Domenici Lucano, Mayor of Riace, was awarded 3rd place in World Mayor 2010
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Comments in support of
Domenico Lucano
Mayor of Riace, Calabria (Italy)
The finalists for the 2010 World Mayor Prize were chosen on the number of nominations received and, more importantly, on the persuasiveness and conviction of supporting statements. Below we publish a representative selection of comments received about Domenico Lucano, Mayor of Riace, Calabria, Italy.Comment: The Mahatma Ghandi of our times (By Florian P)
Comment: I know Domenico Lucano since I was a child and I can say that he is a very good man. I live in Riace and I remember how my village was befor taht Domenico becomes major: I and another girl are the only girls of 1989; and there are only six boys of the same year in Riace Superiore. Now there are many children that live in my village, and when I walking in the country,finally, I can listen the happy voices of the children that play in the streets. The Domenico Lucano's project has been given the life to a little country that seemed dead. I thank you Domenico and I hope in your victory. (By Ada)
Comment: Il Sindaco che ha dedicato 10 anni della sua vita ai profughi e al suo paese. Come base dei suoi principi ci sono l'onestà, l‚uguaglianza sociale, la partecipazione e la trasparenza. Ci vorrebbe un sindaco come Lucano in tutti i paesi del sud Italia, per cominciare a respirare l'aria di sentirsi liberi. (By Vasile C)
Comment: Grazie per presentare al mondo un volto dell'Italia poco cosciuto ma che mostra le più profonde radici della nostra cultura: la solidarietà e la partecipazione! (By Roberto d B}
Comment: Ci sono paesi in Italia dove hanno ancora valore parole come solidarietà e crescita civile, senso della comunità e diritti di cittadinanza, libertà dalla paura e rispetto per i deboli. Conosco i nomi di questi paesi e in alcuni di loro torno ogni anno. Caulonia, Stigliano, Badolato e soprattutto Riace. Sono paesi della Calabria più dura, paesi della costa jonica dove ancora soffia il vento della Magna Grecia, paesi di un territorio chiamato Locride a cui i giornali dedicano spesso spazio ma solo in 'cronaca nera'. Eppure in questa stessa Locride ci sono spazi di civiltà vera che un‚altra Italia, percorsa da spinte razziali e cieco egoismo, ignora. Riace ha scelto per sé la definizione di 'comune dell‚accoglienza'. Riace non respinge i disperati che fuggono dalla fame e dalla guerra. Riace accoglie e trasforma in ricchezza, in opportunità di crescita, ciò che altri temono o reprimono. In un‚Italia che ha inventato il reato di clandestinità per i migranti che sbarcano sulle sue coste in cerca di una vita 'normale', Riace, assieme agli altri comuni dell‚accoglienza, rappresenta un punto di speranza e di vita. Ispiratore di queste cose è Domenico Lucano, il suo sindaco, una persona che ogni giorno si batte per trasformare la sua terra in un luogo di benessere e di civiltà. Domenico Lucano, Mimmo per gli amici, merita senz‚altro di essere votato per il World Mayor Award e Riace tutta merita di essere premiata per le sue scelte. (By Claudio D)
Comment: One of the bravest European mayors. (By Luca)
Comment: i am an emigrant from south Italy to Spain. Thank you for your generosity and your example. (By Marionn)
Comment: I am Italian, and I vote for Domenico because he is the living example that another possibility for my country exist. (By Giovanni from Bari)
Comment: He is a hope for legality in a land devastated by organised crime, and for culture in a country dominated by racism. (By MC)
Comment: He found a brilliant and generous solution to our days biggest problems: global immigration and developing of racism. (By Claudio G)
Comment: This man is risking his own life for an idea(a good one), not common for this land..not at all. "That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind" (By Lucaicoisa)
Comment: The past year, I had the opportunity to visit Riace and to appreciate the wonderful job of Mr Lucano to guest migrants in tissue of his town giving at the same time a new life both to migrants coming from abroad and a place almost depopulated because of past migratiotions. (By Giampiero R)
Comment: Da niente è riuscito a mettere in piedi un'esperienza quasi unica: rivitalizzare i paesi abbandonati ed aiutare stranieri disperati. Speriamo che possa essere d'esempio per altre realtà magari cn maggior aiuto da parte di tutti i paesi europei.
Comment: I met Domenico Lucano three years ago during my summer holidays in Riace. I appreciated every aspect on his political line to protect refugees'human rights in a land so hard! (By Eleonora C)
Comment: For his wonderful, encouraging and brave committment in the Italian town Riace and his signal achievements in giving hope to both immigrants and economically weak areas in "the back of beyond". (By Matthias F)
Comment: Un esempio di integrazione che ha trasformato un problema -gli immigrati- in una risorsa. Da imitare. (By Annamaria R B)
Comment: The German World Cup football team has shown that people from many parts of the world can unite and achieve great things. We believe that Domenici Lucano has done for Italian communities what Joachim Löw has done for German football. (By Klaus, Thomas and Gizzie)
Comment: Lucano ha indicato la strada da seguire per l'accoglienza e l'integrazione
Comment: Sono stata nel suo Comune, Riace, ed ho visto che l'accoglienza è una realtà, insieme al rifiuto totale della mafia e della 'ndrangheta. Mimmo Lucano ha dimostrato che anche in Calabria si può fare ciò che per altri è impensabile, cioè governare bene, mettere in atto comportamenti onesti e voler bene alle persone, da qualunque parte del mondo provengano, rendendo loro possibile la vita in Italia fornendo casa e lavoro. Un grande Sindaco. (By Silvana S)
Comment: Il sindaco che tutti voglion ma solo RIACE ha e se lo tiene stretto. riace città dei bronzi, citta dei santi medici, citta dell'accoglienza, RIACE la citta di Domenico Lucano (By Stilo)
Comment: Nice example of integration among different races of people, recover of traditions and developing of micro-sestenible economy (N'toni).
Comment: "La Calabria è come una madre che ha visto i propri figli partire alla ricerca di un futuro migliore, e ora ne vede tanti altri arrivare alla ricerca di un futuro migliore. E pensa: ora posso riposare tranquilla" -Domenico Lucano (By Vincenzo S)
Comment: I wept when I read about Domenico Lucano's accomplishments (By Mario d A)
Comment: I've met him for the first time in 2009, when someone shot against the door of the restaurant of città futura, the association that manages the welcome of the immigrats and I've started to believe that it is possible to build a better world if we want. I hope Domenico'll win this prize, because he is really a great person. (By S)
Comment: When Domenico Lucano, a humble mayor from southern Italy, had the very practical plan of solving the population decline of his village by inviting refugees from Africa and the Middle East to settle in his community, he didn’t realise that people from across the world would start praying for his idea to succeed. (By Krishn K)
Comment: Riace: the happyness isle of Italy, the dream made reality....all of this thanks to a great person, a great man...Domenico Lucano!!!! (By Maybe The Fate)
Comment: Nice example of integration among different races of people, recover of traditions and developing of micro-sastainable economy. (By N'toni)
Comment: SONO NEL Stata Suo Comune, Riace, a cura di Ho Visto Che l' Accoglienza E UNA Realtà , Insieme al Rifiuto della mafia Totale e della 'ndrangheta . Mimmo Lucano ha dimostrato di Che ANCHE in Calabria Si può fare cio Che per Altri e impensabile , cioe governare bene , mettere in Atto comportamenti Onesti Persone e voler bene alle, da Qualunque Parte del Mondo provengano , rendendo possibile Loro La Vita in Casa Italia e fornendo Lavoro. Un grande Sindaco. (By Silvana S)
Comment: Brillantissimo esempio di amministrazione che cerca una vera integrazione con i migranti. (By Vito)
Comment: Great example for immigrants integration (By Francesco)
Comment: Il sindaco che tutti voglion ma solo RIACE ha e se lo tiene stretto. riace città dei bronzi, citta dei santi medici, citta dell'accoglienza,RIACE la citta di Domenico Lucano. (By Stilo)
Introducing
World Mayor
The City Mayors Foundation, the international think tank on urban affairs, organises the World Mayor Project and awards the World Mayor Prize. The Prize, which has been given since 2004, honours mayors with the vision, passion and skills to make their cities incredible places to live in, work in and visit. The World Mayor Project aims to show what outstanding mayors can achieve and raise their profiles nationally and internationally. Mayors wishing to be considered for the Prize are asked to sign up to the City Mayors Code of Ethics.
The organisers of the World Mayor Project are looking for city leaders who excel in qualities like: leadership and vision, management abilities and integrity, social and economic awareness, ability to provide security and to protect the environment as well as the will and ability to foster good relations between communities from different cultural, racial and social backgrounds. Winners receive the World Mayor Prize, while the first and second runners-up receive the World Mayor Commendation.
Winners and runners-up
2004 to 2010:
In 2004: Winner: Edi Rama (Tirana); Runner-up: Andrés Manuel López Obrador (Mexico City}; In third place - Walter Veltroni (Rome)
In 2005: Winner – Dora Bakoyannis (Athens); Runner-up - Hazel McCallion (Mississauga); In third place - Alvaro Arzú (Guatemala City)
In 2006: Winner – John So (Melbourne); Runner up – Job Cohen (Amsterdam); In third place - Stephen Reed (Harrisburg)
In 2008: Winner – Helen Zille (Cape Town); Runner up - Elmar Ledergerber (Zurich); In third place - Leopoldo López (Chacao)
In 2010: Winner - Marcelo Ebrard (Mexico City); First runner-up - Mick Cornett (Oklahoma City); Second runner-up - Domenico Lucano (Riace)