Javier De Nicoló, (29 April 1928 – 22 March 2016) or Saverio (Javier) De Nicolò was an Italian-born Colombian salesian priest who developed a program that has offered more than 40,000 young people the education and moral support they needed to become productive citizens. Father Javier De Nicoló received countless distinctions.

UNICEF UNICEF ( ), originally the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, officially United Nations Children's Fund since 1953, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Development a ...

was one of those who paid tribute to the father Javier De Nicoló. De Nicoló was awarded La Orden De Boyacá (Colombia's highest government honor).

Life

Javier de Nicoló was born in

Bari Bari ( ; ; ; ) is the capital city of the Metropolitan City of Bari and of the Apulia Regions of Italy, region, on the Adriatic Sea in southern Italy. It is the first most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy. It is a port and ...

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

in 1928, the youngest of six children in the family of de Nicolò Lattanzi. His father was wounded three times in

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

and died when Javier was still a child. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Javier pursued his vocational training in a slaughter- house, after bombing raids destroyed his high school. In October 1949, as a seminarian, Javier de Nicoló landed at Buenaventura,

Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...

a year after the bogotazo. Javier de Nicoló was ordained priest on 28 October 1958. Javier de Nicoló spent his life in the planning and implementation of projects for the rehabilitation and education of thousands of street children, especially in the cities of

Bogotá Bogotá (, also , , ), officially Bogotá, Distrito Capital, abbreviated Bogotá, D.C., and formerly known as Santa Fe de Bogotá (; ) during the Spanish Imperial period and between 1991 and 2000, is the capital city, capital and largest city ...

, Bucaramanga and

Barranquilla Barranquilla () is the capital district of the Atlántico department in Colombia. It is located near the Caribbean Sea and is the largest city and third port in the Caribbean region of Colombia, Caribbean coast region; as of 2018, it had a popul ...

. He had a determination to live up to his resolution: "the best experience in the world is to serve humanity."

published the book "Street children", about his work and life, which were honored in Washington, on October 25, 2001. Javier received the award "Ivy Humanitarian Prize ' a lifetime of humanitarian achievements", created to strengthen and differentiate those who have made great contributions to the well-being of children. Father Javier de Nicoló received countless distinctions such as the recognition made by the UNICEF and the award " Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity" by the Government of Italy. De Nicoló directed both the government's Instituto Distrital para la Protección de la Niñez y la Juventud (IDIPRON) and the nongovernmental organization he had founded, Fundación Servicio de Orientación Juvenil (FSJ). IDIPRON helps children rescued from the streets. Javier de Nicoló died in

on 22 March 2016.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nicolo, Javier de 1928 births 2016 deaths 20th-century Colombian Roman Catholic priests Colombian human rights activists Colombian educators Italian emigrants to Colombia People of Apulian descent

Life

See also

References