{:en}The 2018 edition of the Pre-Meeting of Loano, the event that anticipates the themes of the Rimini Meeting, a kermesse that the Friendship Among Peoples Foundation organizes in August each year in Rimini, is scheduled from July 4 to 8 at Marina di Loano. The initiative is promoted and implemented by the cultural association ’Cara Beltà’ and the “Padre Santo” solidarity desk of Loano with the contribution of the Tourism, Culture and Sports Department of the Municipality of Loano, the Marina of Loano, the Liguria Region and important partners such as Fondazione Alamo, Noberasco, Marina of Loano, Fondazione De Mari and Tecnica. The press conference presenting the event was held in the morning of today, Thursday, June 28, at the Marina di Loano Yacht Club in the presence of the president of the cultural association “Cara Beltà” Paolo Desalvo; tourism, culture and sports councillor of the Municipality of Loano Remo Zaccaria; president of the “Padre Santo” solidarity bank Antonio Landi; Marina di Loano administrator Ivan Pedrielli; and regional councilor Angelo Vaccarezza.
The theme chosen for the 2018 edition of the Loano Pre-Meeting and the Rimini Meeting takes its cue from a famous quote by Vaclav Havel: “The forces that move history are the same forces that make man happy.” During the event, professors, journalists, writers and prominent figures from the Italian and international cultural scene will invite participants to reflect on how man's actions, in continuous search for the meaning of life and happiness, are the real driving force of history. A rich program of concerts, screenings, exhibitions and sporting events will be on the sidelines.
President of the cultural association “Cara Beltà,” Paolo Desalvo, explains, “The Pre-Meeting of Loano wants to take up the challenge of the Rimini Meeting, which this year invites us to reflect on how the real protagonist of history is not the superpowers with their projects or the financial powers with their economic interests, but man. The spark that ignites the engine of history is the desire that lies in the heart of man. Throughout the ages human beings have desired different things: bread, a more comfortable home, a better job, peace, friendship, love. All these respond to an even deeper desire that pervades all of his life: the desire for happiness. Even the immense migratory movements of peoples from one border of the earth to another are due to the search for happiness, for the good that each person wants for himself and his loved ones. The meetings with the Pre-Meeting guests will deepen this insight: the real protagonist of the story is the heart of man, who desires happiness.”.
Loano Mayor Luigi Pignocca and Councillor for Tourism, Culture and Sports Remo Zaccaria add, “Once again this year, for the third year in a row, our municipal administration has contributed with great pleasure to the organization of this important event, which over the years has seen exponential growth and increasing interest from the public. The Loano Pre-Meeting has taken on great regional and national prominence: with its five days of comparisons and debate, in the height of summer, the Pre-Meeting brings culture, music and tourism here to Loano. Because the goal of the Pre-Meeting of Loano is also to enrich the summer offer of our city by increasing its cultural dimension. In its five days, the Pre-Meeting synthesizes what are all the characteristics of Loano's summer: culture, food for thought, music, sporting events and tourism.”.
The administrator of Marina di Loano, Ivan Pedrielli, comments: “We are very happy to host for the second time the Pre-Meeting, an event that represents an added value for the whole Liguria region. Ports have always been a metaphor for hospitality, and for us it is a great pleasure to have, within our Marina, facilities that can accommodate the very interesting moments of meeting and in-depth analysis that are the main feature of the Pre-Meeting of Loano and that, more generally, can represent an opportunity for growth for our whole country.”.
The Pre-Meeting of Loano will kick off on Wednesday, July 4, at 9 p.m. at the Marina Center of Loano with greetings and speeches by Paolo Desalvo, president of the cultural association “Cara Beltà”; Luigi Pignocca, mayor of Loano; His Eminence Guglielmo Borghetti, bishop of the diocese of Albenga-Imperia; and Giovanni Toti, governor of the Region of Liguria. This will be followed at 9 p.m. by a debate on “The protagonist of history is the man who lives.” Speakers will include Francesco Rutelli, president of Anica; Giorgio Vittadini, president of the Fondazione Sussidiarietà; and Emilia Guarnieri, president of the Rimini Meeting Foundation.
Thursday, July 5 at 9 p.m. at the Marina Center Don Marco Pozza, chaplain of the “Due Palazzi” prison in Padua, will lead the meeting “Don't leave the dreamers alone.” On Friday, July 6 at 6 p.m. Silvio Cattarina, psychologist and director of the community “The Unexpected,” will present some testimonies from the world of youth distress with the meeting entitled “An Unexpected is the Only Hope.” At 9 p.m. psychoanalyst and essayist Massimo Recalcati will speak on “The Prison of Sacrifice.”.
On Saturday, July 7, at 6 p.m., Wael Farouq of the Catholic University of Milan and Giorgio Paolucci, journalist for Avvenire, will discuss “Between East and West, What Changed History.” At 9 p.m. economic journalist Oscar Giannino and University of Bologna professor Emanuele Forlani will talk about economics and human needs in the meeting titled “Not just numbers.”.
The 2018 edition of the Loano Pre-Meeting will close on Sunday, July 8, with a talk by psychoanalyst and writer Luca Ballerini on “Educational Emergency. Building (or not) the future of a people.”.
Rounding out the Loano Pre-Meeting is a long series of musical and cultural events. It begins Tuesday, July 4 at 10 p.m. in Maccagli Garden with the Jonh Stanson Band's “Crossroad” concert. On Wednesday, July 4 at 10 p.m. on Francheville Pier (which will host all subsequent events) Carlo Pastori and Walter Muto will perform “songs for all times” with the concert “Let Us Sing.” On Thursday, July 5, the band of the St. Mary Immaculate Music Association of Loano will perform “Famous Pieces.” On Friday, July 6, the Ottomillimeter Trio will play some of the most famous songs from the “History of Cinema.” Finally, on Saturday, July 7, the Clinton Street Band will be featured in an “International Classic Rock” concert.
Throughout the Pre-Meeting at the Francheville Pier, an exhibition entitled “The White Rose,” dedicated to the “six friends who challenged Hitler,” will be on display. Finally, on Sunday, July 8, the “Chicchiricchì Run,” a rooster crowing group workout for runners and walkers, is staged. Registration will open at 7 a.m. while the start is scheduled for 8 a.m. Final refreshments and raffle prizes for participants.
Admission to all events is free of charge. The detailed program is available at www.carabelta.it.{:}
