of the border. Rondine’s students understood that this very experience could not remain a small, yet successful experiment in the Tuscan countryside and, in December 2018, went to the United Nations in NYC to launch a global campaign, called 'Leaders for Peace.' Through the campaign, Rondine’s students asked all 193 UN Governments to invest more in peace education and the teaching of human rights in national school systems. So far, the campaign has been endorsed by Italy, Costa Rica, the European Economic and Social Committee, and Pope Francis. In 2021, Rondine gained the status of special observer at the U.N. Economic and Social Council. In April 2022, a delegation of Rondine was received in NYC by U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres, right before his trip to Russia and Ukraine. Rondine is currently opening its horizons overseas and it is looking forward to hosting students from the United States for short residential experiences, building on successful experiences with Canadian universities over past years. Their website is www.rondine.org/en and their Twitter handle is @RondineNobel. Jacopo's handle is @JacopoBencini. Jacopo is an international relations, campaign and advocacy consultant based in Florence, Italy. He has a background in International Relations and several work and research experiences around the world with the European Commission, the African Union Commission, Chatham House, the European Economic and Social Committee, the German Development Institute, and others. He has co-authored studies for the UNFCCC and other intergovernmental institutions. Moreover, he has been Youth Ambassador for the ONE Campaign for three years. You can watch this episode in the following places: Twitter - https://twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1YpKkZNmrBYxj YouTube - https://youtu.be/A1Nq9fJEXms Facebook - https://fb.watch/dQU6LDt_y8/
