change language
you are in: home - news newslettercontact uslink

Support the Community

  
February 18 2016 | ROME, ITALY

A world without the death penalty? Ministers of Justice from 30 countries will discuss this issue next Monday in Rome

Representatives of abolitionist and retentionist countries will meet in Rome to discuss this topic at the 9th International Congress in Italy on Monday, February 22nd 2016. These are important steps towards a more humane world and a more fair justice system. LIVE IN STREAMING

 
printable version

So just why has the Community of Sant’Egidio, organized an annual Meeting in Rome for the past 9 years, inviting Justice Ministers worldwide, to discuss possible perspectives regarding the abolition of the death penalty?  This is not an "academic exercise", or a celebratory event. On the contrary, it is a free space where in the spirit of dialogue, which is a distinctive feature of  the initiatives of Sant'Egidio, several paths that may lead to a more realistic and humane justice are evaluated together.

Already the path we have all walked together during these years is long and we can see to-day, the bearing of fruit in the achievements of the Congress of Justice Ministers being promoted by the Community of Sant’Egidio. In chronological order, Mongolia is the most recent  country to abolish the death penalty on December 4th 2015, thanks also to this prior work.

On February 22nd and 23rd, the Secretary of State for Justice of Mongolia will be one of the above 30 participants (Ministers and Delegates), coming from African, Asiatic, Latin American and European Countries. Some of those countries have already abolished the death penalty some years ago. For ex-ample (El Salvador, Rwanda, East Timor, Togo); other Countries (Central African Repub-lic, Mali, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka) have suspended the executions and at the General As-sembly of the United Nations voted in favour of a moratorium; however some other Coun-tries are still retentionist (Vietnam and Somalia).

In times of widespread war, a subject like this one, can make it perfectly natural to look for short term results. It is far easier to pursue simplified solutions and just search for a scape-goat, in the name of security. But terrorism raises (and fuels) the level of violence in the world and urges public opinion to line up “ in favor of “, or “ against  it “ type scenarios. And “ against it " sometimes can mean  just to suppress "the violent one", even physically. The images of the barbaric executions, graphically shown in the videos of Daesh, promote a culture of death in the society. And that's the aim and a focus of global terrorism: to disseminate fear.

But to surrender to violence is only to play into the hands of fear. And the death penalty, the extreme expression of a violent culture, does not help to fight crime. Capital punishment – as demonstrated by many reports and statistics - is not an effective deterrent nor does it diminish the number of crimes committed. It doesn't guarantee lowering the levels of criminality or a better security and adds only more violence and more death. And especially in a State which kills in the name of the law, it only lowers the level of its legal system to the same level as the perpetrator of the crime! This is why it is necessary to renew the commitment for the defense of life and give a new impulse to the fight for the abolition of the death penalty.

The Congress of Rome will be an important opportunity to offer support and provide legal  assistance and support to those states beginning a path towards the abolition or suspension of the death penalty. To reaffirm our core values….If we continue to value the sacredness of life and to promote a culture of peace, we can displace fear, which in these difficult times, risks to prevail in many choices of many people.

This event will be broadcast and streamed live from www.santegidio.org, starting at 10:00 on Monday February 22nd.
The video of the event will also be available at a later time on the Youtube channel of the Community of Sant'Egidio.
 
ASSOCIATED OBJECTS

 ALSO READ
• NEWS
October 19 2017

THANKS to all those who signed the appeal for Anthony Shore: his execution was stopped tonight. Let's keep signing the appeal

IT | EN | DE
October 10 2017

On 15th World Day Against the Death Penalty let us visit the poorest convicts in Africa

IT | EN | DE | ID
April 4 2017

Let's ask to stop the 8 executions planned in Arkansas by April. Sign the Appeal!

IT | EN | DE
February 9 2017
PHILIPPINES

Sant'Egidio expresses solidarity with the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines for the struggle against death penalty

November 30 2016

Celebrating all over the world Cities for Life: Give a look to the events. Follow us! Streaming h.6,30pm 1GMT

IT | EN | ES | DE | FR | PT | CA | ID
November 25 2016

On November 30th join the World Day of the Cities for Life against the death penalty

IT | EN | ES | FR | PT | CA | ID
all the news
• PRINT
February 19 2018
Vaticannews

Appello della Chiesa Usa per salvare la vita di due condannati a morte

January 26 2018
Il Mattino di Padova

«Il dolore è lingua che accomuna»

December 2 2017
Corriere della Sera - Ed. Roma

Al Colosseo artisti contro la pena di morte

November 30 2017
Corriere della Sera - Ed. Roma

Live contro la pena di morte

November 29 2017
SIR

Pena di morte. Impagliazzo (Comunità Sant’Egidio), “difendere la vita di un condannato è difendere la vita di tutti”

November 29 2017
Notizie Italia News

Per un mondo senza pena di morte. #PENADIMORTEMAI

all press releases
• EVENTS
November 28 2017 | ROME, ITALY

10th Int'l Congress of Justice Ministers ''A World without the Death Penalty''

ALL MEETINGS OF PRAYER FOR PEACE
• NO DEATH PENALTY
October 10 2017

On 15th World Day Against the Death Penalty let us visit the poorest convicts in Africa

October 7 2015
UNITED STATES

The World Coalition Against the Death Penalty - XIII world day against the death penalty

October 5 2015
EFE

Fallece un preso japonés tras pasar 43 años en el corredor de la muerte

September 24 2015

Pope Francis calls on Congress to end the death penalty. "Every life is sacred", he said

March 12 2015
AFP

Arabie: trois hommes dont un Saoudien exécutés pour trafic de drogue

March 12 2015
Associated Press

Death penalty: a look at how some US states handle execution drug shortage

March 9 2015
Reuters

Australia to restate opposition to death penalty as executions loom in Indonesia

March 9 2015
AFP

Le Pakistan repousse de facto l'exécution du meurtrier d'un critique de la loi sur le blasphème

March 9 2015
AFP

Peine de mort en Indonésie: la justice va étudier un appel des deux trafiquants australiens

February 28 2015
UNITED STATES

13 Ways Of Looking At The Death Penalty

February 15 2015

Archbishop Chaput applauds Penn. governor for halt to death penalty

December 11 2014
MADAGASCAR

C’est désormais officiel: Madagascar vient d’abolir la peine de mort!

go to no death penalty
• DOCUMENTS

Vice President Mnangagwa: Zimbabwe's steps toward the abolition of the death penalty

Mario Marazziti: rifiutare la logica della pena di morte per non cedere alla trappola del terrore

Statement by Minister J. Kamara on the death penalty in Sierra Leone

Cambodian Minister of Justice, Ang Vong Vathana: Cambodia as a model of Asian country without the death penalty

Rajapakshe, Minister of Justice: Sri Lanka to protect the right to life, against the death penalty

Tanni Taher: the commitment of Sant'Egidio against the death penalty in Indonesia

all documents

VIDEO PHOTO
2:
Malawi contro la pena di morte
4:01
Cities for life: da Roma al mondo contro la pena di morte

556 visits

482 visits

492 visits

455 visits

515 visits
all the related media