Cities for Life – global annual cities’ day of action against the death penalty on November 30

For 20 years, and for the twenty-first time, this year on November 30, the action “Cities for Life” or “Cities for Life – Cities against the Death Penalty” is carried out. The Catholic-Christian lay movement Community of Sant’Egidio, with headquarters in Rome and about 50,000 members in more than 70 countries worldwide, launched the project in 2002, in which cities from more than 100 nations now participate.

On November 30, hundreds of cities will illuminate a central or characteristic building in a special way to draw attention to the death penalty and call for its abolition – from the Colosseum in Rome to the Obelisk in Buenos Aires. In the many years since November 30 was established as the Cities for Life Day of Action, more than 2,500 cities have participated in the campaign – including more than 70 capital cities.

Germany was and is represented by around 280 cities. Berlin, Hamburg, Stuttgart, Bremen, Cologne, Leipzig, Schwerin, Rostock, Nuremberg, Hanover, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Dortmund, Würzburg are just the best known from a long list of participating cities. In addition to the lighting of the respective building, there are usually accompanying actions by human rights groups in many cities, which specifically want to raise awareness about the death penalty.

The date was chosen because the Grand Duchy of Tuscany was the first European state to abolish the death penalty on November 30, 1786. In the meantime, there is no longer a death penalty in the whole of Europe – with the exception of Belarus.

The German Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (GCADP) together with Amnesty International is again involved in Wiesbaden this year. Instead of the usual illumination of the Bonifatiuskirche, which is currently scaffolded due to construction work, this year the Ringkirche will be wrapped in blue light with the text “NO to the death penalty!”.

More information about events in…

Further information: https://initiative-gegen-die-todesstrafe.de/cities-for-life/

Gabi Uhl – German Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty