QUO VADIS?

In the classic American blockbuster that I watch every Christmas, the Cristians had to make a difficult choice about their lives and the future of their new faith. Those early times were pretty challenging for our ancestors – I take for granted the main bulk of my readers is made of good Christians – but they went through it, the Gospel overthrew the Roman eagle and take over the Empire after flocks of believers had been fed to the beasts in the circus and enterteined the public. Is this a lesson for the sector?

My question inspired by the title of my previous entry – dear Latinist readers – seems right to me as the global economic situation is progressively deteriorating and I can’t see any leadership rallying everyone to face the crisis. Actually, in Europe, we are witnessing a revival of old fashion nationalism.

As the Emperor Nero set fire to his capital the new Christians step up to build a new world on the ashes of Rome. Is the third sector ready to step over and exploit the window opened by the crisis?

Unfortunately it looks the contrary. First of all there is a general lack of initiative to tackle the outputs of the crisis excluding multiplying unreasonable requests to governments. The sector still relies on government leadership. Are you waiting for Godot?

I can’t see any joint effort to make the structural changes the sector requires to modernize: a European certification of good governance and performance, a Europe bank for social investments – with benefits for business growth, start-ups and young social entrepreneurs.

We also need a reform of European funding, the largest donor in Europe and one of the top donors in the world. I would add dedicated media, equal-footing partnership with corporations, and general recognition of the sector’s value for society’s wellbeing starting with the establishment of a third sector DG in the European Commission.

This is just to start with the European institutions. I could add more items to the list if I took in to consideration specific countries and multilateral organisations. You may also want to add something else. Perhaps a European third sector forum is what we need to set up our priorities. Shall we ask Sarko to lead on this?

In Western countries it hasn’t been realized yet that the sector is the 21st secret weapon of democracies. It’s not the well-known social-cohesion faction I mean. It’s about the future of Europe in the world.

Western countries can win the world battle for hearts and minds with neither weapons – too dangerous! – nor money – they run out of it!!! But a globally expanding western-like civil society is becoming a driving force for more transparency and accountability of governments and corporations in countries with fast growing economies and armies which haven’t learnt the international etiquette yet. 

The sector could be the secret weapon to spread international standards based on sustainable development and human rights across the world.

Although the immediate future might look gloomy don’t forget that the Christian network took 3 more centuries to size power. So have faith and you will testify the global triumph of the third sector!