Danilo Dolci's legacy in a biographical book and a documentary film

On the centenary of his birth, the figure of Danilo Dolci (1924–1997), one of the most influential thinkers of nonviolence and the fight against poverty and for the emancipation of the South, has returned to the forefront. A sociologist, poet, educator, and activist, Dolci chose Sicily as the theater of his nonviolent struggle, championing the right to bread, work, democracy, and against all forms of mafia. A collaborator of Dolci since 1985 and currently vice president of the "Danilo Dolci" Center for Creative Development and coordinator of the scientific committee of Borgo Danilo Dolci, Giuseppe Barone updated A Nonviolent Revolution: The Life and Work of a Man of Peace in 2024 with an interview with Mao Valpiana and a recollection by Luca Baranelli. In these frenetic months and chaotic days, Danilo Dolci's biography is a very useful guide. In particular, Giuseppe Barone recalls, Danilo Dolci posed a question to himself, his contemporaries, and his descendants: "How can you be happy if your brothers and sisters around you are consumed and overwhelmed by hunger and poverty?" He provided many answers that are still relevant today, including: "I have always maintained that conscientious objection is important... I prefer to speak of conscientious objection/action. Because a conscientious objector seems to be just someone who says no, but simply saying no isn't enough. What's essential is producing alternatives... Preventive work is work for health; 'saying no to war' is intervening in the very midst of illness, in neurosis." He also left a warning, even an exhortation: "Do it quickly (and well), because you'll die." In Casale Monferrato, on Thursday, September 17, 2026, at 6:00 PM in the multipurpose room of the Casa del Terzo Settore (Via Magnocavallo 13), a meeting will be held with the author of the book, published by Altrɘconomia in the "Le Talpe" series of essays and investigations, and with Danilo Dolci's son, Amico. Held as part of the program "A Book or Two a Month to Talk About Peace" and the "calendar" of the EireneFest / Book Festival for Peace and Nonviolence, the event is coordinated by the city shop of the EquAzione ETS Cooperative Society, together with the EduCare association, the MonFree-Style community center, the Rete Radié Resh volunteer group, the ARCI Il Paniere club, and the "Centro Storico" Participation Committee, with the patronage of the City of Casale Monferrato. In collaboration with the Danilo Dolci Creative Development Center, the initiative offers a screening of the documentary film "Inchiesta su Danilo Dolci," made in 2025 and written and directed by Alberto Castiglione, who returns to discuss Danilo Dolci 20 years after his first reportage: "What is the purpose of an investigation? And what are its implications? The truth, without a doubt! What if at the center of a hypothetical investigation were the work and deeds of a person above suspicion? In a world ravaged by conflict and an inability to build paths of dialogue and peace, perhaps it is possible to outline a new horizon in the wake of the great legacy left by Dolci." The legacy of Danilo Dolci in a biographical book and a documentary film Meeting with Giuseppe Barone and Amico Dolci Screening of a documentary film by Alberto Castiglione (30 minutes) Casale Monferrato / Thursday, September 17 at 6:00 PM Multipurpose Hall of the Casa del Terzo Settore (Via Magnocavallo 13) INFORMATION: https://www.eirenefest.it/evento/danilo-dolci-film-e-bio/