From Sochi to Naples: Back to the Future

I’m waiting in the Moscow airport on my way from Sochi to Naples. It’s like going back to the future. Would you believe me? 

The story started last week. Alexander, a old Russian friend met at the Civil G8 in 2006, called asking for her. He was desperate. He had a week to find international experts for a roundtable on environmental sustainability in the Northern Caucasus. 

I wouldn’t define myself so but volunteered. You help friends even when you have to pretend. He did when I was in an emergency with a Putin’s guy then I returned the favor.

Reading the papers it turned out it was actually my sort of thing. The Russian government decided to invest 50bn in the Northern Caucasus and develop infrastructures for tourism in occasion of the Winter Olympics in 2014. I still don’t know if the figure is in rubles or $ but it’s considerable money for a region known just for war and terrorism. Moreover, the guys in charge seemed keen on getting it right and look into sustainability and environmental protection. 

Here I was with my cases on civil society engagement and social innovation for a sustainable and inclusive development. 

On Friday I flew to Sochi. I’ve just in Moscow but discovered Sochi is something else. It is a tourist resort on the eastern shores of the Black Sea. Already well known for its Mediterranean weather at the time of Czars, Sochi looks like Rimini in ’80s: affordable entertainment for middle class Russian families. No taste, no quality but it caters for the emerging middle class devoted to Putin’s order and progress. 

However, the service provided to foreign speakers was excellent. Egor, a young brilliant Russian engineer, chaperoned me, Sir Bubb and my friend Guido – the only expert in protected areas and conservation in the gang – for 3 days. All expenses covered including all sort of champagne Stephen can’t refrain from tasting when invited.    

Everything looked even more ‘glamorous’ as Sochi was hosting the largest International investment Forum in the country. Our roundtable was a fringe event. Actually that was the cherry on the cake. 

From the shores of the Black Sea we were escorted by the police in a VIP ‘cortège’ – as Egor defined it – to the top of a Caucasian mountain.  We were literally on the top in a sort of German style chalet still to be finished looking over a pristine landscape progressively devastated by a estate developement. 

I later realised that the guys were building a ski resort building a cement high way in the middle of the valley and pealing the mountain right to the top to provide ski allays to the same Russian tourists who come for the sea. As it came out in the discussion they want to build a Chamonix on the Caucasus. 

Without going into the French resort issue the whole roundtable was… how could I say… unique. Instead of planned 15 discussants we were at least 40 amongst Russians, French, Italian, British and Korean – never understood what the Korean did there. We were seated at long tables and fed constantly including a wonderful Champagne Rose’ that Stephen tasted repeatedly. 

I was sat between the advisor on environment of the President and the vice Chair of the Duma – a former Olympics champion who reminded that not only the Italian government displays attractive policy-makers. Unfortunately I could not converse with either as I-Pad and Facebook kept them busy. 

The discussion was very civilized. We had few speeches – one by Jean Michel Cousteau, son of the famous marine documentary-maker – followed by very reasonable comments… except for my doubts about taking violence in the region into the picture and involve local people in the design process. I was echoed by Guido and a Greenpeace activist who played the troublemakers. Isn’t this the role of environmentalists in the show? 

I left the mountain with mixed feeling. On one side government knows it has to invest in the region to stop the conflict and move on. On the other side, this is not the right way. Besides fuelling corruption and waste, this is not sustainable development but it’s the same recipe as industrialized liberal countries have already gone through. It’s top done massive investment to replicate foreign stereotype. It doesn’t include local people, doesn’t build on local resources, and offer anything new to compete internationally. I strongly doubt that anybody in Europe or US would be attracted by a sky resort in the Caucasus. 

However, I don’t want to give up. Let’s give them a chance. I offered to put them in touch with the guys in the Basque country who lead on a new strategy to overcome the conflict and build a sustainable, include and innovative development. They succeeded. The Guggenheim and Social Innovation Park are the symbol. Today the Basque country has the highest economic growth and the least unemployment rate in Spain. 

I also propose to run a social experiment as we are doing with Naples. Southern Italy is coming from the same path that the Russians want to take for the Caucasus. It doesn’t lead anywhere. Naples is the proof. They must look for something else and Naples can be the inspiration. 

The CEO of the resort invited me to make a presentation on my ideas in Moscow. Let’s see if we go ahead. I don’t give up. 

 The CEO of the resort invited me to make a presentation on my ideas in Moscow. Let’s see if we go ahead. I don’t give up.