On 22nd April, the #OnePeopleOnePlanet multimedia marathon will be back to celebrate the 52nd International Earth Day in Italy. Among other projects, ‘A Vaccine for All’ will be presented.

The third edition of the #OnePeopleOnePlanet multimedia marathon promoted by Earth Day Italia and the Focolare Movement will kick off at the Fuksas Cloud in Rome. The 14-hour long event, which will be livestreamed on Raiplay and later broadcast on Vatican News, will celebrate the 52nd United Nations International Earth Day and send out a strong message of hope as well as a loud call to action for the protection of the Planet.

The ‘relay race of voices and hearts’ – as its organisers define it – will start at 8.30 am on 22nd April and continue without interruption until 10.30 pm. The stunning Auditorium of the Fuksas Cloud – made available to the organisers for free by Rome’s Environment Department and by the city’s 9th District Council – will welcome hundreds of guests, both in person and online. The event will be a great show and a large-scale dialogue platform that will cross the worlds of art and culture, sports and entertainment, education and leisure, science and innovation, current affairs and debate… to rediscover the full meaning of life, from the cultural roots that characterise us to the future that unites us.

Young people, the true protagonists of the environmental issue, will be at the centre of the marathon. Since last year, young people have officially been involved in the UN climate negotiations, though Global COY (Conference of Youth), initiated and promoted by the Italian government. The creation of the Global COY was a historic moment of fundamental importance, if we consider the extent to which young generations are involved in the climate issue, which risks compromising their very future.

Among other projects, ‘A Vaccine for All’ will be presented. It is a fundraising programme aimed at promoting the universal right to healthcare and vaccine internationalism through practical projects as well as awareness-raising initiatives, inaugurated during the 2020 #daretocare campaign. ‘A Vaccine for All’ has contributed to support the Barco Hospital Papa Francisco river hospital ship, serving more than 1,000 communities along the Amazon River. Covid kits for hygiene and virus prevention have been distributed, along with protective materials, equipment for care during and after the illness, and basic food aid. Moreover, through the International Centre for Child and Public Health (ICPH) in Coimbatore, in rural India, the programme aims, on the one hand, to assist the local population in procedures to obtain vaccination (many people do not have access to a computer or don’t know how to log on to the registration portal); on the other, it carries out prevention and awareness-raising activities in about 40 villages.

You can tune in to #OnePeopleOnePlanet here: https://www.raiplay.it/