On the 21 of September was UWC Day and Peace one Day. UWCAD celebrated this day as follows:
We stood up early in the morning and went to Trieste (a town nearby the college) by bus.
We visited the only concentration camp in Italy with crematorium, the KZ Riviera di San Sabba. The Nazis killed in this concentration camp Jews but mainly partigiani and anti-fascist. It was hard for me, my Germany CoYear and our SecondYears from Germany and Austria to touch our national flag in the afternoon after seeing this place in the morning, especially as we found a map of all concentration camps and seeing our home towns listed. I didn't even know that the town where I'm living had one.
At lunchtime, we went to Parco San Giovanni where a mental asylum was hosted. It was the birth place of a national and international revolution. Franco Basaglia who was a director in the mental health hospital strongly believed in the need to treat people with mental illnesses in a more humane manner. It was really interesting to hear something about this revolution and to see the people who are still working and living there.
After the visits we went back to the college and ate lunch. We dressed up and went back to Trieste were we present many dances, songs and did picture. We had a lot of fun and all the rehearsals (Waltz at 22:00 at least twice a week...) and stress really paid of. It was amazing. In the evening we all were really tired but happy.
The next day our wonderful second years organised a conference. The Youth Inspiring Change Conference. Before we went to the location in Trieste (a school), we did a really important picture. I don't know if you have ever heard about Giulio Regeni. He was a UWC Alumni who was tortured and killed in Egypt because he demonstrated against the government. His family still does not know the whole story behind his death. They came to the college with some of his best friends, and they went by bike to Rome and to deliver a letter demanding the clarification of their son and friend death.
At the conference we all participated at two workshops. A second year of mine, who survived the Yazidi Genocide told his story and it was extremely touching. The girl who got a Nobel Prize two weeks ago (she also survived the genocide and was captured by ISIS) went to the same school as he did.
After his presentation I went to one about the Palestinian- Israeli conflict, done by two second years -one from Palestine and one from Israel. It was interesting to here the different perspectives.
The last workshop was about migration and integration. We have been looking for projects to integrate refugees more in the community.
As conclusion, I can say that the conference and Peace One Day were really intense but also instructive and full of UWC spirit.
