In an era in which bullying and baby gangs are real social emergencies, a response has arrived from the province that aims to reverse this trend, touching the goodwill of the new generations.
This explains the kindness department, inaugurated by the small municipality of Montebello Vicentino.
The mayor decided to assign the delegation to a female colleague from the council, Mirka Pellizzaro, renamed 'the councilor for kindness'.
It is the first time in an Italian municipality.
Before this, Pellizzaro had already received mandates for education, social issues, youth policies and gender equality from mayor Dino Magnabosco.
"Being kind - explains Pelllizzaro - is a simple but powerful gesture, certainly capable of creating an impact on our mental health and on the relationships we maintain. It should be taken for granted, but this is not always the case. With my role we simply hope to give the good example".
Mirka Pellizzaro works as a social-health worker.
"I work in structures and at home, so I know suffering and discomfort" she says, underlining that the new task she was assigned "is significant, because in everyday life having respect is already a way of being kind, and kindness includes also loving not only people, but also nature, the environment and ourselves".
The councilor will take a first step by integrating "the collaboration between the nursery school and the retirement home for the elderly" with an initiative aimed at children so that, accompanied by their teachers, they go to visit their grandfathers and grandmothers who are guests of the retirement homes, to have a snack together.
"But we also plan to involve the town's associations in other initiatives related to the environment - he continues - People live well in our area, the statistics also say so: it is a municipality where significant episodes of violence or serious events have never occurred" .
In Montebello, observes Pelizzaro, "all foreign citizens are integrated, they work in local companies and have their families here. As education councilor I can say that there is an open dialogue with them, also because the Municipality provides a series of services that their objective is to live well together at all levels".
"In Montebello - concludes Mayor Magnabosco - there is a very consolidated educational and social fabric, which will certainly be able to positively welcome the stimuli coming from the kindness department, to aim to become a country free from all forms of violence".
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