The 2022 World Picnic tour makes a stop in New York, at the United Nations Plaza, with women in the front line of the fight for human rights. We meet Professor Azza Karan, Secretary General of Religions for Peace, Nina Davuluri an actress and entrepreneur who fights for the colour of her skin, and Chaima Issa, who promotes the dignity of women in Tunisia.
Preparing the picnic at Greenwich Village
After 29 years of living in Greenwich Village for a while, I return to the beauty of the city that I learned to love while attending the New York Film Academyat the beginning of my career. Everything is much cleaner and prettier than it was then. Wandering around in the early spring sunshine, I return to the historic pastry shop “Rocco’s”, near the church dedicated to Our Lady of Pompeii. A sign in the window welcomes me: ‘Here we do not discriminate against anyone, sex, race, creed, age, vaccine…’. I taste the Calabrian biscuits, their flavour unchanged.
When I lived on Grove Street, there were only a couple of record shops and a foggy little place. Soon they would film the first season of the legendary series “Friends”. Now, perhaps because of the proximity to Little Italy, I can have breakfast at Bar Pisellino and dinner at Via Carota, all of high quality. This is where we prepare the picnic.
My guide to Italian restaurants in New York, Nina Davuluri. Picnic with women on human rights.
My guide to New York’s Italian venues is a real New Yorker, originally from India, but Italian by adoption: Nina Davuluri. Nina is an actress, entrepreneur and activist committed to human rights against discrimination due to skin colour. We need people like her, who can speak out and dismantle the illusions of the world of glossy beauty. We are working on the COMPLEXion project, a film and campaign about just that.
Nina lets me taste the best of Italian products from the Village, including the cheeses from ‘Il Sogno Toscano’. She has learned well the art of Italian living. And with the cheeses and Tuscan bread we fill the picnic basket and head for the United Nations Plaza.
The conference on religions, climate change and the impact on women
I am in New York to attend the conference “Multi-Religious Collaboration: The Tipping Point for Engendered Climate Change Policies”. It is organised by Religions for Peace, during the week-long work of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. It is held at 777 United Nations Square in a large building built by Methodist women, right there in front of the United Nations building. A place that promotes dialogue and peace, truly.
I bring a short version of the film Alganesh, and talk about the impact of climate change on women in refugee camps. I listen to speeches by women at the forefront of inter-religious dialogue. We are hosted by Prof. Azza Karam, Secretary General of Religions for Peace. She is a determined woman, ready to build a different world, a world based on respect and coexistence.
World Picnic stops in New York, with women committed to human rights
World Picnic is the tour we do around the world to regenerate hope. In wonderful places, with food that unites, we meet people who carry out generative projects in the fields of ecology, human rights and solidarity. Already, the picnic in Rome was dedicated to women working against trafficking. Today in New York we are still among women. Nina Davuluri, Azza Karam, Chaima Issa and I eat together. A very strong atmosphere of great hope, something magical, is immediately created. Meet them in the video:
World Picnic is supported by Montura Editing. The funds we raise on the World Picnic Tour to Regenerate Hope go to support the solidarity projects presented at the various stops. The proceeds from my book “Picnic the Art of Living” also go entirely to support World Picnic.
In italian “Arte del Picnic” HERE
In English “Picnic, the Art of living” can be ordered HERE
