Sometimes we are given the opportunity to speak about something that is not only important, but vital to other lives. When I asked some friends if there was anything at all I could do to draw attention to the on-going and ever-present need in L'Aquila, Italy - I was told to do what I know best - to write and remind people that despite the passage of a year - the rebuilding of this amazing city is still in the infant stages.
Italy is not a struggling third world country, but that does not mean it hurts less when not only the land itself is torn apart, but the wonderful people of this special country are lost to death. There were small villages destroyed entirely when the 6.3 magnitude quake hit on the 6th of April, 2009 - the losses suffered are heart-breaking. Those still without homes are in the range of 48,000. Even the pets are homeless, so many of them orphans because their people have died, or simply been forced to leave them behind.
Many of you know Riccardo Foresi through me, his music will soon be heard by everyone, I'm sure... I turned to Riccardo when I was asked to do this special article. This was close to his home, and I knew he'd lived that terrible night firsthand. He was gracious, as he always is, and he helped me to write.... if you click on the image above, you will see what he has to say, and what I learned in my research. You will meet the special people who own the site Life In Abruzzo, Abruzzo being the province where L'Aquila is. Read this, it's important - and then tell others. ALL donations, however small, they make a difference - remembering makes a difference because these courageous and beautiful people then know they have not been forgotten by the rest of the world. People have to care...
This is from the Life In Abruzzo site - reposted here with full permission:
The story of L’Aquila should be kept in the news and pressure applied onto both local Abruzzo and Italy’s national governing bodies for restoring or offering serious, viable alternatives in housing for the people whose homes have been completely lost. Drifting & corruption issues haven’t got 48,810 people who were assisted away from their L’Aquila homes still very far in the past year apart from the erection of wall-to-wall scaffolding, whilst 16,641 have been re-housed at this time in temporary accommodation.
You don’t need to be a descendant or have even visited L’Aquila or one of the local villages to support the rebuild; yes it is in a developed country within Europe, but in the same way that we support NGOs rebuilding developing nations the same support & pressure on the Italian government to keep their promise should be applied to L’Aquila.
So, remember, and do what you can to make a difference, however small a thing it may seem.
Italy is not a struggling third world country, but that does not mean it hurts less when not only the land itself is torn apart, but the wonderful people of this special country are lost to death. There were small villages destroyed entirely when the 6.3 magnitude quake hit on the 6th of April, 2009 - the losses suffered are heart-breaking. Those still without homes are in the range of 48,000. Even the pets are homeless, so many of them orphans because their people have died, or simply been forced to leave them behind.
Many of you know Riccardo Foresi through me, his music will soon be heard by everyone, I'm sure... I turned to Riccardo when I was asked to do this special article. This was close to his home, and I knew he'd lived that terrible night firsthand. He was gracious, as he always is, and he helped me to write.... if you click on the image above, you will see what he has to say, and what I learned in my research. You will meet the special people who own the site Life In Abruzzo, Abruzzo being the province where L'Aquila is. Read this, it's important - and then tell others. ALL donations, however small, they make a difference - remembering makes a difference because these courageous and beautiful people then know they have not been forgotten by the rest of the world. People have to care...
This is from the Life In Abruzzo site - reposted here with full permission:
The story of L’Aquila should be kept in the news and pressure applied onto both local Abruzzo and Italy’s national governing bodies for restoring or offering serious, viable alternatives in housing for the people whose homes have been completely lost. Drifting & corruption issues haven’t got 48,810 people who were assisted away from their L’Aquila homes still very far in the past year apart from the erection of wall-to-wall scaffolding, whilst 16,641 have been re-housed at this time in temporary accommodation.
You don’t need to be a descendant or have even visited L’Aquila or one of the local villages to support the rebuild; yes it is in a developed country within Europe, but in the same way that we support NGOs rebuilding developing nations the same support & pressure on the Italian government to keep their promise should be applied to L’Aquila.
So, remember, and do what you can to make a difference, however small a thing it may seem.
Slow Food has launched an international fundraising effort to assist the victims of the Abruzzo earthquake.
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