Armati della Parola e del pensiero: esperienze pastorali alla periferia di Palermo

The study aims to reflect on the educational experience of the Brancaccio neighborhood in Palermo that armed children with the power of speech and thought (Milani, 1957, p. 271). In a social context where school dropout rates remain high, the Pastoral Experiences of the Padre Nostro Center are a ‘sign of contradiction’ and hope for young people who are victims of mafia violence. These are children at risk whose right to quality education, freedom, and childhood has been violated. School dropout, along with the involvement of minors in mafia crimes, is an important indicator of «youth distress and educational shortcomings in certain family units» (Di Bella; Surace, 2019, p. 157). These girls and boys, these children deprived of a voice, remain invisible. We aim to engage in a dialogue with them, not to merely fill, but to enrich enriching them with the transformative power of education (Milani, 1957, I, p.165). They are the “children without” (Cederna, 2015) whose experiences we seek to explore, inspired by the legacy of Don Lorenzo Milani.