The theme of feminicides and the International Day against Violence against Women saw Kiwanis International-Divisione Sicilia 2 in the front row, in the commitment to promote culture against all forms of violence and abuse, together with the Club Acicastello Riviera dei Ciclopi and to the Catania Centro Club which organized an important conference on these issues, held at the Nettuno hotel in Catania. On the initiative of Prof. Cristina Tornali, President of Kiwanis Acicastello-Riviera del Ciclopi and by the lawyer. Antonio Greco, President of the Kiwanis Catania Center, Dr. Shannon Arden and Amy Jo Jenkins reported.
The subject in question was the presentation of the SAPR Project that the US government promotes to carry out a commitment to fight against feminicides and sexual violence against women, but, as Dr. Alberto Lunetta underlined, the operational program addresses all forms of violence, by American standards, towards all the frail. The presence of the two American doctors took place thanks to Dr. Alberto Lunetta, representative of external relations at the Sigonella base. The Lieutenant of Kiwanis Sicilia 2 Dr. Antonio Sciuto honored the highly successful event with his presence and his words, in which the Virdimura International Prize and Project was exhibited, which already made its debut years ago with the consent of the Società Italiana di History of Medicine, which promotes the fight against feminicides and all forms of abuse and awareness in civil society of the issues of autism and the protection of childhood rights. To honor these themes, it was awarded to the American SAPR project illustrated by American doctors.
The Virdimura international award, now in its eighth edition, after a first recognition for her studies, to prof. dr. Tornali, is then further promoted by her internationally, obtaining a recognized brand in the European Community. The prestigious award is then conferred on illustrious characters and to programs aimed at combating all forms of violence and all forms of femicide, and, in particular, against violence against all the defenseless, especially autistic children. The Ain Onlus, the Italian Association for the Neurodisabled, sponsored the event and the ASAS Academy of Health Art, with its Sicilian Regional Center, gave its patronage.
The Virdimura has already been awarded to important institutional figures, from the world of volunteering and the commitment against autism who have contributed to the promotion of respect for women, for childhood and to raise awareness in schools and in civil society of the commitment to care and education of autistic children. The Virdimura International Award was established in honor of Dr. Virdimura, the first woman in the world to be officially a doctor, (1376) from Sicily, Catania and a Jew engaged in the care of women, children and the disabled, the elderly and the poor, in XNUMXth-century Sicily. The prize has already been awarded to important personalities such as the President of the Republic of Malta, Marie Louise Coleiro Preca, for her concrete help to autistic children and, precisely during the ceremony, her written congratulations were expressed for this latest Kiwanian edition . Israeli writer Miriam Jaskierowicz Arman was awarded another prize for her studies on the voice and on autism. Other recipients were also the ambassador of Israel to the Vatican Zion Evrony, Sister Anne, the Nigerian Catholic nun who promotes the fight against trafficking in African sex slave girls. TO Malta the 2019 edition awarded the well-known researcher and psychiatrist Ethel Felice for studies on autism and neurodisability. The Virdimura award is registered with copyright in 38 countries of the European Community and is present in the official register of the University and Scientific Research of the MIUR. The Kiwanis Lieutenant – Sicily Division 2 Dr. Antonio Sciuto underlined how Virdimura with its commitment to the protection of children and women can historically be defined as an "ante litteram" Kiwaniana.
During the event, a recognition plaque was also awarded to Dr. Alberto Lunetta for his commitment to promoting the culture of friendship between the American community of Sigonella and Sicily both in schools and in institutions and in civil society.
The presidents of the event organizers Cristina Tornali and Antonio Sciuto underlined the assiduous commitment of Kiwanis to promote the culture of solidarity and friendship and the repudiation of all forms of violence in civil society, schools and universities. As part of the event, an appeal was launched for the protection of women, with numerous speeches from the public, as well as the defense of children's rights and the protection of minors, especially autistic children, where it is often practiced, says Cristina Tornali , the most perfidious form of violence: the abuse of the defenseless.
