I left for Brazil with my mate Albeo for a deserved break. No family this year but just fun. Now we are at the Iguazu Falls right on the border between Brazil, Argentina and Paraguai.
Do you remember the film The Mission with Robert De Niro and Jeremy Iron? It was shot here.
It’s one of my favourite film. Jeremy Iron is a Jesuit who lives with the Guarani, the local indigenes, on the top of the Iguazu Falls. His mission is to convert the indigenous polution and save them from slavery. Christians couldn’t be enslaved.
Robert De Niro started as a mercenary who capture and slave Guarani. After killing his brother by accident he took the vowls and becomes a Jesuit as well and join the Guarani community.
Unfortunately geopolitics doesn’t care about people. Spain passed the land of Guarani to Portugal which doen’t respect the rights of indigenous Christians.
Despite the orders of a Cardinal sent by Rome the Jesuits decided to stay: Iron praying, De Niro fighting with the Guarani.
Except in Avatar – another film pon the same topic – or Lienin’s fantasy indigenous people never win. Imperialism always trimph
So all the Jesuits and Gaurani adult are killed. A bunch of kids escape the massacre and leave to establish a new village. Life always prevails.
I’ve always looked at my self as Robert De Niro and Alberto as Jeremy Iron. Both are defeated but don’t betryed their principles. Something survives. I like thinking we are heroes and fight for a better world.
This was true until I sow the webpage of Make a Change, a new Italian initiative launched by well known guys in the secor as Luciano Balbo, Felice Scalvini and Davide Dal Maso to promote and develop social business. In the home page a social enterpreneur is pictured as an homeless person begging for help a young consultant in a suit.
Isn’t offensive or just stupid? Defenitively not flattering for either Italians or the sector.
It’s a good lesson to remind us there are many who still believe they can treat us a beggars. My conclusion tey deserve a Jesuit’s blade!
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.