In early September, Arci Solidarietà, the lead association of Words of Europe - the project supported by the European Commission through the CERV (Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values) program, an initiative that brings together different cultural, social and journalistic actors with the aim of bringing political language closer to the language of art, thus making the debate on the future direction of Europe more accessible and engaging - made its contribution to the National and International Federalist Seminar in Ventotene, a crucial event to discuss the future of Europe. To fully understand the importance of this event, it is essential to take a step back in history and recall the context in which the Ventotene Manifesto was born.

For a Free and United Europe. Progetto d'un manifesto was originally drafted by Altiero Spinelli and Ernesto Rossi in 1941, when together with other anti-fascists they were confined to the island of Ventotene in the Tyrrhenian Sea: other internees contributed to the discussions that led to the definition of the text. At the time of the drafting of the text, about 800 people were confined on the island, 500 classified as communists, 200 as anarchists and the remainder predominantly giellini and socialists.

Originally divided into four chapters, the Manifesto was later circulated clandestinely thanks to a few women, including Ursula Hirschmann and Ada Rossi, who brought it to the continent from the island of Ventotene and made it known to opposition circles in Rome and Milan. Today, more than eighty years later, the message of Ventotene continues to be a beacon for those who believe in a united, democratic and future-oriented Europe. It is in this context that the Words of Europe project fits.

During the National and International Federalist Seminar in Ventotene, held on September 6 and 7, 2023, Arci Solidarietà played a central role through the setting up of the "Words of Europe" info-point. This initiative involved seminar participants in collecting key words, opinions and proposals regarding the future of Europe, in view of the 2024 European elections. These valuable contributions will be shared with the candidates and used to further enrich the "Words of Europe" project.

Another significant step taken by Arci Solidarietà was the creation of a "Words of Europe" scholarship. This scholarship enabled a group of seminar participants led by Edoardo Pecene, winner of the call for ambassadors, to take part in the event without having to bear the cost of participation. "The Europe that I imagine, and that I would like, in addition to being federal, democratic and at peace, is a Europe that is virtuous in more ways than one," explained Edoardo, "with a continental welfare system capable of concretely helping citizens in difficulty, that knows how to speak to everyone and not only to insiders, that is inclusive in all meanings, attentive to the environment and with an eye to the next generations, a Europe therefore capable of looking to the future, starting to build it today, that overcomes short-sighted national interests and thinks of the good of all and everyone".

Arci Solidarietà actively participated sharing the content and goals of the Words of Europe also in the event featuring pianist Francesco Taskayali on September 5, who presented his original pieces inspired by images, stories and travels, the result of an artistic residency in Ventotene and his experiences as a volunteer in the Mediterranean on quarantine ships.

In conclusion, Arci Solidarity's commitment to the Europe of the future is rooted in Ventotene's past and manifested today through concrete initiatives that engage European citizens in building a better Europe. The vision of a united and common good-oriented Europe expressed in the Ventotene Manifesto continues to inspire new generations to work for a more inclusive, sustainable and democratic future for all European citizens.