Cities for Life - Cities against the Death Penalty
Since 2002, the Community of Sant’Egidio has organized the International Day of Cities for Life, Cities against the Death Penalty, which takes place every year on November 30 – on the anniversary of the first abolition of the death penalty in the Grand Duchy of Tuscany on November 30, 1786.
About 80 cities participated in 2002. In 2014, there were more than 1,850 participating cities, including 70 capitals in 92 countries on the six continents: Rome, London, Brussels, Tirana, Pristina, Skopje, Podgorica, Zagreb, Ljubljana, Sarajevo, Budapest, Bucharest and many others.
Colosseum, Rome, Italy Atomium, Brussels, Belgium City Hall, Antwerp,Holland
They made use of symbolic monuments and squares to hold educational and artistic events aimed at raising public awareness.
All cities taking part in the initiative make their major monuments available as “living logos”, which “speak” with the help of special illuminations, thus becoming symbols of a commitment to hold a dialogue with the population aimed at achieving a world without the death penalty.
Victor Hugo's house, Paris, France ∓nbsp; Old Town Hall, Lahr, Germany Castel Nuovo, Naples, Italy
The International Day of Cities for Life/Cities against the Death Penalty constitutes, along with the World day against the Death Penalty on October 10, the biggest modern global mobilization in favour of a higher and more civil form of justice capable of repelling capital punishment once and for all.
The map of the Cities for Life.
Cities for Life, promo video for 2014/2015
For a world without the death penalty Cities for Life 2013
Cities for Life 2002-2012
Belgrade, Serbia
2007 - For the first time Belgrade has participated in the campaign Cities for Life. The Center for Peace and Democracy Development – CPDD, in cooperation with the Assembly of the City of Belgrade has marked the Cites for Life day by organiseing a roundtable “Capital Punishment – Never Again!”, held on 30th November 2007, from 10AM in the premises of the Belgrade City Hall. The introductory speeches were given by: Professor Stanko Pihler, Novi Sad University Law School; Professor Violeta Beširevi, Union University Law School; Silvija Panovi – uri, Council of Europe and Dragoljub Todorovi, attorney at law. The discussion was moderated by Ivan Jankovi, attorney at law, Center for Peace and Democracy Development.
In addition to holding the roundtable, CPDD and City Council have illuminated the ukur
esma monumment in Belgrade for three days, from 28-30 November 2007.
2012 - Belgrade City Administration lit up the ukur-
esma monument, while three NGOs – Serbia Against Capital Punishment, Center for Cultural Decontamination and Women in Black – staged an urban happening at two city locations.
At ukur-
esma, Ivan Jankovi (SACP) explained why Belgrade was for life and against capital punishment, while Borka Pavievi (CZKD) enacted a hangman and everyone was welcome to have a picture with her taken as a souvenir. Daniel Kova
(Jesenji orkestar) sang and played his guitar.
Everyone then took a walk to a nearby house, where Ksenija Atanasijevi, philosopher and feminist, used to live. On the way, they passed four of her portraits, created by the mysterious stencil artist, TKV.
Sne~ana Klisinska-Taba
ki (WiB) explained how and why a memorial plaque was placed on the facade of Ksenija’s house. Actress Cvijeta Mesi read an essay by Ksenija on the rape and murder of a young Belgrade feminist in 1930. The murderer was sentenced to death and hanged, but his death only demonstrated the futility of the death penalty. Ljiljana Vuleti announced an imaginary interview with Ksenija Atanasijevi in the forthcoming issue of the ELLE magazine. Daniiel Kova
sang some more.
Photos, Video
2013 - Belgrade participated for the third time. The ukur
esma monument was lit up and a scene from the play „The last day of the condemned man“ by Jean-Hyppolyte Tisserant, translated by Danilo Kiš, was shown at the Center for Cultural Decontamination. Ivan Jankovi gave an introduction into the death penalty and Mirjana Mio
inovi gave an introduction into the play. After that, Predrag Ejdus played a role of Jean Coutaudier.
Photos from the event, Video Cities for Life – Belgrade against the death penalty
2014 - Belgrade refsed to participate.