On November 29th and 30th, Rome hosts ‘Cities for Life – Cities Against the Death Penalty’, a two-day event dedicated to the campaign that supports the abolition of the death penalty all over the world.
The abolition of death penalty is one of the areas of global commitment of Community Sant’Egidio. Being an extreme summary of the human rights’ violations, death penalty represents a form of torture. It contradicts the rehabilitation vision of justice, legitimates violence and perpetuates it. It often becomes instrument to hit political, ethnic or religious minorities. Moreover, when a State kills in the name of the law, it lowers the level of its legislative system to the level of those who kill.
On November 29th, at 5:00 PM, an International Conference will be held at the Protomoteca Hall in Campidoglio.
The programme includes speeches by:
- Roberto Gualtieri, Mayor of Rome
- Mario Marazziti, Community of Sant’Egidio
- Emile G. R. Nakombo, Mayor of Bangui – Central African Republic
- Fatime Zara Douga, Mayor of Ndjamena – Chad
- Gary Drinkard, exonerated from death row in Alabama – USA
- Suzana Norlihan Binti Alias, anti-death penalty activist – Malaysia
On November 30th, at 6:00 PM, the Colosseum will be lit up for a world without the death penalty. Participants at the ceremony will include:
- Marco Impagliazzo, President of the Community of Sant’Egidio
- Miguel Gotor, Municipality of Rome Councilor for Culture
- Fatime Zara Douga, Mayor of Ndjamena – Chad
- Gary Drinkard, exonerated from death row in Alabama – USA
Both events will be live-streamed on this website.
