October 25 in Sesto Fiorentino: Presentation of the project for schools “La Grande Utopia"”

Words, gestures, and drawings of peace by children have become posters displayed on the city walls and educational materials for schools thanks to “La Grande Utopia”, a pilot project promoted by EMERGENCY and Fondazione Reggio Children – Centro Loris Malaguzzi ETS, in collaboration with the “Gino Strada” Comprehensive Institute in Sesto Fiorentino (Florence).

The project will be presented on Saturday, October 25, 2025, at 9:30 a.m. at the La Lucciola Cultural Center (Piazza IV Novembre, 55), as part of Sesto Mondo, a festival promoted by the municipal administration.
The event, moderated by Rodolfo Sarli, Principal of the “Gino Strada” Comprehensive Institute, will feature Simonetta Gola, Head of Communications at EMERGENCY, Laura Pedroni, Community Developer at Fondazione Reggio Children, and Rosa Anna Amaro, teacher at De Amicis Primary School, along with the voices of the children who took part in the project. An art workshop for children will follow the presentation.

Developed over the past school year, “La Grande Utopia” stems from Gino Strada’s belief that abolishing war is not a utopia, combining EMERGENCY’s commitment to peace with the educational vision of Fondazione Reggio Children, centered on listening to and valuing childhood.
Through workshops and classroom activities, children—from preschool to lower secondary school—reflected on the meaning of peace and coexistence, creating words, drawings, and public posters that express their view of the world.
Among the phrases that emerged: “We lower the war!”, “Wars forget about people”, “Utopia is a city without war.”

The project also gave life to two valuable educational tools for all ages, particularly for teachers and educators:

• A documentation booklet that narrates the learning process and the approach adopted;
• A “peaceful bibliography”, titled Noi abbassiamo la guerra (We lower the war), a selection of readings on peace and against war for readers from 0 to 99 years old, hosted in two local bookstores and at the Sesto Fiorentino Public Library.

All materials and documentation related to “La Grande Utopia” are available for download both on the Fondazione Reggio Children website and on the dedicated EMERGENCY webpage.