Law and Environment: Summer School 2014

30 students, from Kenya, Angola, Congo, Portugal, Spain, Italy. Cary, from Angola, studies law at Lisbon. On last morning,  she was the first of a series of impressions and ideas: “I would like to say to each of you ” Don’t go down”. If we manage to maintain a healthy and honest mind, full of love for those in need, then we will fulfil our dream.” Federico, from Italy, gave an excellent summary of the results of the school: “After this Summer school it’s clear that you can’t practice law in isolation; a comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach is needed in order to deal with environmental issues.”

The 4-day conference, 26^th to 29^th July, explored the theme of  legal protection of the natural environment, threatened in various ways in different parts of the world. Studying together with teachers from legal and environmental disciplines, brought out the sense of communion with the environment around us, which each participant experienced in a very real way, so much so that everyone felt the need to protect it. This awareness united all the participants in the school, beyond their different origins and backgrounds, in the need to defend the integrity of nature and built a brotherhood between all the participants. This led to the conviction  that pursuing the protection of the environment in the whole world together is a concrete, sure and effective way to achieve peace and brotherhood.

Marc’Angela from Congo felt that he should get involved personally: “I cannot hold back anymore. I want to work with a group of young people in my country, who are already involved in an NGO, so that we can work together to save the environment. Being here, I realized that the mistakes that we are currently making in my country are the same ones that were made many years ago in Italy and now I see the consequences. We have to learn and get involved, even at a personal cost.”

“What made these days unforgettable was  the relationships: we must learn to transfer this lifestyle to our daily life. This was not my first meeting of this kind, but what strikes me every time is the atmosphere of universal love, “said Michela, from Italy.

“Going home, I want to commit myself to change things around me. I’m just a drop in the ocean, but I think that with this drop I can make a difference,” explained Eva Maria from Kenya.

“I’m leaving with  great intentions: to participate actively, to live for others. I was delighted to come here because at the end of these meetings I’m no longer a Neapolitan or an Italian, but a citizen of the world. Here with you I live brotherhood “(Maria)

The next event will be the International Congress (13^th  to 15^th  November 2015 in Castel Gandolfo), but – concluded the young people, “We want to arrive there as protagonists, having prepared it together.”