Ernesto Olivero

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Ernesto Olivero, born on May 24, 1940, is an Italian activist and writer who founded Sermig, the Servizio Missionario Giovani. He is the youngest of nine siblings. He grew up in Pandola, in the province of Salerno, moving there with his family for work. After studying in Campania and then in Chieri, he worked in factories and later at a San Paolo bank before choosing to dedicate his life to fighting poverty.

On his 24th birthday, May 24, 1964, he started Sermig with his wife Maria Cerrato and a group of friends who met weekly at home. The aim was to help poor and marginalized people in Turin, guided by the teachings of the Gospel. Sermig sought to end hunger and injustices, build peace, help young people find purpose, and raise awareness about the problems of the world’s poor. The group grew quickly and moved from the Pontificie Opere Missionarie offices to the church on Arcivescovado Street in 1969. They chose to stay as “simple Christians” without political affiliations, even during the turbulent 1968 period. They organized fundraisers, exhibitions, markets and benefit concerts with artists like Nomadi, Al Bano and Romina Power, and Adriano Celentano, drawing large crowds.

In 1983 Olivero took over part of Turin’s old military arsenal in Borgo Dora and, with thousands of volunteers, transformed it into the Peace Arsenal (Arsenale della Pace), a sprawling complex of about 40,000 square meters. It became a “metropolitan monastery” that helped immigrants, drug addicts, alcoholics, AIDS patients and the homeless. In the 1990s, Giovani della Pace emerged from the Arsenal. The project later expanded worldwide with the Arsenal of Hope in São Paulo (1996) and the Arsenal of Meeting in Madaba, Jordan (2003).

Olivero's work extended to social reintegration, helping ex-prisoners and youths in trouble. He played a role as a mediator in Lebanon (1988) and in Italy during the Porto Azzurro prison revolt (1987). He was friends with Mother Teresa and Pope John Paul II. Some residents of the Arsenal chose celibacy and life there, leading the Archdiocese of Turin to recognize the Arsenal as an Institute of consecrated life.

Since 1976 Olivero has published several books, with proceeds supporting the Peace Arsenal. He has received numerous honors, including the Gold Medal for Civil Merit, recognition from King Hussein of Jordan, and acknowledgments from the United Nations and other institutions. Pope John Paul II called him a faithful friend of abandoned children. In 1999 he earned an honorary sociology degree from Turin University, and he has been nominated several times for the Nobel Peace Prize. In 2018, he received the Angelo Narducci prize at a festival marking the Peace Arsenal’s 35th anniversary.