HUMANISM CENTERED EDUCATION Langenselbold-Germania FOR A PEACEFUL EUROPE Langenselbold-Germania 25-31 Marzo 2017

I’m a volunteer in Red Cross activities I’m a volunteer in Red Cross activities. I took part to two rescue operations during the landing of refugees that cross the Mediterranean Channel between Africa and Sicily. I did it twice, at Sicilian southern coast near Agrigento and at Lampedusa Island. I was charged to look after the children. My task was to dress them with warm dried clothes as they were soaked and also I treated their sores. The most difficult job was to make them play, as they are immensely unhappy. In spite of their grief, I succeeded in making them enjoy. I saw a lot of children in despair that looked for but couldn’t find their parents and I saw many of them crying in front of their dead parents.

The most moving fact has been when I saw two brothers recognizing each other and meeting again. They started crying. I was about to cry too. It is a really heart- rendering experience watching children crying in front of their dead parents. They are utterly in despair and you feel you can do so little to console children that have lost everything. After one of this operation, a volunteer of my group has adopted a child because it is the only generous action that can help these orphans. These experiences have been so sad and distressing that I don’t feel up to see again these scenes. I hope that wars and misery will stop.