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 by Elisa Peduto
The largest reggae festival in Europe and the longest running music event in Italy, Rototom Sunsplash, brought together 10,000 people last July.
Surrounded by the mountains of the Rivellino Natural Park in northeast Italy, the 62 acre site became a tented village and a small, unique world for ten days.
The festivals purpose is not only to play international reggae music but to be a place to discuss and search for a world, full of peace and respect. Each year the festival is given a theme. After Peace in 2004 and Mother Nature in 2005, 2006 was entitled Respect Human Rights. In the main tent, every afternoon, international personalities and festival goers discussed ideas about respect and what it means.
Cindy Sheehan, the American Peace Mother, told the story of her battle against Bush's recent war campaign and Father Renato Kizito Sesana, a 61-year-old Colombian missionary, spoke about the controversial peace solution for the Sudan.
 The bands performed between 6pm and 2am daily, and around the site there were lots of different activities to i ll the festival goers spare time. There was a market with over 100 multi-ethnic stalls, and 35 different food outlets to suit all tastes. There were natural therapy sessions, including sacred-skull, meditation and breathing techniques, African and Brazilian dance workshops, as well as Didjeridoo or Djambè drum courses.
Rototom Sunsplash, as its name suggests, only ends when the sun splashes out from the sea, giving rise to a brand new day.
rototomsunsplash.com
Photo © Luca Sgamellotti
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October 31 - November 2
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