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Summary

In January and February 1956, Danilo Dolci led a five-day campaign in Sicily, Italy, combining a hunger strike and a reverse strike to demand employment and enforcement of fishing laws. The campaign ended with Dolci and six others arrested and sentenced to prison, but it drew national and international attention to the plight of the unemployed in southern Italy.

Background

In the 1950s, Sicily suffered from severe unemployment, starvation, poverty, and Mafia influence. Danilo Dolci, known as the ‘Gandhi of Italy,’ moved to western Sicily to improve conditions and identified the need for jobs and regulation of fishing laws. The campaign aimed to pressure the Italian government to provide employment and enforce the 4th Amendment to the Constitution regarding citizens’ right to work.

What happened

In December 1955, Dolci notified authorities of the planned fast and reverse strike, then traveled to gather support from unions and mayors [source: nv-database]. On January 30, 1956, Dolci and thousands of fishermen and unemployed citizens fasted on beaches in Trappeto, Balestrate, and Partinico, with police present but no violence [source: nv-database]. The next day, Dolci issued a national press statement asserting that underprivileged citizens deserved equal rights [source: nv-database]. On February 1, Salvatore Termini led a gathering at the Camera del Lavoro to spread the reverse strike idea, but the UIL withdrew support [source: nv-database]. On February 2, Dolci and 200 unemployed men began repairing a dirt road without pay; within 20 minutes, 400 police arrived with tear gas and clubs [source: nv-database]. When Dolci called authorities ‘murderers,’ he and six others were arrested [source: nv-database]. The remaining workers marched to the town hall, where they were promised jobs but later charged [source: nv-database]. Dolci and the others were sentenced to at least one month in prison and fines up to 20,000 lire [source: nv-database]. The campaign gained international recognition and spurred the creation of groups across Italy and Europe to address unemployment and poverty [source: nv-database].

Key people & organizations

  • Danilo Dolci
  • Salvatore Termini
  • Camera del Lavoro
  • UIL (Italian Labor Union)
  • Carlo Zanini
  • Ciccio Abbate
  • Ignazio Speciale

Tactics used

The hunger strike demonstrated peaceful intentions and moral pressure, while the reverse strike—working without pay—visibly highlighted the unemployed’s willingness to work and the government’s failure to provide jobs. These tactics, combined with media outreach and coalition-building, drew national attention to the cause. [source: nv-database]

Outcome

Verdict: partial.

The campaign achieved only 1 out of 6 specific demands, but it survived and grew, earning 5 out of 10 total points. Although Dolci and his followers were arrested and the immediate goals were not met, the campaign brought national and international attention to Sicily’s unemployment and poverty, leading to the formation of support groups across Europe. [source: nv-database]

Lessons

  • Combining a hunger strike with a reverse strike can dramatize unemployment and generate public sympathy.
  • Advance notification of nonviolent actions can reduce the risk of violent repression.
  • Even when immediate demands are not met, a campaign can succeed by shifting public awareness and building long-term support networks.

Sources

Disclaimer: Included as a teaching example of campaign craft, not as endorsement.

Sources & verification

  • nv-database — grounding: primary — license: link-only
  • Rewritten: 2026-06-25 via worker_casestudies_v2.py

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