Southern High School and SHRO yesterday’s event on constitutional duties with the national anti-mafia prosecutor
Naples, March 15, 2025
The Southern High School (Scuola Superiore Meridionale, SSM) in Naples hosted an event of extraordinary importance yesterday, coordinated by the Sbarro Health Research Organization (SHRO), with the presence of the National Anti-Mafia and Counter-Terrorism Prosecutor, Dr. Giovanni Melillo, who delivered a lectio magistralis on “Constitutional Duties.”
Also present was the Mayor of Naples, Gaetano Manfredi, who opened the event by welcoming Prosecutor Melillo and the participating speakers. The Southern High School (SSM) is the first in southern Italy in terms of excellence in education and services dedicated to young students.
The event featured the participation of Professor Giuseppe Recinto, Chief of Staff of the Minister of Education and Merit, and Professor Antonio Giordano, Professor of Pathological Anatomy at the University of Siena, both members of the SSM Organizing Committee. Also in attendance were Professor Matteo Lorito, Rector of the Federico II University of Naples, and Professor Arturo De Vivo, Head of the Organizing Committee of the Southern High School.
Supporting the event were other members of the SSM Organizing Committee, such as Professor Giovanni Francesco Nicoletti, Rector of the University of Campania “L. Vanvitelli”, and Professor Pierdomenico Perata from the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies in Pisa.
Among the numerous attendees were the coordinators of SSM doctoral programs, including Professors Nicola Fusco, Salvatore Capozziello, and Professor Margherita Interlandi; the Director of the Department of Law, Professor Carla Masi; the Director of the Department of Humanities, Professor Andrea Mazzucchi; and the President of the School of Human and Social Sciences, Professor Stefano Consiglio. The event was also attended by PhD students and representatives of the City of Naples.
All attendees emphasized the central role of education in building a conscious and responsible society.
As Professor Giuseppe Recinto stated:
“In his lectio magistralis on ‘Constitutional Duties,’ Prosecutor Giovanni Melillo highlighted the centrality of duties in building democratic life. In particular, the distinguished speaker identified duties as the logical and legal foundation on which respect for others and solidarity are based. According to Melillo, strengthening duties also means strengthening rights, especially in such a complex historical moment as the present, where even freedom and peace appear as fragile values.”
Among the key figures of the event was the Sbarro Health Research Organization, led by Professor Antonio Giordano, who reiterated his commitment to spreading scientific culture, not only as a tool for technological progress but as a fundamental element in building a fairer and more just society.
The event is part of a broader awareness campaign on the value of research as a driver of social change, highlighting the connection between science, public health, and the fight against organized crime.
“Research and science stand alongside the most vulnerable groups, often those most subjugated by the mafia,” stated Dr. Antonio Giordano, Director of SHRO.
“Providing scientific information means helping citizens understand the value of the common good; events like this contribute to that goal. I am truly enthusiastic about yesterday’s event and the presence of the National Anti-Mafia Prosecutor, Dr. Giovanni Melillo, the highest Italian authority in the fight against mafia organizations.”
The Southern High School of Naples, a prestigious center of advanced education, confirms its role as a reference point for the promotion of culture and legality, not only in the Campania region but throughout Italy.
The Head of the SSM Organizing Committee, Professor Arturo De Vivo, expressed satisfaction with the success of the event, emphasizing the key message of Prosecutor Melillo’s speech:
“The prosecutor, drawing from the foundations of Platonic thought, provided a broad vision of the importance of duties in a democratic state that seeks to guarantee the rights of its citizens.”
The Sbarro Health Research Organization continues to promote the value of research as a tool for collective growth, strengthening the dialogue between institutions, academia, and civil society.