**ADDIOPIZZO CARD PANEL AND URBAN REGENERATION IN KALSA**
It is not enough to support merchants and entrepreneurs in denouncing extortion if, at the same time, we do not address the urban blight and social decay on which the mafia thrives.
Addiopizzo has always paid particular attention to a place of great symbolic value for the city: Piazza Magione. Located in the heart of the Kalsa district, where the first Critical Consumption Fairs were held, it is a space with great potential but left to neglect and illegality.
In 2015, Addiopizzo launched a civic fundraising campaign called Addiopizzo Card. Through donations and purchases made in businesses of the Pago chi non paga network, a collective investment fund was created. Piazza Magione was chosen as the site for the 25,000 euros collected. The playground that was built, the result of a participatory design process involving children, neighborhood residents, associations, and the “Rita Borsellino” Comprehensive Institute, has radically changed the image of the square. Today, its vast lawn is a playing field where children, athletes, and families gather.
This grassroots initiative aims to reclaim space from neglect and illegality, as well as to attempt to mitigate decay and poverty.
**SOCIAL INCLUSION**
Since 2015, Addiopizzo has expanded its mission to fighting economic and educational poverty. In particular, in the Kalsa district, where Addiopizzo’s headquarters are located, the association works to facilitate access to fundamental rights such as healthcare, education, work, and housing.
To keep young people off the streets in Kalsa, where neglect and abandonment are common, school support and sports inclusion programs are organized in cooperation with the local school.
Activities promoted include sailing trips in collaboration with Lega Navale, performances at the Biondo Theater, first flights at the Boccadifalco Aeroclub, guided tours of the Teatro Massimo, and much more.
To contrast the mafia’s territorial control in the neighborhood, Addiopizzo provides essential services such as free medical visits, setting up a vaccination hub, distributing free meals during the pandemic, and support for obtaining housing.
