“I wanted to give a voice to Syria and suffering to ask everyone not to turn their gaze to the other side.” Elisa sings in a deserted Colosseum, due to the restrictions for the coronavirus, for the ten years of a now forgotten war that continues to claim victims every day, especially children. It is as an ambassador of the non-governmental organization that the artist sends a message to keep attention on the consequences of the conflict: in 2020 alone, 1,454 children were killed or injured; more than 2 million minors left without school in the country, and over 6 million are at risk of hunger.
There is not only war. Syria is now also in the grip of Covid and the economic crisis: why did you decide to commit to this country?
«I have been following the work of Save the Children for years. And scrolling through the posts they publish on Instagram, I realized how much the reality of Syrians is getting harder and harder. They explained to me how in the Northwest of the country, despite the increase in infections, only four additional respirators have arrived and only 212 intensive care places have been set up. So I asked what I could do to help. ”
She was born in Trieste, in a border and transit area, part of the Balkan route through which we have seen thousands of refugees, including Syrians, pass through these years.
“It’s true. My grandmother – whose surname was Stefancich – came from Pula and knew poverty herself. I remember at the time of the war in Kosovo we used to put aside clothes for the children. And I imagined the faces of those people. On the other hand, there are human beings like us, who have the same needs and dreams as we do. I think it is right to continue to imagine them, to feel them. And to keep the light on them. ‘
He chose to sing “Promise Me”. Why this particular passage?
“It is an invitation to remain true to yourself. I wrote it for my son Sebastian, but I would like it to be a tribute to all children. Singing, I imagined their faces in front of me while they ask nothing more than to be able to grow up serene, without any more war ».
Also on stage Cristina Magnotti, a young 11-year-old actress who recites a monologue telling the story of a little girl with a suitcase in which she has closed her toys and her childhood. Who is this little girl?
“Lara is 7 years old. Three years ago her family was forced to leave their home in Idlib to escape violence and bombing. They first moved close to the Turkish-Syrian border and then to other cities near their village, hoping to be able to return sooner or later. However, the fighting did not stop and they were forced to settle in a camp for displaced people in rural northern Idlib. When Lara was told to prepare for departure, she put her toys in a bag. But he has decided not to open it, until the day he comes home ».
So that suitcase is still closed …
“Yup. Lara and her family now live in a tent, which does not protect them from the cold in the winter or from the heat in the summer. Luckily Lara started attending a learning center run by Save the Children and their local partner in the camp. Today Lara dreams of becoming a teacher to help other children out of school. And we have a duty to support that dream ».
March 14, 2021 (change March 15, 2021 | 13:16)
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