RIMINI – From international wars to the outskirts of big cities, the work of journalist and writer Gabriella Simoni focuses on often overlooked realities and the stories of those who struggle to find a hearing. The theme was at the center of the October 2026 Intermeeting organized by the Ariminus Montefeltro Lions Club, in collaboration with the Morciano-Valle del Conca, San Marino Undistricted and Gabicce Mare Lions Clubs.
Guest of the meeting, Gabriella Simoni presented her latest book, “Non solo maranzine”, dedicated to youth hardship and the experiences of young people involved in baby gangs and petty crime, with particular attention to the suburbs of Milan and other large European cities.
After years as a correspondent on the war fronts, the journalist has chosen to focus her work on the difficulties experienced by young people. During the meeting he expressed his reservations about mainstream journalism, which he considers increasingly conditioned by political polarization and pre-established narratives. A criticality which, according to his analysis, also emerges in the story of the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, where it becomes difficult to convey the complexity of the events without taking sides.
Through the testimonies collected, the book addresses the reasons that can hide behind anger, violence and vandalism, highlighting situations of loneliness, confusion and discomfort. There is also space for the difficulties of the girls, less visible but equally relevant, told through eleven portraits of young people defined as “bad”.
One of the central themes is the criticism of an exclusively repressive approach towards minors. Simoni questions the logic summarized in the slogan “let’s put them in and throw away the key”, highlighting the risk that juvenile prison could become a context in which criminal behavior is consolidated rather than promoting recovery.
Alternatively, the journalist recalls the importance of alternative measures to detention and reintegration paths, together with a support system rooted in the territory. Teachers, coaches, families and community centers can help to promptly recognize signs of distress and offer children concrete opportunities for help.
The message that emerged from the meeting is that the fight against youth violence cannot be limited to punishment, but requires listening, understanding and timely interventions. A path which, according to the perspective proposed by Simoni, starts from the ability of adults to recognize the difficulties of young people and not to give up on the possibilities of change.
