The President of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella, has awarded 28 Certificates of Honor as “Alfieri della Repubblica” (Standard Bearers of the Republic) to young people who, in 2025, distinguished themselves through actions inspired by civic responsibility, altruism, and solidarity. The theme chosen for the 2025 edition is “Experiencing and Communicating Solidarity.”
Teenagers once again prove to be the most surprising and spontaneous interpreters of this value. Despite the persistent stereotype that portrays them as disengaged from social commitment, reality tells a different story – one of young people capable of participation, empathy, and a genuine desire to help. For them, solidarity is a vivid, colorful concept expressed in many different ways.
Supporting a classmate in difficulty, caring for the environment, mobilizing during an emergency – these are gestures that show how, for adolescents, solidarity is an authentic way of feeling part of a community. It is a deep sense of shared responsibility, reflecting the desire to improve the conditions of those facing hardship or vulnerability.
With this perspective, the initiative seeks to highlight the everyday commitment young people show toward others, valuing their actions and giving space to new forms of communication. What emerges is a mosaic of young volunteers, courageous individuals, engaged writers, and teenagers who have turned fragility or disability into strengths. They are active participants in a society striving to become more inclusive, responsible, and attentive to the common good, better equipped to face present and future challenges with unity.
Making this wealth of altruism and sensitivity visible helps spread a positive model of civic coexistence and encourages others to follow suit, fostering an ever more “contagious” spirit of solidarity.
Alongside individual recognitions, this year four awards were also given for inclusion, aimed at highlighting collective actions that represent concrete examples of cooperation, mutual respect, and active participation.
These awards honor school classes that have stood out in creating welcoming and accessible environments, promoting initiatives against all forms of discrimination, and supporting the most vulnerable. These experiences show that inclusion is not just a value, but a daily practice capable of transforming the environments in which young people live and grow.
The awarded collective actions not only enrich the concept of solidarity, but expand it, demonstrating how it becomes even more effective when experienced together, shared, and supported by a united group.
The full list with motivations is available here: https://www.quirinale.it/it/notizie/nuovi-alfieri-repubblica-10
