Towards the PerugiAssisi March October 12, 2025: Imagine all the people
The PerugiAssisi March for peace and fraternity will take place on October 12, 2025, organised by Fondazione PerugiAssisi per la Cultura della Pace, in collaboration with Coordinamento Nazionale Enti Locali per la Pace e i Diritti Umani and Rete Nazionale delle Scuole per la Pace. The theme around which the march will be built is "Imagine all the people," an invitation to envision a supportive, just, and inclusive society where people can live together in peace, and where individualism, violence, and the increasing militarization that characterise the current society no longer find space.
The project aims to support the training of young peace builders, expand mobilization against wars and against militarization and rearmament, stimulate reflection on the motivations and duties of individual citizens and institutions that resolutely demand peace, and develop the Peace Project that does not yet exist.
To achieve these objectives and create a "Cantiere di pace e di futuro" in every city, a four-step path has been organized, culminating in the March on October 12. The first initiative, held on March 1, 2025, was the Day of Care for People and the Planet, dedicated to promoting the culture of care, in which numerous Italian schools participated.
This will be followed by the Peace Festival, which will take place between April 25 and May 9, 2025, in a diffuse manner throughout Italy, with grassroots events aimed at raising awareness in society about the need to take action against wars and rearmament, on the concept of "positive" peace, that is a peace based on non-violence, rejection of war, recognition and respect for the rights of all living beings, and the development of a conscience, culture, and politics of peace.
Finally, in Perugia from October 6 to 11, the VIII Assembly of the UN of Peoples (October 9-11) and numerous side meetings throughout Italy (October 6-9) are planned, a true exercise in global citizenship and democratic participation. On this occasion, entities belonging to global civil society, always involved in promoting human rights, peace, justice, and in the fight against poverty, violence, and human and environmental exploitation, will gather to contribute to the international mobilization in defense of the International Criminal Court and against impunity, and in safeguarding the UN, with the aim of rethinking its structure in a more democratic key and strengthening its capacity for action. In this regard, the "Adotta un Popolo" project has been launched, in which municipalities, provinces, and regions have been called upon to invite and host a representative of a people.
Participation in the Promoting Committee is open to everyone. Individuals, groups, schools, and local authorities can join by filling out the dedicated form, while for municipalities, a draft resolution is available for joining the March and the UN of Peoples Assembly.
The University of Padova, always present at the PerugiAssisi March, will participate again this year, involving students, researchers, staff, and faculty. In this regard, in the coming months, the Human Rights Center will organise a meeting open to the academic community on the organizational aspects of participation.