The Francesca Rava Foundation was founded in Milan in 2000 and represents in Italy the association Nuestros Pequenos Hermanos, founded in Mexico in 1954 and active in 9 countries in Latin America. The Francesca Rava Foundation is involved in the creation of new alliances with the city of Milan to prevent and deal with youth discomfort and activate a responsible educating community. In this context, the “palla al centro” (ball in the centre) project is part of an agreement with the Juvenile Court of Milan and the Juvenile Justice Centre of Lombardy, aimed at restorative justice, focusing on the promotion of the well-being of minors, who have entered the criminal circuit, through the implementation of projects aimed at their re-education and social, educational and work reintegration.
The Italian project is linked to the one started in Mexico by Father William Wasson, who started to manage the fostering of children arrested and detained in prison for stealing food. For 67 years, the Mexican association has rescued thousands of street children who have become autonomous and responsible citizens, providing them with medical care, a healthy diet, education but above all love, attention and security, a job and rules to follow. This recovery of street children is based on the five secular principles of love, responsibility, work, sharing, and voluntary service to help others. Erich Fromm studied the experience of the NPH method and consequently modified the conclusions of his 1970 treatise on human destructiveness.
This method also characterises in substance all the activities of the Milanese Foundation, in which great importance is given to individual attention, to listening and empathy offered to children and minors and to the self-confidence that derives from it.
The fundamental principles that are shared with these children and young people are as follows:
The definition of the “ball in the centre” project derives from the restart of the game after a goal in football.
The objectives concretely pursued are the restoration of the gym, changing rooms and the water system of the toilets in the prison; transfer of knowledge and skills and educational and sports activity programme; creation of a bridge inside and outside the prison to facilitate reintegration.
The 38 young people involved in the project will soon be joined by an equal number of girls currently housed in the Pontremoli prison.
Particular attention will be paid to art workshops, perceived as a healing discipline, computer, digital and graphic design courses, first aid courses, identifying one’s own talents, and courses on education to legality.
The “palla al centro” project was officially presented by the Foundation on 22 July 2021 in Milan.
Have a look at FFR – PROGETTO PALLA AL CENTRO for further information.
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