In an important a delicate period for our country, Meeting Rimini focuses on the concept of change, whether it’s a social change or a personal change. It also focuses on the subjects that are able to determine the authentic change. “The forces that move history are the same that make man happy” is for sure the title for the XXXIX edition. It’s an intriguing concept based on a very particular edition that is rich in contents and intercultural innovations. «It will be a surprise also for the most loyal visitors». The president Emilia Guarnieri of the Rimini Meeting foundation explains the friendship between people: «An event that remains faithful to its nature, an event that makes the give people a chance to communicate, evolves and changes for the better every year».

This years, same as many times in the past, the Meeting is hosted by the Italian Embassy to the Holy See, thanks to the ambassador Pietro Sebastiani. «I am honored that I was able to host the representation of Meeting Rimini for friendship amongst people again in palazzo Borromeo. The relationship with the Meeting focuses on its ability to communicate at an international level and on the underlining of its contribution as wealth for the national community and for the charisms of the movements arising from the Vatican Council» says the diplomat. In the meeting, on Tuesday June 26th, at the office in Viale delle Belle Arti in Rome, other than the ambassador Sebastiani and the president Guarnieri, the ministery of Education, University and Research Marco Bussetti, sua Beatitudine Louis Raphaël I Sako, Patriarch of Babilonia of Caldei, and the president of Italian Space Agency Roberto Battiston.

«The Ministry of Education, University and Research, for years now, expresses a deep appreciation towards the Meeting for friendship amongst people in Rimini», declared Minister Marco Bussetti. «My presence here today is a concrete sign of the support of the MIUR for this event: we share the goals and the spirit of confrontation that animates it. Training is essential to provide young people with means to be able to manage and govern the challenges that awaits them. Quality education is key to foster the growth of leaders and free people who, through their actions, contribute to ‘moving the story’ in the right direction».

Partiarch Sako speaks about the difficulties that Christians go through in the middle east, specially Iraq. «Before the fall on the regime, the Christian populations was up to one and a half million». The Bishop continues: «Today there only 500 thousand Christians left. In 2014, 120 thousand Christians were driven from their homes from Mosul and Nineveh, they had to live in a camp for almost 3 years. Today Mosul and Nineveh are free and the Church was able to reconstruct the houses and schools with the help of agencies and charities». If any progress has been made over the past year, there are still no signs of hope for a better future. «This is a great challenge for Christians», Monsignor Sako continued. «Our concern as a Church is to keep these Christians in place and to ensure them a free and dignified life. Religion must play an important role, but above all I has to educate true believers, if they want to give a strong and meaningful witness to their Creator, God of all men and source of all mercy. Those who call for revenge must remain silent and convert to peace».

Battiston, instead, focused on the most recent discoveries of astrophysics, especially the so called exoplanets which will be one of the most important discussion in Rimini Meeting 2018. «Science has determined historical changes and enriched the sense of our presence in the Universe. Exoplanets, discovery of gravitational waves and many other, are proof of this» said Bettiston. «On the other hand scientific thought is an indispensable and universal language for the man’s investigations. In other words, science always needs connections and communication and comparison with other equally universal languages to open new horizons to our perspectives», said president of the Italian Space Agency in conclusion.

Finally, a word from Emilia Guarnieri: «In a world dominated by particularisms and oppositions, in the confusion and effort to find common points of value and reference. She added: «The Meeting introduces a suggestion: starting from a happy person. It is necessary to start from a person, to re-establish bonds, to regain trust». Ties, trust and hope on the one hand respond to the man’s heart who is made for positivity «and on the other» Guarnieri further explains «to the evidence of a multicultural world that cries out the inevitability of coexistence». In the microcosms, like family, as well as in the history, «men were also prepared for enormous sacrifices, such as reconstructions after the wars, fight against illnesses, the hard word had a clear meaning. In the figure of Job in the center of the an exhibition in Meeting 2018 emerges like a question in the face of pain. Even the inaugural show, inspired by “The Satin Slipper” by Paul Claudel, with a large outfit on the outside, highlights the great protagonist of the story from the first evening, which is a desire for happiness».