E!State Liberi

Promoter:

Associazione Libera, Italy

Recipients:

Youngsters and Adult People interested in legality

Funding Scheme:

Self-financing and association contributions

Objective:

To spread a culture based on legality and social justice

Description:

E!state Liberi is a cycle of summer camps, launched by an Italian association called Libera. The main aim is to involve national and international volunteers in social work on confiscated lands owned by mafia bosses. Libera (Free), founded by Luigi Ciotti, a Catholic priest, started collecting signatures to spur the Italian parliament to pass a law allowing properties confiscated from people associated with organised crime to be used for ‘socially useful purposes’. The petition, signed by one million people, became law in 1996. Today the main objective of the volunteer camps is to spread a culture based on the rule of law and social justice that can effectively oppose the culture of violence, privilege and blackmail. The experience of labour camps has three moments of diversified activities: agricultural work or confiscated good redevelopment, the training and the relation building with the territory for the intercultural exchange. Usually 90 student-volunteers per week, from June to August, take part in the camps. There is not any special requirement or age limit, so minors are allowed to participate as well. E!State Liberi supports individual but also group mobility. Foreign individuals or groups coordinated by schools, associations or churches are allowed to take part in the initiatives. Foreign groups and individuals from Germany, France, Spain, Switzerland, USA have already taken part in the camps, paying by themselves their mobility. Travel costs are addressed by the participants together with a small participation fee (usually 100 euros per participant). The organization covers living costs, such as food, accommodation, educational activities and trips. The idea of the E!State Liberi founders is that is possible travelling through your own country or leave for another country, learning about legality and intercultural dialogue in the framework of volunteering.

Information:

Libera, Via Quattro Novembre, 98, 00187 Roma, Tel. 06/69770335, Email estateliberi@libera.it-international@libera.it