A Symbol for Peace
On Friday, July 25 in Gorizia/Nova Gorica at 5:30 PM in Transalpina Square/Trg Evrope, the representatives of the Panathlon Clubs of Kärnten (Michael Ausserwinkler), Friuli Venezia Giulia (Andrea Ceccotti), and Slovenija (Miran Müller) will sign a joint declaration of cooperation and the launch of an ideas competition.
With them, the mayors of the three-border municipalities: Reinhard Antolitsch (Arnoldstein), Henrika Zupan (Kranjska gora), and Renzo Zanette (Tarvisio). The President of Panathlon International, lawyer Giorgio Chinellato, sent his congratulations for the initiative, which fully aligns with Panathlon’s strategic vision, and announced his sponsorship. The President of Panathlon’s Italy District, Giorgio Costa, emphasized its significance, especially at this moment.
It is a gesture that continues the great message launched by 
GO!2025, made possible thanks to the support of mayors Samo Turel and Rodolfo Ziberna and the hospitality of ASD LIBERTAS UDINE, organizer of “Jumping Overcoming Boundaries”.
Always a crossroads of peoples, languages and cultures, a treasure chest of unique excellences, the territory of Gorizia is the concrete example of how a border, witness of the tragedies of the 20th century, has today transformed into an element of cohesion and international cooperation. It is an incredible result that Gorizia together with Nova Gorica achieved with GO!2025, the first cross-border European Capital of Culture in history. Step by step, dialogue prevailed over conflict, peace over war, the future of younger generations over the grudges of the past.
The ideas competition is open to artists, architects, designers, 
students, schools, cultural and sports associations and also to citizens – for proposals for the creation of a visible and accessible representation of the role of sport and culture in building coexistence.
The designated place is Mount Dreiländereck – Tromeja – Forno. A place where three great European lineages meet and which, from being a border of division, has become a meeting point, collaboration and shared vision.
The project is an invitation to remember that “peace is an active process”, to which sport and community culture, which after a tragic past of wars and suffering, collaborate daily, in mutual respect for each one’s peculiarities.
The call with participation methods will be published on the Panathlon websites: Panathlon-Fvg – Kaernten Panathlon – AlpeAdriaSport.org – panathlon-international.org/ – Panathlon Distretto Italia – Home page
The initiative starts in 2025, a year that marks the anniversary of sports initiatives in the spirit of “Alpe-Adria”: • 45th anniversary of the birth of SKI TOUR3, the first sporting event that for a day erased the borders between Austria, Italy and Slovenia; • 40th anniversary of the signing of the joint bid proposal for the Winter Olympic Games by the mayors of Villach, Jesenice and Tarvisio; • 30th anniversary of the first bid for the “Without Borders” Winter Olympic Games accepted by the IOC.
It will conclude in 2028 coinciding with historical moments of Europe: • 80 years since the end of the Second World War; • 40 years since the signing of the Schengen Agreement and the creation of the EU flag; • 30 years since Austria joined the EU and 21 years since Slovenia joined the EU. And in the first semester, the presidency of the Council of the EU will be held by one of our three countries: Italy.