Vivi Vejo, along with AICR, is supporting the following Earth Day program held by Retake Roma. If you are interested in attending you can just show up at either (or both)of the events, but if you can, let the office know you plan on attending.
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Celebrate EARTHDAY 2011 (Sat. April 2nd)... YOU CAN DO IT! Earthday clean-a- thon events are taking place in Rome on April 2nd (April 9th in case of rain) in two target neighborhoods, giving well deserved face-lifts to Rome's inner city "African Quarter" (Municipality II) and to Rome's suburban "Parco Volpi" (Municipality XX).
What to expect? A full day of activities as students of all ages, artists, journalists, personalities, public authorities,and private property owners meet over music, art, and civic spirit with one common target: the need to participate in a "hands on", apolitical project fuelled by civic responsibility for the common good of our great city. Feel the emotion of being part of real change.
Communicate your EARTHDAY message to your friends, to the Romans, to the old and the new world, to the universe! Enter with a brush stroke into the history of Rome! Indifference and apathy belong to the past – come celebrate our environment all together.
WHEN TO MEET AND WHERE? 10:00 – 13:00 restore Parco Volpi, via della Farnesina, 76 (bring along a dust mask, metal brush, scrapers, and a small shovel if you have them, and wear work clothes!)
14:00 – 18:00 restore the heart of Rome's African Quarter (p.zza Annibaliano/V.le Eritrea). Meeting point at the BP petrol station at the corner of via S. Agnese and via Bressanone (bring along a dust mask, metal brush, scrapers, if you have them and wear work clothes!)
Once again Rome's residents will come together and pitch in to erase senseless grafitti (not to be confused with street art) demoralizing our homes and storefronts, remove unauthorized posters defacing our buildings and walls, collect trash that degardes our public walkways and parks, and plant new life in an abandoned park. Young people from different schools and nationalities will also be taking on the project of re-qualifying the urban landscape by designing panels (3x2 mt.) surrounding the new Metro B1 line construction site with their own art and messages.
Why the African Quarter? To celebrate Rome's urban environment. Apart from the widespred tagging that desecrates every angle of this lively neighborhood, the African Quarter has a great deal that's worth saving. This residential area boosts some of Rome's most historic churches, catacombs, mausoleums, many of Rome's most prestigious schools, and even the Piper, a nightclub made famous by the likes of Patty Pravo, the Beatles, and Pink Floyd. Lying along Rome's oldest road via Salaria, the African Quarter was the orginal site of the rape of the Sabine women, and its homes were used as the backdrop for epic Italian films such as DeSica's "Bicycle Thief". Nevertheless, while AMA crews regularly combat urban degradation within the city's historical core, surrounding areas like the African Quarter are largely neglected due to limited city funding and neighborhood apathy, which has sadly translated into an open invitation for senseless, unwanted tags.
Why Parco Volpi? To celebrate Rome's natural environment. Tucked inside one of Rome's higher density suburbs along via della Farnesina, Parco Volpi is a vital outdoor venue for the area's residents (of all ages) to socialize, enjoy sports and contact with nature. Abandoned of maintenance over the past serveal years, it has fallen into a state of decay making it unsafe for children and elderly.
Soon these kinds of problems typical to many areas in Rome will be seeing some fresh change. Rome's II Municipality (which covers Flaminio, Parioli, Pinciano, Salario and Trieste) and Rome's XX Municipality (covering Rome North) are busy launching volunteer-driven initiatives which aim to draw in concerned citizens to work directly through the schools in changing the mentality and the face of the neighborhood. It is hoped that the other 18 municipalities will take inspiration from their lead and follow along to heighten civic consciousness all over Rome and put a new, clean, shiny face on our beautiful city.
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If interested in attending one or both of these clean-a-thons, feel free to just show up
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