Former military base becomes international centre for peace studies

Summary

The island of Lampedusa, in the heart of the Mediterranean, is a candidate to become an epicentre of political, cultural and artistic study and planning on the themes of peace and migratory flows. The project, which the municipality intends to entrust to the architect Stefano Boeri, aims to transform the former military base of Loran, located in the Capo Ponente area, into a Study Centre capable of involving international institutions and associations, volunteer networks, research institutes on geopolitics, the world of art and international culture, and also intended to host major events.

The project, which will be led by the municipal administration of Lampedusa e Linosa in the front line, involves the Sicilian Region, the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Defence. In addition to the International Centre for Peace Studies, the project envisages the creation of several other realities on the island, including: an auditorium; a museum equipped with a digital archive that will be able to host not only works but also performative and narrative events on the theme of the great migratory flows and their interrelations with the great challenges of climate change and poverty; a system of laboratories and places of study and residence for scholars, researchers, artists and witnesses of the great phenomenology of migration that will be obtained from the reuse of the disused military forts surrounding the island. A letter of intent for the project has been signed in recent weeks between the municipality of Lampedusa e Linosa and the Region of Sicily.

Impact

Transforming a 'symbol of war' such as a former military base into a 'symbol of peace'. Building from the centre of the Mediterranean a dialogue of peace capable of dealing with the phenomenon of migratory flows in its complexity.

Lessons Learnt

In order to support good humanitarian reception practices, especially in border territories, it is necessary to both support and have the support of the local community.