Annual October 3rd Peace Walk in Lampedusa

Italy

Dec 31

Written By Sophie van Haasen

Municipality of Lampedusa and Linosa

Mayor

Filippo Mannino

Start of Project

10/03/2021

End of Project

Ongoing

Website

Overview

On 3 October 2013, some 368 migrants lost their lives after a boat carrying them to Europe capsized off the island of Lampedusa in southern Italy. Since then, it is estimated that more than 15,000 migrants have lost their lives in the Mediterranean during their migratory journeys. Every 3 October, survivors and their families, together with civil society organisations and national and European authorities, gather on the island to honour those lost and call for a renewed framework to protect all.

In remembrance of the lives lost in these Mediterranean shipwrecks, Emilia Saiz, Secretary General of UCLG, and Med Aydi Wajdi, Deputy Mayor of Sfax and Policy Advisor to the Political Council on the Right to the City and Inclusive Territories, joined the families of the victims and students from across Europe in Lampedusa on 3 October to call for memory and dignity as a basis for transforming the rules and making migration work for all. On 3 October 2021, the commemoration saw the inauguration of the "Walk of Peace" by Totò Martello, Mayor of Lampedusa, and Emilia Saiz.

This path, leading to the Capo Grecale lighthouse and other artistic and social sites, marks a symbolic turning point towards a joint municipalist effort to promote human rights-based approaches to human mobility as part of the Lampedusa Charter Process. That same year, 2021, all stakeholders advocating for 3 October to be the European Day of Remembrance and Reception joined forces around the "We are in the same boat" campaign. Throughout 3 days of activities organised by the Comitato 3 Ottobre with numerous local partners in collaboration with the municipality of Lampedusa and Linosa, pupils from different schools in Europe were able to get closer to the experience of those who arrived in Lampedusa on their journey towards a better future. This cycle of activities was actively supported and promoted by the Snapshots from the Border project, led by 35 partners, local border authorities and civil society organisations.

Realised Impact

Lampedusa’s Annual October 3rd Peace Walk honours the 368 migrants who lost their lives in the 2013 shipwreck and seeks to promote a rights-based, community-centred approach to human mobility.

Implemented with local governments, European schools, civil society organisations, and partners such as the Border Towns and Islands Network, the action engages around 1,000 students each year in activities that foster empathy, awareness of safe mobility, and direct exchanges with survivors. Beneficiaries include migrants, refugees, young people, and broader host communities.

Reported Impact [as of November 2025]

Key achievements include strengthening public understanding of human rights and reaffirming the protection of life and dignity as shared societal priorities. The main challenges relate to coordination among multiple actors and sustained political commitment, addressed through advocacy and strengthened collaboration with partners.