Daniele Taurino
Pronouns: He/him
Organisations: Italian Nonviolent Movement; Azione Nonviolenta magazine; European Youth Forum; European Bureau for Conscientious Objection (EBCO); European Network Against Arms Trade (ENAAT)
Country of origin: Italy
Profile
Daniele Taurino serves as a member of the national board for the Italian Nonviolent Movement and holds the position of editorial manager for the Azione Nonviolenta magazine. Since 2017, he has been actively involved as a delegate for the European Youth Forum, where he fulfils the coordinator role for the Youth, Peace, and Security network. He is also a counsellor for the Civil Service and imparts the principles of non-violence as an educator. Daniele’s work consists mainly of designing, managing and supporting local and international peacebuilding and formation projects. He said his expertise focuses on project management and supervision, however his philosophical education and early initiation into activism made him knowledgeable about anything related to peacebuilding and youth changemaking. Daniele collaborates with Italian authorities on topics such as conscientious objection and is a representative of peace-focused international organisations such as the European Bureau for Conscientious Objection (EBCO) and the European Network Against Arms Trade (ENAAT).
Story
Daniele Taurino said he was 14 years old when he made it his mission to promote and foster peace at a national, European and global level. Because he has been involved in the field this long, Daniele said he is no longer willing to continue contributing to peacebuilding, it has rather become an obligation, formed out of his philosophical background – ‘It is an inner commitment. I can’t not do it’, he said.
Daniele said his passion for non-violence in particular came from Gandhi’s books, which he read in high school. There he discovered the non-violent philosophy. He said he became enamoured with it, which prompted him to join the Italian Non-Violent Movement at the age of 18. This is the longest-standing organisation of its kind in Italy. It also fought against fascism alongside the resistance during the Second World War. Today, Daniele is a national board member of the Italian Nonviolent Association, and his passion has not diminished. He has helped to expand the organisation’s network, for example, by helping it become the Italian branch of War Resisters’ International and he has also become a delegate to the European Youth Forum.
Daniele is involved in many different projects and plans concerning peacebuilding and non-violence. He said that on an average day he goes to his office in Fiumicino, where he helps publish his magazine, or he might take care of a project or volunteer at the local language school for foreigners. Daniele said he is also a strong advocate for cooperation. He believes that working locally is necessary, but it is also important to remember to network with other young people who are working to achieve positive change or searching for support.
Daniele said that peacebuilding is not always easy, though. The field is under-resourced in terms of money and people, which especially hinders his ability to connect to young people who might be sceptical about volunteer work. He said nonetheless, he still believes creating a network of mutual support among young people is an invaluable mission – and part of the reason why he embarked on this journey. He urges young people to be realistic in their activism and rely not only on their own capabilities. Daniele said that for him, the process of becoming an activist and a changemaker felt natural, and he never felt compelled to choose it – it simply came into being.
Daniele said he believes that, with time, his network and advocacy will show the desired changes within the Italian legal system. He is already confident that creating a network of non-violent organisations and individuals can be labelled as a success, and that its strength lies in the ability to connect. Today, almost 17 years after jumping into the field for the first time, Daniele said he feels proud of what he has achieved and he is ready to share his knowledge with others. He does emphasise that while his input and the experiences of fellow peacebuilders outlined in Peace by Peace can serve as valuable tools, they should not impose limitations on those aspiring to engage in peacekeeping. Instead, this manual is intended as a resource to spark creativity and innovation in people’s own approaches.