Fraternity and public administrations

Capodrise (Italy) – Angelo Crescente and Emilio Donnarumma are, respectively, the mayor and city clerk of a city of the South of Italy, an area that is not easy to manage and has an image in the collective national and even international mind associated with corruption and organised crime. Emilio – who has decades of experience in public administration and is a convinced promoter of the values ​​of brotherhood and participation in politics – since 2011 is at Angelo’s side, who was elected mayor that year. They share with other friends of the Focolare values ​​of fraternity also in the political sphere and want to give themselves for their own people, guaranteeing the possibility of respect for the principles of legality in the interpretation of the law.

Among the most urgent tasks that await them, is the revision of the municipal budgets that are in serious deficit. Refusing shortcuts, as well as the temptation to blame the failures of previous administrations, they choose to build the future of their city along with all the political forces and with all the citizens. “These efforts were rewarded with a good result for the town council and good relations with our counterparts,” says Angelo.

Then there was the case of a group of families that saw their houses taken from them because they had not been built with proper planning permission. This time Emilio tells the story: “Although they had built illegally, we could not refuse the request for help of these people who would have been abandoned in the middle of the road. We looked for a way within the law for them to have their houses back. The solution was found by the regional administration that, at that particular time, passed a law allowing the return of possession (though not ownership) of the houses themselves. ”

Nothing out of the ordinary for those involved in local government, it could be thought; but it is true that there are many different ways of doing things. Emilio and Angelo have chosen the “method” of fraternity: “First of all we try to live this among ourselves – Emilio concludes – it is a daily effort that requires commitment but if lived with consistency is far-reaching, even beyond our city limits.”

Salto (State of Sao Paulo – Brazil) – Milta Alves Ribeiro Maron is the town councillor for education of her city, and still remembers vividly the eve of the Ninth Congress on Education organized last year in her town. Outside the windows of her office winds of war blew, or more precisely of protest by teachers, students and school employees, against the anti-waste and privileges campaign that the town council was carrying out.

“The congress consisted of three days of conferences, workshops and mini-courses and we were wondering if we’d ever be able to do it, because of the threat of protests. Some of my colleagues advised me to cancel everything in order to avoid any danger to the mayor or to myself.” Milta continues, “The presence of Maria Luisa, my co-worker who shares with me the vision of a policy based on fraternity, gave me the strength to act in respect for all: that of the public administration who had organized the conference, but also the right of the protesters to protest for their own ideas. ”

Milta confesses that in those days she also strengthened her relationship with God and with those collaborators who share her political values, working together on the opening speech of the conference that she was due to give. “I wanted it to be tuned in to the values of universal brotherhood, for the common good.”

On the morning of the conference Milta arrived on foot, practically “escorted” by many who wanted to show her their support. And despite the presence of the protesters there was no violence. The speech was greeted with some booing, but ended with the applause of all.

“A speech – explains Milta – which marked the beginning of a change. I was able to talk with the teachers, listen to their problems and this triggered a relationship of trust between us. At the end of the conference we all felt like winners, or rather, fraternity had won.”

Source: www.umanitanuova.org