This week I went to see the last film of Amenabar, Agora: it’s the story of Hypatia, one of the few women philosophers. She lived in Alexandria between IV and V century. The decadence of Roman Empire was on his way and the conflicts between the Ellens – the pagans – and new Christians – the Talibans of that time – was thriving.
Do you believe in tolerance towards who doesn’t share your view and love research and innovation of human condition? Ipazia did and paid with her life. She was killed by monks because didn’t conform with Christianity.
If you share her passion for freedom and innovation it’s a film for you. It’s my film, indeed… but not sure that everybody in the third sector would agree with me.
Let me confess what happened recently with some Italians from the coop movement.
My faithful readers know that last April I organised a roundtable on innovative funding for civil society at the European Parliament. The Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Patrizia Toia was hosting the event. She is a member of the social economy intergroup at the EP and she signed a report on social economy in the former legislation.
The roundtable was very successful. A real buzz. We have been asked to organise another one. The MEP didn’t show up with an excuse. Fortunately Kinga Goencz MEP – former Hungarian Minister, even more senior than her Italian (and not really brave) colleague – attended, together with several colleagues of the European Commission.
Yesterday, I discovered that the MEP had been told not to attend because what we do is not welcomed by some elephants that have highjacked social economy in Brussels. I call them the Talibans. As their “relatives” in Afghanistan, the third sector Talibans don’t believe in innovation and they want that nothing changes. How would you call them?
What makes me really angry is not the difference of opinion. This is legitimate and healthy. I love pluralism, but I can’t bear the viles who don’t stand for their ideals, plot behind the curtains and undermine whatever you do putting up friendly smile when they meet you.
A Euclid board member was also reprimanded because he was involved in such initiatives. The Talibans don’t want anybody in the flok to break ranks. This kind of civil society bureaucracy in Brussels is scared by innovators: people in their respective countries might realize they don’t have to waste money to keep representatives in Brussels who achieve pretty little. Change is happening across Europe, not in the bubble.
The same bureaucrats are showing they are useless when it’s about facing real challenges as Greek debt and crisis of Euro. They manage situations but can’t find solutions. They don’t have leadership, therefore they are scared by the concept.
The conflict between vested interests and innovators is as old as human history. It’s the engine of it.
Hypatia lost her life fighting the Talibans of her time. She was alone. We are not. The new generations want to work in the sector but have room for innovations. They want to have a successful carrier with civic engagement. We don’t want to play the escorts of old eunuchs and won’t do it. The eunuchs will be sent on holiday. It’s our time!
Cosa fa VITA?
Da 30 anni VITA è la testata di riferimento dell’innovazione sociale, dell’attivismo civico e del Terzo settore. Siamo un’impresa sociale senza scopo di lucro: raccontiamo storie, promuoviamo campagne, interpelliamo le imprese, la politica e le istituzioni per promuovere i valori dell’interesse generale e del bene comune. Se riusciamo a farlo è grazie a chi decide di sostenerci.