“Dal colle più alto’: the Ambassador Antonio Puri Purini
presented his book with Leoluca Orlando and Giuseppe Verde

During the last edition of Sole Luna Festival, the Ambassador Antonio Puri Purini, foreman of the international jury this year, presented his book titled ‘Dal colle più alto – al Quirinale, con Ciampi negli anni in cui tutto cambiò’.

Two eminent guests introduced it: the new elected Mayor of Palermo, Leoluca Orlando, and the Academic Dean of the Faculty of Law of the University of Palermo, Giuseppe Verde. The book , published by Il Saggiatore, is about the Ambassador’s experience at Quirinal Palace, started in 1999 after being nominated diplomatic counsellor of Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, the new President of the Italian Republic. Puri Purini tells the readers the challenges the President faced with resolution and determination from a new and different point of view.

The presentation took place last 10^th of July , 6.30 p.m., at Steri courtyard. For the occasion, the ex-President Ciampi sent a letter to the Mayor Orlando, thanking him for this opportunity.

Pics by our volunteer Antonio Gervasi

Itastra presents its book and website at Sole Luna Festival

‘Men, women, children, teen-agers that have different languages, cultures, dreams. The process of focusing on sounds, eyes, different stories takes place first at school. It’s at school where children learn how to pronounce their school-mates’ name in the right way. It’s at school where they get familiar with other food and smells, toys and hairstyles. It is a process that involves also the teachers that had to plug the gap in the educational system doing all their best.’ This is the opinion expressed in the foreword of the book Stranescuole by Professor Mari D’agostino, Director of the Scuola di Lingua Italiana per Stranieri of the University of Palermo, edited by Chiara Amoruso and presented last 12^th of July. The book describes some of the most important projects realized with the support of the education department of Regione Sicilia about learning Italian as a second language. Both the book and the website are full of pictures and drawings by the children involved in the projects. A DVD with many pictures and videos (available online at www.stranescuole.it) accompanies the book, together with Giramondo, a board game designed by Antonella Vitali, useful to improve the linguistic skills of the players.

‘Through both the book and the website, we wanted to share and make available our work, a starting point for future projects. Only by networking we can supply the lack of the educational system and make the linguistic and social integration among Italian and foreign students a daily practice at school’ Chiara Amoruso, editor of the book, says. Professor Mari D’Agostino adds ‘the book and the website are the result of the great experience of graduates and final year’s students at the University of Palermo. Here we have a Degree course for teaching Italian as a second language and here it was born the Scuola Italiana per Stranieri five years ago, a place committed to research and didactics experimentation with a glimpse towards the schools and the city of Palermo.’

Pics by Antonio Gervasi

 Pics by Marzia Bagnasco