Francesco Mugheddu, who died at the age of 58, fought his good fight with tenacity, courage and consistency. It ended its course too soon and kept faith in Christian and secular values, complementary, always in close connection. He was born and lived for a long time in Oristano and then moved to Monterotondo, near Rome.
Graduated in Physics, in 1998, after a few years of teaching in high school, he left his post to become, on behalf of the OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe), International Observer. He specialized in Human Rights and Democratization. "He was a true citizen of the world and, scattered around the world, he had an infinite number of people who loved him", reads today on social media. He leaves an autobiographical book, "Ostination in the service of democracy", published by the Erickson publishing house, in which he recounts the commitment of a physicist in international missions. A story that is intertwined with the challenge of multiple sclerosis, which is diagnosed on the eve of a very demanding business trip to Kosovo.
The stubbornness
«Even if you have a serious pathology – he said on the occasion of the book presentation in Cagliari – you must never consider yourself a loser. I think one should always find the positive side in all life's happenings; I can personally say that in this new condition I have gained the ability to observe and listen more to the people I come into contact with». He liked music, especially jazz, and knew many artists. He had asked Paolo Fresu to write the preface of the volume. «The book - writes Fresu - talks about the journeys and encounters that make the skin thick. It is through these that we build a strong armor and at the same time make ourselves more vulnerable in comparison with the world. Francesco tells - and tells himself - behind a thick protection but also with a transparency that weakens him on the outside, giving him extraordinary strength. The one that prompted him, in all these years, to deal with the complex realities of Eastern Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America in his role as International Observer at the service of peace. His stubbornness in wanting to travel the winding roads of peoples in difficulty and the gait of his multiple sclerosis are the key to reading this story that smacks of real life. Therefore "Obstination in the service of Democracy" is a warning and an example at the same time. It reminds us how tenuous the relationship with our neighbors is and challenges everyday life, with its difficulties and successes, to show how much life is able to always win.
S'Archittu
Francesco Mugheddu loved the sea and the world of S'Archittu, from the "whale" of Torre del Pozzo to the arch of white limestone, the natural monument which is the symbol of the seaside village in the municipality of Cuglieri. S'Archittu up until the end was his place of the heart in which to rediscover lost energy and serenity.
