App-Tab-Inclusione-sociale

Another key area of intervention is our work on social inclusion and tackling economic and educational poverty in the community. We firmly believe that supporting shopkeepers and entrepreneurs in reporting extortion is not enough if we do not also address the underlying poverty and social degradation that fuel widespread illegality and the Mafia’s power structures.

To this end, we promote initiatives focused on social inclusion and urban regeneration, targeting children, teenagers, and families. These activities aim to prevent social hardship and delinquency in the Kalsa district of Palermo while also facilitating access to fundamental rights such as healthcare and housing.

We have implemented:

Educational support programs at our Association’s headquarters, which has also served as a venue for medical check-ups and, during the pandemic, was transformed into a vaccination hub, allowing hundreds of people to get vaccinated who might not have otherwise had the opportunity.
Sports inclusion activities in the neighborhood, providing young people with positive alternatives to street life.
Urban regeneration and exploration projects that reflect a need for change—a desire to break free from the physical and psychological boundaries of a neighborhood that is both a source of pride and, at times, a closed labyrinth for those growing up in Kalsa, where neglect and abandonment remain pressing issues.
Job placement programs that offer young people from the neighborhood the opportunity to learn a trade by working in businesses that are part of Addiopizzo’s network.

Piazza Magione: A Symbolic Place of Change

Addiopizzo has always placed particular emphasis on a location of great symbolic value in Palermo: Piazza Magione.

Here, between 2006 and 2008, we held our first event promoting ethical consumption. In 2016, we developed a playground—a community-funded project born from a participatory design process involving children, local residents, associations, and the “Rita Borsellino” school. This initiative helped strengthen a network of organizations committed to enhancing the area.

The project was made possible through a grassroots fundraising campaign launched by our Association, mobilizing hundreds of citizens. It was a bottom-up effort to reclaim space from neglect and illegality, while also addressing issues of poverty and social marginalization.

From this intervention, a series of social inclusion activities emerged, which we continue to organize with young people and families in the neighborhood, an area deeply affected by economic and educational poverty.

A Ball, A Beginning

It all started with a football, and in the first few months, it was through these moments of play that we began breaking down distrust, introducing rules, and fostering teamwork. Participating in initiatives such as Calciando in rete and Mediterraneo Antirazzista provided valuable opportunities to promote values like respect, solidarity, friendship, and integration.

In October 2019, alongside local social organizations and the “Rita Borsellino” school, we continued our urban regeneration efforts at Piazza Magione by creating a new playground in front of the Ferrara school building—in Palermo, the first public playground funded through private citizen donations.

A Sea of Opportunities

Among the many initiatives held throughout the year in the neighborhood:

Sailing trips in collaboration with the Lega Navale (National Sailing League)
Theater performances at the Teatro Biondo for local children
First flight experiences at the Aeroclub in Boccadifalco
Guided tours of the Teatro Massimo
Sports education programs at the San Basilio gym within the Ferrara school, which we equipped through a fundraising campaign.

These and many other projects are part of our cultural program “Inside and Outside the Piazza: Culture for Everyone”—a series of initiatives designed for children, teenagers, and families with whom we have built meaningful relationships, all of whom have welcomed our work in the neighborhood with enthusiasm.

These activities are created with and for young people, offering them new experiences that spark curiosity, encourage learning, and help them rediscover the joy of sharing spaces, social moments, play, and fun.

This, and so much more, is what lies inside and beyond Piazza Magione and the Kalsa district of Palermo.