2021 Program
Friday 20 August
Meetings
Opening session
With the contribution of Regione Emilia-Romagna
Speech by Sergio Mattarella, President of the Italian Republic. Introduction by Bernhard Scholz, President of the Meeting for Friendship Among Peoples Foundation.
The courage of challenges. Going beyond limits
A meeting with italian sportspeople in collaboration with Sport Biz
Speech by Valentina Vezzali, Undersecretary of State for Sport. Participants: Antonio Giovinazzi, Team Alfa Romeo Racing Orlen driver; Gregorio Paltrinieri, Swimmer, Silver and Bronze Olympic Medalist at Tokyo 2020; Matteo Pessina, Footballer, midfielder of the national team, European Champion and Atalanta Bergamasca Calcio. Introduced by Davide Perillo, Journalist.
Where does the audacity that is needed to perform "the feat" come from in the lives of young, talented sportspeople? How do you takeup the challenge of competing and beating your opponents and, often, your own limits? What models do these young people look up to? How do they remain clear-headed and determined, knowing that one mistake can compromise the hard work and effort of years of training? What are the values that cannot be abandoned? And how does your relationship with the public and with success change, if at all, your everyday life? An interview and a wide-ranging dialogue with the new protagonists of Italian sport.
Young people for a new economy: from The Economy of Francesco, an “I” in action
In collaboration with Fondazione per la Sussidiarietà.
Luigino Bruni, Scientific Director of The Economy of Francesco, Professor of Political Economy at LUMSA, Editorialist of Avvenire; Luca Farè, PhD student in Economics, Université de Namur; Paolo Grignani, Financial Analyst, Sella Bank; Domenico Rossignoli, Researcher at the Faculty of Political and Social Sciences, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore. Introduced by Giacomo Ciambotti, Research Fellow and Professor of Business Strategy, Università Cattolica and Research fellow, ALTIS and E4Impact Foundation.
The self, faith and the challenge of cultures
Adrien Candiard, OP, Member of the Institut dominicain d'études orientales (IDEO); Agbonkhianmeghe E. Orobator SJ, SJ, President of the Jesuit Conference of Africa and Madagascar (JCAM). Introduced by Alberto Savorana, Spokesperson for Communion and Liberation.
Two protagonists of ecclesial life on an international level will discuss the theme of the Meeting. Adrien Candiard, Dominican from Paris, transplanted in Egypt where he studies Islam, with his books and his preaching is able to make modernity dialogue with the nerve centre of Christianity in our time, the vocation to freedom. Agbonkhianmeghe Orobator, Nigerian Jesuit, responsible for the Society of Jesus throughout Africa and author of theology appreciated in different parts of the world, embodies the transformation of those who embrace the Christian faith as adults, rediscovering and at the same time enlivening their cultural roots, thus verifying that Christianity is the greatest fulfilment of the human being because it corresponds to the profound desire for happiness and fullness proper to the self.
Italy 2021: what does it mean to innovate?
In collaboration with the Foundation for Subsidiarity
Vittorio Colao, Minister for Technological Innovation and Digital Transition; Alessandro Profumo, CEO of Leonardo; Marco Sesana, Country Manager & CEO of Generali Italia and Global Business Lines. Introduced by Giorgio Vittadini, President of the Foundation for Subsidiarity.
Italy's GDP is on the verge of an important rebound after the pandemic crisis. Perhaps even a real recovery, after the weak growth of the last twenty years. However, all this can only happen if there is a major change in the productive and cultural apparatus, in the wake of technological innovation, digital transition and investment in human capital.
Minister Colao and the managers of a number of large Italian companies discuss the main features of this change. How can it be achieved? Under what conditions? What kind of adaptation will this technological and digital transition require from workers? How can no one be left behind on the path to a new phase of growth?
United states. Democracy at a crossroad?
Paolo Carozza, Director of the Helen Kellogg Institute for International Studies at the University of Notre Dame; Joshua Mitchell, Professor of Political Theory, Georgetown University; Maurizio Molinari, Director of La Repubblica. Introduced by Martina Saltamacchia, Distinguished Associate Professor of Medieval History at the University of Nebraska, Omaha.
What is happening across the Atlantic, documents on the big screen of history the fundamental interdependence between the individual and the people, in other words the need for the self to be within the context of a people in order to emerge, the essential contribution of each person to the common good and consequently the impossibility that a people’s government (demos) is truly such without a civil society characterised by this reciprocity.
Are we witnessing a crisis in the founding structure on which American society was built? Or is a different evolution taking place, if it is true that democracy is a system that governs difficulties and crises and is therefore unstable by definition? What then is the vital link between the presence of people who take responsibility with the courage to say 'I' and democracy itself?
In order to address this issue in all its complexity, we want to focus on the United States, in many respects an outpost where history is always ahead. Speaking at a European cultural event such as the Meeting about this crisis on the other side of the ocean therefore means talking in advance about something that concerns us all.
Guareschi. A job for me too
In collaboration with Gruppo Amici di Giovannino Guareschi
Egidio Bandini, Journalist and President of the Gruppo Amici di Giovannino Guareschi (Group of the Friends of Giovannino Guareschi); Enrico Beruschi, Director and Actor; Gianni Govi, Actor and Director; Eugenio Martani, Clarinetist; Corrado Medioli, Accordionist; Giancarlo Plessi, Parish Priest of Besenzone, Bersano, Mercore and President of the Mons. Manfredini Spirituality Centre in Piacenza.
The "words and music" session that the cultural association "Gruppo Amici di Giovannino Guareschi" wanted to showcase at the Meeting 2021 is named after one of the most amusing and, at the same time, moving family tales of Giovannino Guareschi's work. The series of Guareschi's tales will be read by Gianni Govi, actor of the "Dialettale sissese" company, by Enrico Beruschi, who needs no introduction, and by Egidio Bandini, president of the "Gruppo Amici di Giovannino Guareschi", with the intervention of Don Giancarlo Plessi, parish priest of Besenzone and president of the Manfredini Spiritual Centre of Piacenza and the musical accompaniment of masters Eugenio Martani and Corrado Medioli. The theme is, of course, that of work: the work of Giovannino Guareschi, writer, journalist, scriptwriter and cartoonist; the work of Peppone, blacksmith, mechanic (also a precision mechanic) and mayor and that of don Camillo, priest, parish priest but, if necessary, labourer and farmer. All this will be used to tell how much Guareschi valued work, the will to work and, above all, the combination - for him inseparable - of work and life. All this will be enriched with popular music and famous harmonies, performed by the masters Martani and Medioli. "Words and music with Giovannino Guareschi" ends with little Carlotta, the "Pasionaria" of Guareschi's tales, who invents a job for her father: she who, returning to the theme of the 2021 Meeting "The courage to say I", used to reiterate her conviction that " It means more “I” if I say “me”! “.
Covid-19, the central role of scientific research: the challenge of a vaccine and effective therapy
In collaboration with DOC Generici and Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
Stefano Bertuzzi, CEO of the American Society for Microbiology (ASM); Andrea Costa, Subsecretary of State for Health; Skhumbuzo Ngozwana, CEO and President Kiara Health; Walter Ricciardi, President of the World Federation of Public Health Associations and Professor at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore. Introduced by Riccardo Zagaria, CEO of DOC Generici.
Over the last few months, we have all seen how important research is for the lives of all of us. More than 250 clinical trials are currently underway investigating effective vaccines and treatments against Covid -19 and future pandemics. Significant public and private investments have made this unprecedented effort possible. However, investments alone would not have been enough, because behind every research project there are people who, with determination, have carried out projects amidst a thousand difficulties and limitations. At this year's Meeting, we want to meet these people and hear about their human journey.
Liveability and accessibility. The inclusive city
In collaboration with ARS Aedificandi
Giuseppe Bonomi, Managing Director of Milanosesto S.p.a.; Antonio Decaro, President of ANCI and Mayor of Bari; Carlo Ratti, Architect and Engineer, Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Director of the MIT Senseable City Lab; Irene Tinagli, President of the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee of the European Parliament. Introduced by Guido Bardelli, President of Compagnia delle Opere.
In the coming years, the challenge of improving people's quality of life will largely take place in cities. It is on the type of development that we will be able to imagine and build that the solutions to old and new problems of large urban centres will depend.
In order to achieve these ambitious and indispensable objectives, which concern the entire country and Europe at the same time, the choice of orienting every new urban project towards the principles and dynamics of the circular economy, ecological transition and sustainable mobility has already been made in many experiences. What social, economic and institutional levers must therefore be involved so that the horizon of “civitas” become increasingly that of freedom and well-being for all? Is it possible to think about new forms of living, moving and working in a quest for inclusiveness? What will be the tangible features of a fully accessible and liveable city in the future?
Talk “The work to come”. Working is changing
Curated by Foundation for Subsidiarity. In collaboration with Philip Morris International
Elena Bonetti, Minister for Equal Opportunities and the Family; Marco Ceresa, Group Chief Executive Officer Randstad; Andrea Orlando, Minister of Labour and Social Policies; Renzo Sartori, President of Number1 and President Associazione Next; Luigi Sbarra, Secretary General of Cisl; Giorgio Vittadini, President of the Foundation for Subsidiarity.
This first session is intended as an overview of the issues that will be discussed by the talk during the Meeting week. It will describe the extreme changes currently taking place and the situation of work and workers, as well as the previously existing problems worsened by the pandemic. A special emphasis will be put on new jobs likely to let us understand what realities will remain and become permanent and what are the future wrok-related issues that will arise. The stories of some workers will be told through journalistic reports: ranging from those who lost everything during the pandemic and are now facing a dramatic situation, to those who have earned money and have seen their companies grow and develop in times of general great difficulty. We will talk about this with two ministers, a union representative, a company and an association on the front line.
THE CRACK AND THE LIGHT. Interview with Edith Bruck
This meeting is part of a cycle of video interviews, made by the magazine Tracce, with Edith Bruck, Jesús Carrasco and Elisa Fuksas: three protagonists of the culture of our time tell each other in a one-on-one conversation, offering their gaze on today, through the wounds of personal and collective history. The title is inspired by Leonard Cohen's verse, taken from Anthem: "There is a crack in everything and from there the light enters."
Edith Bruck, deported to concentration camps at the age of thirteen, is one of the greatest living witnesses to the Holocaust. And to what it means to "go back to life" after hell. Born in Hungary in 1931, into a poor Jewish family, she is a writer, translator, film director, author of "Il pane perduto” (The lost bread) (Premio Strega Giovani 2021). In the intimate memory of her life, there is all the passion for the generation of the present.
The possibility to say ‘I’. The mystery of language
Andrea Moro, Neurolinguist and writer, Professor of General Linguistics, IUSS, University of Applied Sciences, Pavia. Introduced by Mauro Ceroni, Professor of Neurology, Department of Sciences of the Nervous System and Behaviour, University of Pavia. Director of the General Neurology Unit, National Neurological Institute IRCCS Mondino in Pavia.
In order to try to understand the immensity of the courage to say 'I', we must first understand what gives us the possibility to say 'I'. It is therefore necessary to reflect on the uniqueness of human language and how it expresses the neurobiological architecture, which is unique to our species. We will go through the discovery of "impossible" languages in order to savour the freedom we are allowed within the borders of Babel.
Shows
Uto Ughi in concert
The Uto Ughi and Friends Orchestra will open the 42nd edition of the 2021 Meeting by performing Antonio Vivaldi's "Four Seasons". Maestro Ughi, accompanied by an exceptional ensemble of sixteen musicians, will introduce Vivaldi's sonnets preceding the performance of each concert, thus creating a captivating and evocative combination of music and poetry. The performed pieces not only represent one of the highest peaks of Italian musical creativity, they also have a symbolic connotation of life celebration.
In collaboration with Emilia Romagna Festival
In collaboration with Emilia Romagna Festival
MEETING MUSIC CONTEST
First evening of performance of the semi-finalists
Con il contributo della Regione Emilia-Romagna.
The Meeting Music Contest, conceived by the Rimini Meeting and the Mei of Faenza, reaches the semi-finals finally proposing live music.
After a scrupulous and careful evaluation - as many as 137 proposals received - the very young artists have been selected, between singers and bands, who will perform on the stage of the Meeting and will have the opportunity to win a place at the final, scheduled for August 25 in Rimini in the evocative setting of Piazza Tre Martiri.
The Artistic Direction, of which the organizers are part, will evaluate the performances of the artists in the competition and will designate the finalists who will compete for the victory and the coveted prizes up for grabs before the Jury of Honor composed of Lorenzo Baglioni, N.A.I.P., Erica Mou, Federico Mecozzi, Max Monti and other representatives of the recording and music sector, together with Giordano Sangiorgi and Otello Cenci, coordinators.
The Meeting Music Contest, conceived by the Rimini Meeting and the Mei of Faenza, reaches the semi-finals finally proposing live music.
After a scrupulous and careful evaluation - as many as 137 proposals received - the very young artists have been selected, between singers and bands, who will perform on the stage of the Meeting and will have the opportunity to win a place at the final, scheduled for August 25 in Rimini in the evocative setting of Piazza Tre Martiri.
The Artistic Direction, of which the organizers are part, will evaluate the performances of the artists in the competition and will designate the finalists who will compete for the victory and the coveted prizes up for grabs before the Jury of Honor composed of Lorenzo Baglioni, N.A.I.P., Erica Mou, Federico Mecozzi, Max Monti and other representatives of the recording and music sector, together with Giordano Sangiorgi and Otello Cenci, coordinators.
Saturday 21 August
Meetings
Recovering enterprises
Guido Bardelli, President of Compagnia delle Opere; Carlo Bonomi, President of Confindustria. Testimonies by Attilio Briccola, Managing Director Bric's S.p.A.; Emanuela Lucchini, President of ICI Caldaie. Introduced by Dario Di Vico, Editorialist of Corriere della Sera.
The economic recovery and the factors that can stimulate it, underscore the strategic role played by businesses and by our entire production system. During the long pandemic period, several gaps have emerged between different industrial and commercial sectors, in terms of economic results, employment and timing of the restart.
In this new and long-awaited phase in which the pandemic, although not yet definitively behind us, is becoming a more contained phenomenon, it is of paramount importance to understand how the most heavily hit companies can regain their competitiveness, while those that have worked at full capacity can be further enhanced in order to trigger the emergence of new entrepreneurial ecosystems capable of driving and stabilising growth.
Investing in education today, means betting on the School-Work alliance
Stefano Bolognini, Councillor for Metropolitan City Development, Youth and Communication, Lombardy Region; Giorgio De Rita, Director General of CENSIS; Ezio Delfino, School Headmaster and President of DiSAL; Paolo Lattanzio, Member of the Italian Parliament, Democratic Party; Gabriele Toccafondi, Member of the Italian Parliament, Italia Viva. Introduced by Ubaldo Casotto, Journalist and curator of the exhibition "School-Work Alliance. It is never too late".
At the 2020 Meeting Mario Draghi called for investments in young people, i.e. in education. History shows that Italy has always recovered and grown after a crisis because it invested in schools. But what does investing in education mean today? In "Laborem Exercens" (the 40th anniversary of which falls this year), St. John Paul II said that "the organisation of human life according to the multiple possibilities of work should be matched by a suitable system of education and training, which above all has as its goal the development of a mature humanity, but also a specific preparation to occupy with profit a proper place in the great and socially differentiated work bench". School and work cannot be two disconnected worlds; education is the common ground for their alliance.
The roots of a new leadership
Curated by AVSI
Giovanna Bottani, Operation Senior Conultant, STMicroelectronics Foundation; Erneste Nzeyimana, Director of Telecom Services Provider Ltd, Rwanda, child supported at a distance by AVSI; Yasmine Sherif, Director, Education Cannot Wait; Giampaolo Silvestri, Secretary General of AVSI. Introduced by Paolo Lembo, Former UN Official.
The dialogue intends to investigate the role of education in the process of shaping leaders capable of thinking and acting for the common good, particularly in developing countries in the post-pandemic era.
The speakers will analyse the topic from different perspectives: the standpoint of someone who, as head of Education Cannot Wait, an international agency of the UN, has a global vision of educational needs and of the potential to be promoted in the light of the lessons learned during the pandemic; the vantage point of a young manager of an important Rwandan company, who was able to "make a career" thanks to the education he received through distance support promoted by AVSI; the experience of the STMicroelectronics Foundation, an enterprise foundation working worldwide against the digital divide; the point of view of an NGO that has been working “hands on” for fifty years with the most vulnerable new generations; the perspective of the private sector that is committed to actively collaborating with NGOs, the local civil society and institutions to promote sustainable development.
The courage to say ‘I’
Javier Prades, Rector of the San Damaso University of Madrid. Introduced by Bernhard Scholz, President of the Meeting for Friendship Among Peoples Foundation.
In this pivotal moment of change we can notice the first signs of a significant discontinuity: the overcoming of a certain superficiality towards oneself, the re-emergence of existential questions that were minimized or neglected for a long time, the acknowlegement of the limits of individualism and the search for more solid and supportive relationships. The economic and ecological crises, the pandemic and geopolitical uncertainties have led many people to take a new look at themselves. In this context, the Danish philosopher's invitation to "the courage to say 'I'" becomes particularly powerful in recognising the deep needs of our lives, in order to follow without ado the desire for good and the search for truth that opens our "I" to the world and to relations with others. A courage that does not resign itself to the drama of life, but takes it up as a challenge to discover what can fulfil the expectations resonating in every "I".
Re-opening to the world in a safe and sustainable way
Alberto Cirio, President of Piedmont; Attilio Fontana, President of Lombardy; Maurizio Fugatti, President of the Autonomous Province of Trento; Massimo Garavaglia, Minister of Tourism; Nello Musumeci, President of Sicily; Donatella Tesei, President of Umbria Region. Introduced by Gianluca Giansante, Parner Comin & Partners, Professor Luiss Guido Carli. Moderated by Roberto Inciocchi, Journalist of SkyTg24.
Italy's extraordinary artistic, cultural and historical wealth makes it the Bel Paese that the whole world knows. After a long period of forced lockdown, the borders are now reopening and with them the opportunity to come back to appreciate - for tourism and business purposes - the beauties of Italy. But what has changed with the pandemic? What are the prospects for the development of domestic and international tourism? In what way does the 'reopening' also represent a possibility for growth, with a greater awareness of the incredible richness that we have?
The pandemic period has certainly overturned the paradigms of mobility, safety and sustainability. Where are we going exactly?
“Food coalition”. The nutrition’s challenge in times of pandemic
In collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
Agnes Kalibata, UN Secretary General's Special Envoy to the 2021 Food Systems Summit; Maurizio Martina, Special Advisor and Deputy Director General of FAO; Ettore Prandini, President of Coldiretti; Marina Sereni, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation; Sister Alessandra Smerilli, Undersecretary of the Dicastery for the Service of Integral Human Development for the Faith and Development Sector, Economic Advisor to the Pope. Introduced by Conchita Sannino, Journalist for La Repubblica
In 2021, in a year that is still difficult due to the continuation of the pandemic, but within a horizon of confident hope thanks to the significant progress of the vaccination campaign, Italy will be the host country and protagonist of international events of first magnitude: the 2021 UN Summit on Food Systems, the Presidency of the G20, the co-organisation with England of the Conference of the Parties on Climate Change of the United Nations. As an opportunity to share contents and extraordinary communication of Italy's commitment in the international scenario in this particular historical context, in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, a session is proposed on the following themes: nutrition, the use and sharing of food resources, the fight against hunger and waste, in other words the Food Coalition.
Digital health and community medicine
In collaboration with DOC Generici. With the contribution of Regione Emilia-Romagna
Paolo Benanti, Professor at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome and expert in bioethics, ethics of technologies and human adaptation; Anna Odone, Professor of General and Applied Hygiene at the University of Pavia. Introduced by Mattia Altini, Health Director of AUSL Romagna.
Digital technology today is characterised by an unprecedented pervasiveness: every object is connected to the Net with consequences that we are only able to glimpse. In this scenario, digital technology represents a paradigm of distributed intelligence, knowledge, action and governance, from which Health Systems can simultaneously learn and benefit. Today, it is becoming possible to think of integrated hospital-territory medicine – a project that remained for decades in a drawer of the National Health System (NHS) - thanks to technology and the network.
Concepts such as "control", "governance", "coordination", "objectives" must be questioned and conceptually moved from hospital desks to the streets of a territory. Can we reorganise an increasingly fast, technological, distributed, costly, capable and innovative NHS?
Dante: the journey of the self, our adventure
In collaboration with Avvenire
Emilia Guarnieri, Teacher, former President of the Meeting for Friendship Among Peoples Foundation; Ron Herzman, Distinguished Teaching Professors at the State University of New York at Geneseo, USA; Vittorio Montemaggi, Senior Lecturer in Religion and the Arts in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at King's College London, U. K.; Brian K. Reynolds, Department of Italian Language and Culture and the Graduate Institute for Comparative Literature at Fu Jen University, Taipei. Introduced by Filippo Gianferrari, Assistant Professor of Literature University of California, Santa Cruz. Moderated by Marco Aluigi, Vice Director & Congress Manager Meeting for Friendship Amongsts Peoples Foundation.
700 years after his death, we can still undertake the divine and human journey in the company of Dante Alighieri, in universities and schools, as well as in American prisons and in cultures seemingly far removed from that of the poet, and in many other situations.
The adventure of the Divine Comedy reveals the possible reality of a fulfilled experience of humanity; in its spiritual and symbolic parabola, Dante's adventure is a journey of authentic humanity that reaches the ineffable encounter with the divine: "Trasumanar significar per verba / non si porìa; però l'essemplo basti / a cui esperienza grazia serba" (Dante, Paradiso, I, 70-73).
What characteristics make Dante's experience universal to the point that even today his work manages to speak to men and women in every part of the world?
What kind of cultural, existential and ontological experience does he suggest and propose to today's individual, even in such dark ("Nel mezzo del cammin di nostra vita mi ritrovai per una selva oscura") and in some ways desperate times, as those of the pandemic?
From the motor valley to the future of earth
With the contibution of Regione Emilia-Romagna
Stefano Bonaccini, President of the Emilia Romagna Region; Andrea Pontremoli, CEO of Dallara; Alessandra Zinno, General Director of the Autodromo Nazionale Monza SIAS SpA. Introduced by Emmanuele Forlani, Director of the Meeting for Friendship amongst Peoples Foundation.
Factories, circuits, museums, universities. The Motor Valley is defined as a "growing rumble". Emilia Romagna has always been the cradle of passion for two and four wheels, and the production district boasts the presence of world-class companies such as Dallara, Ducati, Ferrari and Lamborghini. Entrepreneurial skills, passion, creativity, competitiveness and a taste for 'beauty' are common elements. The love and bond with the territory, the educational vocation and the ability to network are the key features of the protagonists of this session that the Meeting offers to its audience. The industrial perspective cannot ignore the fact that according to some estimates in 2030 more than 31 million battery-powered vehicles will hit the roads all over the world. The district's investments and prospects represent a great opportunity to discover the sense of responsibility, the collaboration spirit and the creative power of the entrepreneurs and all the people who are imagining and somehow building the future of our planet: men and women who have the courage to say I.
Talk “The work to come”. A world without borders
Curated by Foundation for Subsidiarity. In collaboration with Philip Morris International
Vincenzo Durante, Head Area Occupazione at Invitalia; Antonio Loffredo, Parish Priest of the Basilica di S. Maria della Sanità, Naples; Maurizio Martina, Special Advisor and Deputy Director-General of FAO; Alberto Sinigallia, President of Fondazione Progetto Arca.
This second session will focus on youth and employment, on the people who are breaking new ground, on young entrepreneurs who are inventing new businesses to support their contexts. The journalistic reports will investigate what integration-oriented companies are doing. We will talk about new business models, cooperatives and BCorp contributing to the common good. We will learn about new companies emerging in countries seeking stable development, as well as about new opportunities arising from the application of new techniques in economically advanced settings. These issues will be considered within the broader immigration framework and the real possibilities of integration.
The guests will be two companies that are actively engaged in their territories and the representative of a major international organisation such as the FAO.
Are there still novels that tell the story of man?
Carmen Pellegrino, Author; Marco Pisoni, Screenwriter; Gian Mario Villalta, Artistic Director of the Pordenonelegge literary festival, author and poet. Introduced and moderated by Luca Doninelli, Author. With video contributions by Alessandro Baricco, Writer; Sergio Givone, Philosopher; Massimo Onofri, Literary Critic.
The courage to say "I" also about novels: are novels still able to provide answers to those questions that the pandemic made more urgent than ever? Are novels industrial products churning out curiosities and good writing, but do they still have the strength and relevance to address human beings and their anxieties, their questions and uncertainties? What has replaced novels today? Perhaps tv series and on-demand multimedia contents? Are we losing something essential and fundamental to our civilisation? Authors, scriptwriters and literary experts will discuss a topic that concerns us all.
Shows
DANTE 2021 – I FOUND MYSELF IN… from the dark wood to Paradise
Free tickets subject to availability, bookable through the Meeting App
On the occasion of the 700th death anniversary of the Supreme Poet, the Meeting, in collaboration with the Italian Association of Cultural Centres and the Teatro delle Albe of Ravenna, proposes a show focused on the Divine Comedy. During the Rimini Meeting, Marco Martinelli, for years engaged in a project to get closer to the Dante anniversary with the realization of 'choral' shows, staged by non-professional actors, will start at the Rimini Meeting, an itinerary that will continue in different cities of Italy. The whole evening will be even more evocative thanks to the magic natural setting of Piazza Tre Martiri.
In collaboration with Associazione Italiana Centri Culturali
On the occasion of the 700th death anniversary of the Supreme Poet, the Meeting, in collaboration with the Italian Association of Cultural Centres and the Teatro delle Albe of Ravenna, proposes a show focused on the Divine Comedy. During the Rimini Meeting, Marco Martinelli, for years engaged in a project to get closer to the Dante anniversary with the realization of 'choral' shows, staged by non-professional actors, will start at the Rimini Meeting, an itinerary that will continue in different cities of Italy. The whole evening will be even more evocative thanks to the magic natural setting of Piazza Tre Martiri.
In collaboration with Associazione Italiana Centri Culturali
MEETING MUSIC CONTEST
Second evening of performance of the semi-finalists
With the contribution of Regione Emilia-Romagna.
The Meeting Music Contest, conceived by the Rimini Meeting and the Mei of Faenza, reaches the semi-finals finally proposing live music.
After a scrupulous and careful evaluation - as many as 137 proposals received - the very young artists have been selected, between singers and bands, who will perform on the stage of the Meeting and will have the opportunity to win a place at the final, scheduled for August 25 in Rimini in the evocative setting of Piazza Tre Martiri.
The Artistic Direction, of which the organizers are part, will evaluate the performances of the artists in the competition and will designate the finalists who will compete for the victory and the coveted prizes up for grabs before the Jury of Honor composed of Lorenzo Baglioni, N.A.I.P., Erica Mou, Federico Mecozzi, Max Monti and other representatives of the recording and music sector, together with Giordano Sangiorgi and Otello Cenci, coordinators.
The Meeting Music Contest, conceived by the Rimini Meeting and the Mei of Faenza, reaches the semi-finals finally proposing live music.
After a scrupulous and careful evaluation - as many as 137 proposals received - the very young artists have been selected, between singers and bands, who will perform on the stage of the Meeting and will have the opportunity to win a place at the final, scheduled for August 25 in Rimini in the evocative setting of Piazza Tre Martiri.
The Artistic Direction, of which the organizers are part, will evaluate the performances of the artists in the competition and will designate the finalists who will compete for the victory and the coveted prizes up for grabs before the Jury of Honor composed of Lorenzo Baglioni, N.A.I.P., Erica Mou, Federico Mecozzi, Max Monti and other representatives of the recording and music sector, together with Giordano Sangiorgi and Otello Cenci, coordinators.
Sunday 22 August
Meetings
Youth, talent and the Master
Dialogue with Pupi Avati, Director. Introduced by Otello Cenci, Shows Manager of the Meeting for Friendship Amongst Peoples Foundation.
It is said that each of us is responsible for the gifts we have received, every day we measure ourselves on the basis of the abilities that we know or do not know how to exploit to distinguish oneself, to become 'someone'. Then there are those that feel themselves a sort of predestined ones, i.e., they perceive that something special, extraordinary will happen in their life. But unfortunately discovering one's own qualities and predispositions is almost never an obvious thing, often we must be lucky enough to meet a person who provokes us, spurs us on and educates us, getting the best the best out ourselves. To become 'someone', so that unique and exceptional people may mature, masters are needed who are able to recognize talent and make it flourish.
It is high time to participate
Caterina Cesana, Teacher at the social cooperative In-Presa; Claudia Fiaschi, Spokesperson for the Third Sector Forum; Marco Morganti, Head of the Impact Direction of Intesa Sanpaolo Group (TBC); Carlos Olivero, Priest, Familia Grande dell'Hogar de Cristo, Argentina; H. Exc. Mons. Filippo Santoro, Archbishop of Taranto. Introduced by Stefano Gheno, President of Cdo Opere Sociali.
The pandemic has, among other things, accelerated a drifting process that was already evident through the deep-rooted individualism of the Western world, whereby the individual withdraws, delegating the tackling of problems to institutions, only to then feel a continuous and profound dissatisfaction at the institutions’ inability to respond to continually arising needs. It is therefore important to go back to a participatory dynamic, which in current life settings, is often slowed down, if not hindered, by a widespread rejection of the inevitable fatigue entailed by any kind of relationship.
The “Fratres Omnes” encyclical
Damir Mukhetdinov, First deputy Chairman of the Religious Board of Muslims of the Russian Federation and Executive secretary of the Muslim International Forum; David Rosen, International Director of Interreligious Affairs of the American Jewish Committee and Director of the Heilbrunn Institute for International Interreligious Understanding; H. Em. Card. Louis Raphaël I Sako, Patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans; H. Em. Card. Matteo Maria Zuppi, Archbishop of Bologna. Introduced by Roberto Fontolan, Director of the International Centre of Communion and Liberation.
As we saw on the occasion of the apostolic journey to Iraq, interreligious dialogue is probably the main and most meaningful contribution of Francis' pontificate, with a major evocative power made of unique and unrepeatable signs, capable of reaching out to the whole world. It is not by chance that the "All Brothers" Encyclical had a cross-cutting reception among people of all religions; among the many subjects mattered, the one that had the greatest level of operating follow-up is perhaps the encounter between faiths, also and especially outside the ecclesial world.
According to the Pope this is a crucial aspect for the future of human cohabitation: as he wrote at the Library of the Spirit on the occasion of the presentation of the Russian translation of the encyclical, edited by the Muslim International Forum, "Brotherhood result from the acknowledgement of one single Father. And if we are all children of the same Father, then we can call ourselves brothers and above all live as such". For Francis, the most important pontificate issue, i.e. dialogue, reaches its peak and is subject to the encounter between faiths, because all believers recognise a Father and can therefore claim with anyone to be brothers.
By the way, the "All brothers” encyclical stemmed from an interreligious encounter. Through the encyclical the Pope "felt especially stimulated by the Great Imam Ahmad Al-Tayyeb...It was not about a mere diplomatic deed, instead it was a genuine reflection carried out in dialogue and a joint commitment. This Encyclical brings together and develops the major themes set out in the Document that we signed together. And here I have also incorporated, in my own language, several documents and letters that I have received from many people and groups from all over the world".
International institutions and multilateralism to the test in times of Covid
In collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation<
Luigi Di Maio, Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation; Emma Marcegaglia, President of B20; Francesco Rocca, Francesco Rocca, President, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and National President of the Italian Red Cross Association. Introduced by Bernhard Scholz, President of the Meeting for Friendship amongsts Peoples Foundation.
On the occasion of the meeting, a welcome speech by Luca Beccari, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, International Economic Cooperation and Telecommunications of the Republic of San Marino.
Ecological transition and energy vectors: hydrogen
Daniel Alfreider, Councillor for Infrastructure, Roads and Mobility of the Autonomous Province of Bolzano; Alberto Dossi, President of H2it; Luigi Ksawery Luca', Managing Director of Toyota Italia; Marco Piuri, Managing Director of FNM and CEO Trenord; Michele Viale, Managing Director of ALSTOM. Introduced by Andrea Dellabianca, President of Cdo Milano.
In the last two years, hydrogen as a "green", sustainable and innovative energy vector has progressively gained importance in the energy debate and is now orienting political choices, strategies and allocation of resources on a global scale. A new scenario has opened up and a sustainable path is needed to define the use of hydrogen in both economic and environmental terms, through gradual steps leading to its consolidation.
Artificial intelligence in medicine
In collaboration with DOC Generici
Giancarlo Bizzarri, CEO of Umbria Salute e Servizi; Stefano Forti, Director of Digital Health and Wellbeing, FBK and board member of TrentinoSalute4.0; Jonathan Montomoli, Anesthesiologist-Reanimator, Ospedale Infermi di Rimini. Introduced by Pasquale Chiarelli, General Manager of Terni Hospital.
Artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly present both in clinical practice and in the processing of data useful to determine the programming and planning of health policies: in this new dynamic, what is the relationship between professionals and AI?
Daniele Magazzeni (Meeting 2019) said that "there is a unique human feature that AI does not have, which is intuition. (...) Intuition is more than the recognition (...) of a link between what you have in your hands and something that comes to your mind'. And Costantino Esposito, at the end of the same session, stated: "there is no such thing as a purely natural intelligence, because our intelligence is a relationship, it enters into things, modifies them (...), it is a relationship. And therefore in some way it is artificial'.
This session is intended as an opportunity to discuss the dynamic and impact of this new human-AI relationship in the world of healthcare.
Europe, nations, regions. The verticalisation of power?
Speech by David Sassoli, President of the European Parliament. Participants: Sabino Cassese, Judge Emeritus of the Constitutional Court and Professor of Global Governance at the School of Government of LUISS Guido Carli; Massimiliano Fedriga, President of the State-Regions Conference, President of Friuli Venezia Giulia Region. Introduced by Andrea Simoncini, Vice President of the Meeting for Friendship amongst Peoples Foundation, Professor of Constitutional Law at the University of Florence.
The theme is the epochal change we are going through and how it is affecting our republican institutions, in other words, as Giorgio La Pira said, our 'common home'. This year, partly as a result of the pandemic-related events that we have all experienced and that we are still experiencing, the chosen topic is the "verticalisation of power", meaning by this expression the increasingly strong and growing tendency to imagine direct and immediate forms of connection between the top level of political action and the people, thus skipping all the intermediate entities and the mediation processes that are increasingly felt as useless or delaying. This debate will be attended by David Sassoli, President of the European Parliament, Massimiliano Fedriga of the State-Regions Conference and Professor Sabino Cassese
What is the world made of? On the trail of elusive particles
Juan José Gómez Cadenas, Professor of Physics, Donostia International Physics Center, San Sebastian, and Ikerbasque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain; Lucio Rossi, Professor of Physics, University of Milan, CERN visiting scientist. Introduced by Marco Bersanelli, Professor of Physics and Astrophysics at the University of Milan.
Much of the physical reality that surrounds us is made of forms of matter and energy that we do not yet know or understand. The frontier of research into the infinitely small focuses on the tiniest and most elusive particles: neutrinos and dark matter. Two leaders of the most advanced studies in this field share their experience, as men and as scientists, grappling with big open issues and with sophisticated instruments designed to investigate nature at new levels of depth.
Talk “The work to come”. Learning to learn
Curated by Foundation for Subsidiarity. In collaboration with Philip Morris International
Patrizio Bianchi, Minister of Education; Remo Morzenti Pellegrini, Rector of the University of Bergamo; Dario Odifreddi, President of Consorzio Scuole e Lavoro Association and President of Fondazione Piazza dei Mestieri; Giorgio Vittadini, President of the Foundation for Subsidiarity.
This third session brings into focus the impact on society of labour market changes. A new social layreing is taking shape, will it be a source of greater integration and cohabitation or will it lead to further divisions and conflicts? An important step is to ask ourselves how we prepare and will prepare for new labour settings. This is a process requiring lifelong training and the ability to constantly put oneself at stake. Continuous learning relies on the capacity to make work meaningful. Are we ready to take up this challenge and can the already existing structures support us with the necessary services? The discussants: the minister of Education and the role of the university and those who have always had education at heart.
THE CRACK AND THE LIGHT. Interview with Jesús Carrasco
This meeting is part of a cycle of video interviews, made by the magazine Tracce, with Edith Bruck, Jesús Carrasco and Elisa Fuksas: three protagonists of the culture of our time tell each other in a one-on-one conversation, offering their gaze on today, through the wounds of personal and collective history. The title is inspired by Leonard Cohen's verse, taken from Anthem: "There is a crack in everything and from there the light enters."
In Torrijos, near Toledo, we meet Jesús Carrasco and his poignant desire to learn to see, to penetrate the world and ourselves, through the beauty of language and of the human. Writer from Extremadura, born in 1972, he is the author of “Intemperie” (Severe Weather) (Salani, 2013), the first work and revelation of Spanish publishing: an extraordinary novel, in which reality - lived with a presence - has the strength to heal.
Rediscovering one’s own dignity. Testimonies from the world
With the contribution of Regione Emilia-Romagna
Mario Del Verme, Sports activities coordinator for Scholas Italy; Marigona Oliva, Educator and teacher, formerly girl of "l'imprevisto " of Pesaro; Alena Choperskova, Editorial Director and Communication Manager of Takìe Delà. Introduced by Davide Perillo, Journalist.
Scholas Occurrentes is an international organisation of pontifical right created and led by Pope Francis. It is present in 190 countries, with a network that includes almost 500,000 schools and educational institutions of all religious denominations, both public and private, and supports over 1 million young people. Its aim is to promote a culture of encounter for peace.
The Cooperativa Sociale l'Imprevisto of Pesaro focuses on young people suffering from hardship supporting them through educational and therapeutic paths. The important moments of this journey are the dialogue with the practitioners, the group discussions, the formative and cultural meetings, job training and expressive, theatrical, sport and game activities.
The name of a major coordination centre for independent social and charitable initiatives that are being developed in Russia could be translated with the expression: "that’s how things are". Today “Takìe delà” (this is the original Russian name) reaches out to an audience of millions of individuals, focuses on the stories of people, ordinary people, especially those who live far from the big cities, and whose problems and dramas are hardly known. The picture emerging from these almost unknown accounts, made of humanity, tenacity, compassion and responsibility, is that of a country struggling daily to keep each "I" alive. The aim of Takìe delà is precisely to make these stories known, to widen the existing network of solidarity and civil commitment, to put people back at the centre of politics and the economy.
Three testimonies will focus on the dignity of the individual, rediscovered in dramatic and painful circumstances, through the encounter with people and educational realities capable of awakening a new and unexpected freedom, curiosity and emotional ability.
Shows
A Hidden Life
Introductory speech by Francesco Comina author of “Solo contro Hitler. Franz Jägerstätter, primato coscienza” (Alone against Hitler. Franz Jägerstätter, the primacy of conscience), published by Emi
The Corte degli Agostiniani will host the screening of "A Hidden Life", a masterpiece of extraordinary cinematic and spiritual power by the American director Terrence Malick. Located in Upper Austria, Radegund is apeace heaven where Franz and Fani meet and fall in love. Their life flows happily, punctuated by the seasons turnover, the ringing church bells, the labour in the fields and the recreation on the meadows. Suddenly the war casts its shadow on all this and turns their destiny upside down. Franz is called to arms and swears allegiance to the Führer. Because of his deep Catholic faith, he is unable to embrace violence and decides to object, in other words he stubbornly goes against the mainstream direction. He is arrested for treason, he goes on trial and is sentenced to death in August 1943.
In case of bad weather, the movie will be screened on Monday 23rd August
The Corte degli Agostiniani will host the screening of "A Hidden Life", a masterpiece of extraordinary cinematic and spiritual power by the American director Terrence Malick. Located in Upper Austria, Radegund is apeace heaven where Franz and Fani meet and fall in love. Their life flows happily, punctuated by the seasons turnover, the ringing church bells, the labour in the fields and the recreation on the meadows. Suddenly the war casts its shadow on all this and turns their destiny upside down. Franz is called to arms and swears allegiance to the Führer. Because of his deep Catholic faith, he is unable to embrace violence and decides to object, in other words he stubbornly goes against the mainstream direction. He is arrested for treason, he goes on trial and is sentenced to death in August 1943.
In case of bad weather, the movie will be screened on Monday 23rd August
Federico Mecozzi in concert
With the contibution of Regione Emilia-Romagna
Despite his young age, Federico Mecozzi has already a long and rich experience as a musician, composer and arranger. Since 2009, he has been collaborating with the famous composer and pianist Ludovico Einaudi, whom he still accompanies on long tours in the most prestigious theatres and arenas around the world. On January 25th, 2019 his first solo album, "Awakening", was released: an awakening of soul and personality, narrated through a skilful use of a musical language that weaves together pop, ethnic, classical and electronic sounds. In 2019 he partcipated in the Sanremo music Festival as orchestra conductor for Enrico Nigiotti and in 2021 for the musical duo Dellai. In the same year, the soundtracks he composed and performed together with Ludovico Einaudi, go along with the triumph of "Nomadland" and "The Father" at the Oscars.
Despite his young age, Federico Mecozzi has already a long and rich experience as a musician, composer and arranger. Since 2009, he has been collaborating with the famous composer and pianist Ludovico Einaudi, whom he still accompanies on long tours in the most prestigious theatres and arenas around the world. On January 25th, 2019 his first solo album, "Awakening", was released: an awakening of soul and personality, narrated through a skilful use of a musical language that weaves together pop, ethnic, classical and electronic sounds. In 2019 he partcipated in the Sanremo music Festival as orchestra conductor for Enrico Nigiotti and in 2021 for the musical duo Dellai. In the same year, the soundtracks he composed and performed together with Ludovico Einaudi, go along with the triumph of "Nomadland" and "The Father" at the Oscars.
MEETING MUSIC CONTEST
Third evening of performance of the semi-finalists
With the contribution of Regione Emilia-Romagna.
The Meeting Music Contest, conceived by the Rimini Meeting and the Mei of Faenza, reaches the semi-finals finally proposing live music.
After a scrupulous and careful evaluation - as many as 137 proposals received - the very young artists have been selected, between singers and bands, who will perform on the stage of the Meeting and will have the opportunity to win a place at the final, scheduled for August 25 in Rimini in the evocative setting of Piazza Tre Martiri.
The Artistic Direction, of which the organizers are part, will evaluate the performances of the artists in the competition and will designate the finalists who will compete for the victory and the coveted prizes up for grabs before the Jury of Honor composed of Lorenzo Baglioni, N.A.I.P., Erica Mou, Federico Mecozzi, Max Monti and other representatives of the recording and music sector, together with Giordano Sangiorgi and Otello Cenci, coordinators.
The Meeting Music Contest, conceived by the Rimini Meeting and the Mei of Faenza, reaches the semi-finals finally proposing live music.
After a scrupulous and careful evaluation - as many as 137 proposals received - the very young artists have been selected, between singers and bands, who will perform on the stage of the Meeting and will have the opportunity to win a place at the final, scheduled for August 25 in Rimini in the evocative setting of Piazza Tre Martiri.
The Artistic Direction, of which the organizers are part, will evaluate the performances of the artists in the competition and will designate the finalists who will compete for the victory and the coveted prizes up for grabs before the Jury of Honor composed of Lorenzo Baglioni, N.A.I.P., Erica Mou, Federico Mecozzi, Max Monti and other representatives of the recording and music sector, together with Giordano Sangiorgi and Otello Cenci, coordinators.
Monday 23 August
Meetings
Between federalism and centralism: what prospects for the Regions?
Francesco Acquaroli, President of the Marches; Sabino Cassese, Judge Emeritus of the Constitutional Court and Professor of Global Governance at the School of Government of LUISS Guido Carli; Michele Emiliano, President of Puglia Region (TBC); Mariastella Gelmini, Minister for Regional Affairs and Autonomies; Arno Kompatscher, President of the Autonomous Province of Bolzano; Giovanni Toti, President of Liguria Region. Introduced by Andrea Simoncini, Vice President of the Meeting for Friendship among Peoples Foundation, Professor of Constitutional Law at the University of Florence. Moderated by Roberto Inciocchi, Journalist of SkyTg24.
This session aims to focus on the prospects for the Italian regional system at this time of profound and radical transformation of the public sector in Italy and beyond. This seminar is ideally linked to the important opportunity for dialogue that took place in the 2020 edition of the Meeting; like last year, Prof. Sabino Cassese will set the framework within which the three presidents of the Marches, Apulia and Liguria regions (respectively Acquaroli, Emiliano and Toti) and the national government representative Mariastella Gelmini, Minister for Regional Affairs and Autonomies, will dialogue. The discussion will focus on whether our regional system is strengthened or further weakened by the current situation and what "lessons" the central government and the regions are learning from what we are experiencing.
Retail 5.0: scenarios, strategies and policies for a key sector for the well-being of society
In collaboration with Community Retail 5.0 of The European House - Ambrosetti
Patrizia De Luise, National President of Confesercenti; Massimo Dell’Acqua, CEO Euronics; Valerio De Molli, Managing Partner and CEO of The European House - Ambrosetti; Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, Vice-Minister of Economic Development; Laura Gabrielli, Vice President of the Gabrielli Group (TBC). Introduced by Alessandro Bracci, Chairman and Managing Director of the Teddy Group and Vice Chairman of Cdo.
According to data from The European House - Ambrosetti Community Retail 5.0, with about 450 billion in turnover, Retail is one of the leading Italian industries, with 2.3 million of employees; it is also a key element of the Italian revitalization based on investments and on top on consumption.
Retail is a meeting place, social aggregation and is also one of the most important tools to contribute to the redevelopment of urban and extra-urban areas, an "employer" forced to continuous innovation and also for this reason particularly attractive for young people.
The experience of thousands of entrepreneurs who risk themselves and of collaborators who with passion, in their daily work, find economic serenity and often unexpected professional paths, with an enormous value of social inclusion, especially in certain areas of our country, are other decisive elements for reflecting on this theme.
Ecological transition and energy vectors: electric power
Gerardo Capozza, Secretary General of ACI; Angelo Costa, Managing Director of Arriva Italia; Alessandro Morelli, Vice Minister of Sustainable Infrastructures and Mobility; Giorgio Moroni, CEO and President FREE TO X; Alberto Viano, CEO of Leaseplan. Introduced by Andrea Dellabianca, President of Cdo Milan.
Another "green", sustainable and innovative energy vector is electric power. Certainly electric mobility has become an important element in the public debate, as well as an increasingly important factor in private purchasing decisions. Technology, innovation and greater awareness of sustainable mobility have led to a change of attitude that is first and foremost cultural, although not yet entirely fulfilled, especially if compared to other European countries.
Electric power, however, is not just about mobility, but also about infrastructure investment strategies. Public finance, especially at EU level, is projected towards a substantial development of electric vehicles, sometimes with measures that require a change in production processes in order to comply with funding.
Recovery plan Europe. Next generation EU
In collaboration with The Parliamentary Intergroup for Subsidiarity
Speech by Paolo Gentiloni, European Commissioner for Economic Affairs.
Participants: Alessandro Cattaneo, Member of the Presidency Coordination and National Head of Departments of Forza Italia; Carlo Fidanza, Head of the European Parliament Group of Fratelli d'Italia; Maurizio Lupi, President of the Parliamentary Intergroup for Subsidiarity; Fabio Melilli, President of the Budget Commission at the Chamber of Deputies, Partito Democratico; Giovanni Andrea Toselli, President and CEO of PWC. Introduced and moderated by Luciano Fontana, Director of Corriere della Sera.
The PNRR - National Plan for Recovery and Resilience - amounts to 235.12 billion euros, as much as the funds allocated to Italy by Next Generation EU. Is this really going to mark a turning point for the European Union, which finally agrees to issue common debt, or is it just a parenthesis due to the pandemic and then there will be a return to austerity and rigorous policies? Is this really the beginning of a deep change in the Stability and Growth Pact? Will the debt be really beneficial or will it once again just be the usual money allocation, a new name for traditional welfare spending? Will we be able to spend it all, given Italy's historical inability to spend European funds? At what stage of development are the reforms to which the National Reform Programme is linked, first and foremost those of the judiciary system and of the public administration?
The mediterranean sea, a peace frontier
H. Em. Card. Gualtiero Bassetti, President of the Italian Episcopal Conference; Dario Nardella, Mayor of Florence. Introduced by Bernhard Scholz, President of Meeting for friendship amongsts peoples Foundation.
After the important meeting in Bari in 2020 and waiting for the next appointment in Florence where for the first time the gathered Bishops will meet the mayors of the main cities bordering the Mediterranean, at the Meeting a meeting that will be an opportunity for dialogue and discussion to continue to build peace in a crucial area for the whole world. “Rebuild the ties that have been broken, raise the cities destroyed by violence, make a garden bloom where today there is parched land, instill hope in those who have lost it and exhort those who are closed in on themselves not to fear their brother. And to look at this, which has already become a cemetery, as a place of future resurrection of the whole area", this is the challenge, the work of reconciliation and peace, which Pope Francis has launched to the Bishops of the twenty countries that overlook the Mare Nostrum and that the Mayor of Florence also wanted to extend to all the Mayors of the Mediterranean who will meet in the Tuscan capital between February and March next year.
New healthcare systems in the world
In collaboration with DOC Generici and Foundation for Subsidiarity
Amitabh Chandra, Ethel Zimmerman Wiener Professor of Public Policy, HKS and Henry and Allison McCance Professor of Business Administration, HBS; Walter Ricciardi, President of the World Federation of Public Health Associations and Professor at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore; Roberto Speranza, Minister of Health. Introduced by Giorgio Vittadini, President of the Foundation for Subsidiarity.
The pandemic has brought infectious diseases, which seemed to have almost disappeared in the most developed countries, back into focus. Inevitably, the debate on how healthcare systems should be organised in the near future to cope with this epoch-making change has exploded worldwide.
Aspects that until yesterday were less central, such as prevention, personal and collective hygiene, and the relationship between local medicine and hospitals, are back in the spotlight. In addition to this, there are also fundamental phenomena such as the increase in chronic diseases compared with acute diseases linked to the ageing of the population, which were already leading to radical changes in treatment systems and even in the very concept of health. The Italian Health Minister discusses this with two leading experts and consultants from the British and American health systems, within a broad international perspective.
Dialogue with the world, meeting people: the work of an ambassador in the 21st century
Mauro Battocchi, Ambassador of Italy in Cile; Laura Carpini, Cybersecurity Coordinator, Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation; Lorenzo Fanara, Ambassador of Italy in Tunis; Nicola Minasi, Ambassador of Italy in Sarajevo; Elena Sgarbi, Consul General of Italy in Istanbul. Introduced by Emmanuele Forlani, Director of the Meeting for Friendship amongsts Peoples Foundation.
The work of the ambassador, or better of the head of a mission, is a task that perefctly epitomizes the theme of this year’s Meeting; as a matter of fact ambassadors, while representing their country through diplomatic relationships, must always give their personal contribution, expose themselves, dialogue with the world, meet people. Mission, vision and service are the key words around which will be centered the dialogue and comparison of experiences of this session.
Economy, subsidiarity and the common good
In collaboration with Foundation for Subsidiarity
Domenico Fanizza, Executive Director for Italy, Portugal, Greece, Malta, Albania, and San Marino at the International Monetary Fund; Eduard Heger, Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic; Corrado Passera, Founder and CEO of Illimity Bank; Rajan Raghuram, Katherine Dusak Miller Distinguished Service Professor of the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Introduced by Samuele Rosa, Senior Economist at the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The challenges raised by the COVID crisis have made the criticalities of the global economy more evident. In line with a recent World Bank report, COVID-19 has led to a massive growth collapse as economies around the world have imposed severe containment measures in order to keep the spread of the virus under control. These supply and demand shocks have spilled across borders, hampering trade and reducing economic activity globally. The challenge is not limited to developing countries. Poverty and inequalities will potentially increase all across Europe, undermining social cohesion between countries. The three words in the title illustrate different moments of a possible recovery. First, what role can finance play in supporting an inclusive economic recovery. Secondly, how can territories become a source of value creation for sustainable growth, within a subsidiary-based approach. Finally, with regard to the efforts deplyed by European countries to define recovery pathways, how can the need for debt sustainability be combined with the need of laying the foundations of development aimed at the common good and intergenerational equity?
Poverty and the value of the individual
Gregory Boyle, Jesuit, Founder and Director of Homeboy Industries, USA; Simona Carobene, Managing Director of FDP-Protagonists in Education Association, Romania; Maria Chiara Gadda, Member of the Italian Parliament, Italia Viva; Anastasia Zolotova, Director of NGO Emmaus, Kharkiv, Ukraine. Introduced by Alessandra Stoppa, Director of Traces.
Charity is a privileged space for living "in the frontline". Today more than ever, in the crisis that the pandemic has unleashed on a social and personal level, we want to exchange with those who share the needs of others and directly experience that, in any condition, people can always regain their dignity. We meet people who have set up social works in different parts of the world that share a common feature: they are not there to help those in need but to experience together with them, help recipients with help givers, the greatness and uniqueness of their own existence. What kind of path do these works show for the construction of a new world?
Talk “The work to come”. The works to come
Curated by Foundation for Subsidiarity.
Mario Mezzanzanica, Professor of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Milano Bicocca; Sabina Nuti, Rector of the Sant'Anna School of Pisa; Roberto Tomasi, CEO of Autostrade per l'Italia. Video dialogue between Roberto Cingolani, Minister for Ecological Transition and Luciano Violante, President Emeritus of the Chamber of Deputies.
Over the last decade, we have been witnessing a radical change in the labour market mainly due to technological progress, globalisation, demographic change and ecological transformation. These factors are the basis of the reorganization of production processes, which require a change in the methods and characteristics of labour supply and demand. What work awaits us? How can we deal with the current challenges? What to invest in for a free and inclusive labour market? These and other questions will be addressed in the episode that, through data analysis, interviews, the dialogue between a minister and a great politician, will see a rector and cutting-edge companies as guests.
With the support of Philip Morris Italy
A journey into the brain in search of consciousness
Marcello Massimini, Professor of Physiology, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences L. Sacco, University of Milan. Introduced by Samir Suweis, Researcher in Physics, Laboratory of Interdisciplinary Physics, Department of Physics and Astronomy and Padua Neuroscience Center, University of Padua.
Normally, we tend to associate an organism's ability to solve complex problems (intelligence) with the presence of subjective experience (consciousness). The association between intelligence and consciousness may be violated in the natural world, but it risks to become completely unreliable due to the progress made in medicine and artificial intelligence. For instance, intensive care can save severely impaired brains that nevertheless remain conscious, while state-of-the-art neural networks can show performance levels largely exceeding those of a healthy human being. Soon, the landscape will be even more complex, and new concepts and tools will be needed to help us find our way around.
Shows
Spirto Gentil. Mandulinata a Napule: neapolitan songs
"Mandulinata a Napule" is the first appointment of guided listening of the musical program of the Spirto Gentil series, founded by Don Luigi Giussani. The curator Pier Paolo Bellini, composer and musicologist, leads the evening together with the guests in the hall and in connection with the journalist Giuseppe Corigliano and the musician Ambrogio Sparagna. The Napulammore Neapolitan melodies trio will perform live some of the most representative songs of the musical tradition.
“THE DREAM OF JOSEPH” by Luca Doninelli, with Maurizio Donadoni
The Teatro de Gli Incamminati will present a play written by Luca Doninelli on the figure of Joseph: "The Righteous of Israel", the first who had to deal with God's unpredictable choice to enter the world in such a 'scandalous' way. St Joseph's dream is an intriguing theme developed by literature and iconography, here it is recounted by the Archangel Gabriel himself who had the task of bringing the exceptional announcement. On stage there will be Maurizio Donadoni, Walter Muto (guitar) and Carlo Lazzaroni (violin and violone).
MEETING MUSIC CONTEST
Fourth evening of performance of the semi-finalists
With the contribution of Regione Emilia-Romagna.
The Meeting Music Contest, conceived by the Rimini Meeting and the Mei of Faenza, reaches the semi-finals finally proposing live music.
After a scrupulous and careful evaluation - as many as 137 proposals received - the very young artists have been selected, between singers and bands, who will perform on the stage of the Meeting and will have the opportunity to win a place at the final, scheduled for August 25 in Rimini in the evocative setting of Piazza Tre Martiri.
The Artistic Direction, of which the organizers are part, will evaluate the performances of the artists in the competition and will designate the finalists who will compete for the victory and the coveted prizes up for grabs before the Jury of Honor composed of Lorenzo Baglioni, N.A.I.P., Erica Mou, Federico Mecozzi, Max Monti and other representatives of the recording and music sector, together with Giordano Sangiorgi and Otello Cenci, coordinators.
The Meeting Music Contest, conceived by the Rimini Meeting and the Mei of Faenza, reaches the semi-finals finally proposing live music.
After a scrupulous and careful evaluation - as many as 137 proposals received - the very young artists have been selected, between singers and bands, who will perform on the stage of the Meeting and will have the opportunity to win a place at the final, scheduled for August 25 in Rimini in the evocative setting of Piazza Tre Martiri.
The Artistic Direction, of which the organizers are part, will evaluate the performances of the artists in the competition and will designate the finalists who will compete for the victory and the coveted prizes up for grabs before the Jury of Honor composed of Lorenzo Baglioni, N.A.I.P., Erica Mou, Federico Mecozzi, Max Monti and other representatives of the recording and music sector, together with Giordano Sangiorgi and Otello Cenci, coordinators.
Tuesday 24 August
Meetings
The role of parties in democracy today. Meeting with the protagonists of italian politics
In collaboration with Parliamentary Intergroup for Subsidiarity. With the contribution of Regione Emilia-Romagna
Giuseppe Conte, President of Movimento 5 Stelle; Enrico Letta, National Secretary of Partito Democratico; Maurizio Lupi, President of the Parliamentary Intergroup for Subsidiarity; Giorgia Meloni, National President of Fratelli d’Italia; Ettore Rosato, National President of Italia Viva; Matteo Salvini, Federal Secretary of Lega; Antonio Tajani, Vice-president of Forza Italia. Introduced by Giorgio Vittadini, President of the Fondazione per la Sussidiarietà.
Also this year the Meeting will host a discussion between the secretaries of the main Italian political parties. This session takes on particular significance at a time when politics is called to a decisive test: relaunching the country after the pandemic. What has happened not only in recent years, but throughout the Second Republic, highlights the need for a radical redesign of the political culture, likely to get over the logic of sterile opposition, disintermediation strategies and the subjugation to communication dynamics. What does it mean, today, to put the pluralism of democracy at the service of the common good? What changes are the parties responsible for? How can we rebuild a constructive relationship between parties, institutions, civil society and intermediate bodies? In other words, what contribution can the culture of subsidiarity make to the country as a whole?
Tolkien. The polyphony of creation and man’s creativity
With the contribution of Regione Emilia-Romagna
Andrea Monda, Director of L'Osservatore Romano; Lukasz Neubauer, Koszalin University of Technology, Department of Foreign Languages; Guglielmo Spirito, Conventual Franciscan and Professor of Spiritual Theology at the Theological Institute of Assisi. Introduction by Giuseppe Pezzini, Associate Professor at Oxford University and Curator of the exhibition "The Tree of Tales. Tolkien and the polyphony of creation"
If every artist in some way expresses his or her individual creativity in particular forms, few writers like Tolkien have had the courage to take this position to its extremes, in an unconditional exaltation of his own aesthetic, linguistic and literary preferences. At the same time, for Tolkien even the deepest idiosyncrasies of the creative self are a 'gift', finally merging into a single choral project, as each trickle of water inevitably flows into the sea. The focus of this conference is therefore on the organic tension between the particular and the universal, and namely the tension between individual characters and general narrative, between the creative freedom of the artist and the master plan of the one and only, great Author (the 'Ilúvatar theme').
Living without fear in the age of uncertainty
In collaboration with Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
Julián Carrón, Professor of theology at the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore and President of the Fraternity of Communion and Liberation; Charles Taylor, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at McGill University, Montreal and Ratzinger prize winner in 2019; Rowan Williams, Professor Emeritus of Contemporary Christian Though at University of Cambridge and former Archbishop of Canterbury. Introduced and moderated by Monica Maggioni, Journalist.
The meeting between Charles Taylor, Julián Carrón and Rowan Williams at the Meeting 2021 aims to be an integral part of the exhibition carrying the same name. The aim is to develop a trialogue on the full content of the interviews that make up the fabric of the exhibition (the length of which has necessarily been reduced for exhibition purposes). Each one of the three speakers will be invited to take a stance and respond to the questions and challenges raised by the other two in their previous interviews and dialogues throughout the year. The main idea is to focus on the possibility of living the uncertainty of the present and the phenomenon of secularisation as a great opportunity for rediscovering, on the one hand, the nature of the self and, on the other, the originality of the Christian event. It is a far-reaching confrontation concerning the possibility of experiencing "fullness" in this secular age. The dialogue, as it has been conducted so far, has never taken on the tone of an intellectual confrontation, but it has rather represented the position of three great personalities committed to their lives and to the lives of the people of our time. It is an exploration journey in which no question relating to the human is censored: the spotlight is on reality and even the most uncomfortable questions are accepted as an indispensable factor in this human adventure. The previous dialogues with the three thinkers have shown how secularisation strongly emphasize the irreducibility of the human being. Therefore the aim is not to share evaluations to be 'applied' to reality, but to be wounded by the cry of human beings in this times of uncertainty, dialoguing and telling the public which are the certainties that, in different ways, help them cope with reality without any fear.
University and research in the age of change
Franco Anelli, Rector of the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore; Maria Chiara Carrozza, President of the CNR (National Research Council); Ferruccio Resta, Rector of the Polytechincal School of Milan. Introduced by Davide Prosperi, Full Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Milan-Bicocca.
Scientific research is at the heart of the country's National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR). The synergy with the big Horizon Europe projects, interdisciplinarity, and the recruitment and training of new researchers are the strategic drivers of a plan that promises innovative solutions to improve the quality of life, protect natural resources, and promote social cohesion. The President of the National Research Council and two rectors discuss this challenge and the new opportunities. What are the available tools? What are the expectations? How can relevant objectives be achieved within the timeframe set by the Recovery and Resilience Plan? How can technology transfer be promoted to transform research into innovation and value for society?
Is it real development if inequalities increase?
In collaboration with Foundation for Subsidiarity
Jean-Paul Fitoussi, Economist; Franco Gallo, President of Treccani, former President of the Consitutional Court; Stefano Zamagni, President of the Pontifical Acaemy for Social Sciences. Introduced by Giorgio Vittadini, President of the Foundation for Subsidiarity.
The development born after globalisation has come at the price of increased inequalities. While many of the underdeveloped countries have, on average, narrowed their gap with the richest countries, the internal differences between countries, whether in the first, second or third world, have increased dramatically. According to a certain conception, this would simply be a 'collateral', secondary problem, to be rebalanced with a bit of welfare state. However, the more lucid believe that growing inequality is at the root of fractures that can undermine the stability of a system. The question even arises: is it development if inequality increases? One of the world's leading economists, Jean-Paul Fitoussi, the father of civil economy Stefano Zamagni, the president of the Treccani Encyclopaedia and former president of the Constitutional Court Franco Gallo, discuss the issue.
The doctor of the future
In collaboration with DOC Generici
Donatella Parentini, General Practitioner at ATS Val Padana; Pierluigi Strippoli, Associate Professor of Applied Biology at the University of Bologna; Gabriele Tomasoni, Head of the resuscitation ward at the Spedali Civili of Brescia. Introduced by Felice Achilli, President of Medicina e Persona.
The pandemic has forced community hospitals to move rapidly from being general hospitals to dedicated "COVID facilities". Surgeons have gone back to school to study respiratory medicine, gynaecologists now apply non-invasive mechanical ventilation, cardiologists have become intensivists. Doctors and nurses have been involved in major changes. As have general practitioners who have had to respond to an unprecedented professional and relational challenge. In a way, COVID has brought health workers back to the origin of their valuable work and the reasons why they treat their patients. What do these experiences teach us about the future of patient care? And what impact can new technologies and scientific development have on the relationship with patients?
“MADE MYSELF READY TO SUSTAIN THE WAR…” Five generations walking with Dante, a debate
In collaboration with Avvenire. With the contribution of Regione Emilia-Romagna.
Pietro Baroni, Teacher and Director of Colloqui Fiorentini; Gabriele Dell'Otto, Illustrator; Francesca Gargantini, Teacher; Clementina Mazzoleni, Former teacher; Laura Rodella, Student; Paolo Valentini, President of the Centocanti Association, School Director of Fondazione Karis. Introduced by Franco Nembrini, Teacher and Author.
With the participation of Fabio Volo, Writer, Actor, television and radio Author and Presenter.
Dante is one of the main contents of our school curricula. And he is certainly the most studied Italian author, even in schools abroad.
Are Dante’s works just an important part of the cultural background that has to be acquired? or do they provide an education to more authentic humanity, more aware of itself and the world? Is it possible to interest young people in this poet, his life and his works, and even make them passionate about him?
Through this meeting, we will be able to participate in a generational transition in identifying with the experience of the great poet, we will discover how young and old have been able to find in him a master of knowledge and a teacher of life. It is an encounter about Dante, learned and popular, wise and simple, teacher and friend.
Recovery & Next Generation: the path towards ecological transition
Paolo Emilio Signorini, Chairman of Genoa Port Authority; Carlo Tamburi, Director of Enel Italy; Riccardo Toto, General Manager of Renexia. Introduced by Marco Piuri, Managing Director FNM and CEO Trenord.
The Recovery Plan and Next Generation EU represent a historic opportunity to invest in the future of Europe and its Member States to restart after the Covid-19 emergency. It is a unique opportunity in terms of the resources invested and efforts required to launch a real transformation of the country system.
The plan with which Italy is preparing to respond to this challenge, the PNRR, has the ambition of carrying out the reforms that have been talked about for decades (Public Administration, Justice, etc.). In particular, two strategic axes have been identified in which infrastructure and mobility play important roles: ecological transition (€60-70 billion, equal to 31% of the total resources allocated to Italy); digitalisation and innovation (€40-50 billion, equal to 21% of the total resources allocated to Italy). The governance of the PNRR is articulated and complex, with a series of ad hoc bodies and rules that have identified Ministries, Regions and Local Authorities as the primary implementing bodies. This evening's debate is an opportunity to take stock of the grounding of Italy's PNRR and to understand with some of the main players how they are doing, where they see opportunities or criticalities.
Talk “The work to come”. PNRR and job
Curated by Foundation for Subsidiarity.
Francesco Baroni, Country Manager of Gi Group Italy; Roberto Garofoli, Subsecretary of State to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers; Pedro Silva Martins, Professor of Applied Economics at Queen Mary University of London and Research Fellow at NovaSBE (Lisbon); Francesco Mutti, President of Centromarca.
After deepening the changes taking place in the labor market, increasingly without borders and characterized by technological innovations, the fourth episode focuses on the relaunch of Europe. Will NRPP help us create real work? What do we expect from the NRPP in terms of work? Can we talk about a European labour market? We will deepen the importance of dialogue between European and local institutions and the benefits of being part of a large and solid community in a time of great change. How can the subsidiary culture be a lever for the relaunch of Europe? We will address these issues thanks to the contributions of, among others, the Polish Deputy Minister of Higher Education, those who deal with work issues around the world and those who are at the center of our country's government policies.
With the support of Philip Morris Italy
THE CRACK AND THE LIGHT. Interview with Elisa Fuksas
This meeting is part of a cycle of video interviews, made by the magazine Tracce, with Edith Bruck, Jesús Carrasco and Elisa Fuksas: three protagonists of the culture of our time tell each other in a one-on-one conversation, offering their gaze on today, through the wounds of personal and collective history. The title is inspired by Leonard Cohen's verse, taken from Anthem: "There is a crack in everything and from there the light enters."
Elisa Fuksas, writer and film director, takes us along the paths of her work and research. Love, loneliness, art: listening to the mystery of life is a sincere and unexpected journey that has challenged her beliefs. Born in 1981, she is the daughter of the archistars Massimiliano and Doriana Fuksas: she directed Nina, The App and iSola; has published among others: “La figlia di” (The daughter of) (Rizzoli, 2014) and “Ama e fai quello che vuoi” (Love and do what you want) (Marsilio, 2020).
A forty-year journey. General relativity and supermassive black holes
With the contribution of Regione Emilia-Romagna
Reinhard Genzel, Nobel Prize Winner in Physics 2020, Director of the Department of Infrared and Sub-Millimeter Astronomy, Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Garching, Münich. Introduced by Marco Bersanelli, Professor of Physics and Astrophysics at the University of Milan.
Just over a century ago Albert Einstein published his Theory of General Relativity. The following year Karl Schwarzschild found a solution to Einstein's equations based on the assumption that even light could not escape from the so-called 'event horizon' of sufficiently compact masses, the famous 'black holes'. In the following decades the concept of black hole was refined theoretically by astrophysicists such as Penrose, Wheeler, Kerr, Hawking and many others. The first indirect evidence of their existence in our Universe came from X-band observations of compact double stars and distant quasars.
Reinhard Genzel, winner of the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics, will present the results of his more than 40 years of research. Thanks to accurate observations of the motion of gases and stars at the centre of the Milky Way, his studies have proved the existence of a single compact object with a mass equal to four million solar masses: a 'supermassive black hole'.
Shows
Spirto Gentil. Sergeij Rachmaninov: Preludes
Pier Paolo Bellini, curator of the Spirto Gentil series, presents the second guided listening event dedicated to Rachmaninoff's Preludes. In this the occasion, Pietro Beltrani, a talented young pianist, will propose live six out of the preludes of the Russian composer. Guests of the evening will be the musicians Nazzareno Carusi and Cristopher Vath.
“LA SAGRA FAMIGLIA” by Paolo Cevoli
Parents and children. A drama of our times. Paolo Cevoli shares his personal experience of the father and son relationship compared with irony and lightness to the great classics: Oedipus, Ulysses, Achilles, Aeneas, up to God himself with Moses and the Jewish people. And the prodigal son, a young daredevil who, despite everything, the Father welcomed back with open arms. Even killing the fatted calf, which, poor thing, was not to blame for anything. How to say serious things without taking oneself seriously. Tales about the family and its celebrationl. Which, like all local celebrations , and especially in Romagna, always end up in laughter.
“ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA” – Miami & the Groovers
After years spent on the road, in Italy and overseas, Miami & the Groveers acome to the Meeting stage ready to make the highest chords of the rock that runs through their veins live and vibrate. The band will perform original songs and covers: The Clash, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash, are just some of the references in this exciting hymn to rock.
Wednesday 25 August
Meetings
AFGHANISTAN: IS ALL LOST?
Fernando De Haro, Journalist; Wael Farouq, Professor of Arabic language and literature at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Milan campus. Introduced by Roberto Fontolan, manager of International Center of Comunione e Liberazione.
In light of what has happened in Afghanistan and the horrifying images that show a disaster of incalculable proportions, we cannot fail to ask ourselves: What really happened? How can we explain these events? Did Kabul return to year zero? What will happen to our Afghan brothers who have lived for so many years hoping for change?
Here at the Meeting we will try to look together at the shocking events of these days and the questions these events raise. Without providing answers, but with that passion for reality that is the very reason for our being here year after year.
Human capital and sustainable development
In collaboration with Foundation for Subsidiarity
Giancarlo Giorgetti, Minister for Economic Development; Luigi Gubitosi, CEO and General Manager of TIM; strong>Stefano Lucchini, Chief Institutional Affairs and External Communication Officer Intesa Sanpaolo; Luca Ruini, Chairman of Conai. Introduced by Giorgio Vittadini, President of the Foundation for Subsidiarity.
The shortage of people trained to carry out several types jobs, both new and old but ever changing, is one of the most important issues in the country's recovery process. On the other hand, the contribution of human capital to economic growth is not only related to the amount of stored knowledge but also to personality features as openness to reality, the ability to collaborate with others, motivation and positivity. Particularly in difficult times, it is crucial to use of those personality features enhancing creativity, the power of initiative and the willingness to take risks.
This kind of people are the first resource to re-start from. By tha way, are people the ultimate criterion for social, environmental and economic sustainability. How?
The ecological transition in the agri-food sector
In collaboration with Cdo Agroalimentare
Stefano Berni, General Manager of Consorzio Grana Padano; Matteo Fiocco, Entrepreneur and Founder of "Matt the Farmer"; Davide Franzetti, Sales Manager Coca-Cola HBC Italia; Alessio Mammi, Councillor for Agriculture of the Emilia-Romagna Region; Luca Panzavolta, Managing Director of CIA Conad; Marco Travaglia, Chairman and Managing Director of Nestlé Italia and Malta. Introduced by Camillo Gardini, President of Cdo Agroalimentare.
The agri-food sector is facing two joint challenges: to be able to resist changes, especially those of the climate and the market, to be sustainable (environment and climate change), to guarantee the vitality of rural areas; to ensure food production considering the future increase in the world's population, which by 2050 will be close to 10 billion human beings.
The future of farming will be characterised by the prevalence of agro-ecology, organic farming, innovation and digital agriculture, in order to obtain increasingly health-conscious products, transferred to consumers through perfectly traced and information-rich agri-food chains.
Ecological transition and environmental sustainability
Sergio Emidio Bini, Councillor for Productive Activities and Tourism, Friuli Venezia Giulia Region; Giuseppe Catalano, Coordinator of the Technical Mission Structure of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport; Raffaele Cattaneo, Councillor for the Environment, Lombardy; Andrea Gibelli, President of FNM; Giampaolo Rossi, General Manager of Start Romagna. Introduced by Emmanuele Forlani, Director of Meeting for friendship amongsts peoples Foundation.
The ecological transition aims to identify a new sustainable balance between energy consumption, production/use of energy sources/vectors and environmental impact in a way that is compatible in economic and social terms. The ambition can therefore not only be to adopt solutions that merely reduce the impact on the lives of each of us and on the environment in which we live, but on the contrary solutions triggering a virtuous circle in the organisation of social and economic life while preserving/improving the environment.
Guardians of life. The ‘we’ within the ‘I’
Cristina Benetti, Jewish General Hospital of Montreal; Vincent Nagle, Chaplain of the Maddalena Grassi Foundation; Patrick Vinay, Professor Emeritus of Medicine, University of Montreal. Introduced by Marco Maltoni, Director of the Palliative Care Unit of Forlì, Member of the Medicina e Persona Association and Elvira Parravicini, Director of the Neonatal Comfort Care Program, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Columbia University Medical Center.
We live and flourish within relationships. This is our human nature.
However, because of the Covid restrictions people have been isolated. This has been particularly true and concerning in the medical field. Mothers delivered alone because fathers were not allowed in delivery room, hospitalized patients missed the support of their families’ visit. Worse, people died alone. Isolation hit also medical professionals, with a high rate of depression, abandonment of the work place and sometimes, suicide.
All of this happened because, for both patients and medical professionals, relationships are the source of support even in dramatic circumstances.
In time of pandemic, were there people who had the courage to say ‘I’ and decided ‘to be there for each other’ achieving thus the truth of oneself?
The network, social media, the communication dilemma
With the contribution of Regione Emilia-Romagna
Roberta Cocco, Councillor for Digital Transformation and Civic Services of the Municipality of Milan; Derrick De Kerckhove, Sociologist, Academic and Scientific Director of the digital magazine Media Duemila; Enrico Gentina, Coordinator of Civiltà Digitale and TEDxTorino Organiser, Trainer; Massimo Russo, Director of Esquire Italia and Chief Product Officer Europe of Hearst. Introduced by Marco Bardazzi, Journalist, expert in digital innovation in journalism and communication.
The digital ecosystem in which we have been immersed for more than twenty years is deeply changing our relation to work, friendship and leisure. In particular social media are the real disruptors, challenging our ability to pay attention, immersed as we are in that continuous sharing that MIT scholars have called 'The Hype Machine'. In this scenario, there is a growing need for an education to fully live the digital age, to identify its opportunities and understand its dangers. Even on the Net we need to have the courage to say "I" with full awareness and knowledge of what is at stake. Some experts and key players of the digital world will discuss this topic, sharing experiences about what is happening and trying to imagine what awaits us in these Twenties.
New infrastructure and the pillar of sustainability
In collaborazione con ARS Aedificandi
Mario Abbadessa, Senior Managing Director & Country Head Hines Italy; Enrico Giovannini, Minister for Sustainable Infrastructure and Mobility; Alessio Torelli, Chief Business Unit Mobility & Liquefaction Snam. Introduced by Bernhard Scholz, President of the Meeting for Friendship among Peoples Foundation. Moderated by Mariangela Pira, Journalist of SkyTg24.
Roads, bridges and tunnels, railways, ports and airports, gas pipelines, electrical grids and optic fibre, these are just some of the most important types of infrastructure needed to guarantee the social and economic life of a modern country. Building, renovating and innovating these facilities is a challenging task involving many different players in a shared planning process at regional, national and, increasingly, also international level. The building from scratch of any of these facilities needs to comply with a crucial pre-requisite: sustainability. Energy production, mobility and the construction industry are only as good as they can be based on the pillar of social and environmental sustainability. The fact that sustainability does not go against economic efficiency, but on the contrary promotes it in the medium and long run, will be one of the main discussed topics.
The italian pharmaceutical supply chain and the emergency
In collaboration with DOC Generici
Enrique Häusermann, Chairman of Egualia; Massimo Scaccabarozzi, Chairman of Farmindustria; Alberto Vacchi, Chairman and CEO of IMA. Introduced by Camillo Rossi, Medical Director at ASST Spedali Civili in Brescia.
The companies of the pharmaceutical supply chain have played a leading role in the response to the pandemic, ensuring the necessary level of business continuity to meet the patients’ treatment needs and their access to therapies. Several Italian companies are participating in the construction of an Italian anti-Covid vaccine supply chain. The Italian pharmaceutical sector, with a production worth more than 34 billion €, is the European leader in drug production. The entire supply chain plays a leading role at world level, just think of the leadership that Italy has in the design and production of pharmaceutical machinery or in the production of active ingredients. At this year's Meeting, we will meet the players of this supply chain, which is so important in terms of economic recovery and relaunch.
The future of democracy. Courage in politics
Aleksandr Archangel'skij, Author, TV host, Journalist (Russia); Luciano Violante, President Emeritus of the Chamber of Deputies; Joseph H.H. Weiler, University Professor at the NYU Law School and Senior Fellow at the Center for European studies at Harvard. Introduced by Lorenza Violini, Professor of Constitutional Law at the University of Milan.
Will democracy have the capacity, in the coming decades, to prove itself as a still sustainable system of government? Digital civilisation and globalisation are jeopardising the freedom of the 'I', an 'I' whos life relies more and more on homologation in hyper-individualised universes. This undermines the basic structure of democratic processes, that large web of relations connecting individuals, their aggregations, the sovereign people and power-holders.
Internet voting, direct and digital but elitist democracy, and the exasperated search for consensus aim at deteriorating not only the foundations but also the mechanisms of democracy, reducing the self to a 'voter' and politics to an art of manipulation and consensus management. How can an anaesthetised democracy be revived?
This topic will be discussed frankly, without the anxiety of constructing hard-to-prove-true projects and without thinking that new 'electoral' mechanisms or new systems of government can replace the atrophy of freedom and responsibility. A free-range discussion open to everyone's contribution, looking for new and viable paths for our living together.
Talk “The work to come”. Work or life?
Curated by Foundation for Subsidiarity. In collaboration with Philip Morris International
Gian Carlo Blangiardo, President of ISTAT; Roberto Giacchi, CEO of ItaliaOnline; Giancarlo Giorgetti, Minister for Economic Development; Marco Hannappel, President and CEO Philip Morris Italia; Giorgio Vittadini, President of the Foundation for Subsidiarity.
“How can we imagine sustainable work” is the question addressed by this final round of talk. Will the new technological and organisational possibilities allow an improved work-life balance? Will young people and women no longer be the weakest groups in the labour market, instead will they be the drivers of a new employment wave? Work is at the heart of a new paradigm of sustainable development: no environmental sustainability is possible without social sustainability and vice versa. Workers play a fundamental role in this transition towards the future; work transforms natural and social resources into useful goods to improve the lives of all. Hence the enormous freedom and responsibility to ensure that goods are produced and not damage. A minister dialogues with data and statistics, with a digital company looking at growth and with a company committed to finding new forms of work.
Education to freedom
With the contribution of Regione Emilia-Romagna
Eraldo Affinati, Author and teacher, founder of the Penny Wirton school; Susanna Tamaro, Author. Introduced by Costantino Esposito, Professor of Philosophy History at the University of Bari.
Much has been said about young people in these months of pandemic. For some, the imposed limitations have been detrimental to their development, others see them as, certainly, not easy but particularly challenging moments for their growth. Nevertheless, for all of them education, as a theme, has finally emerged from discontent and has imposed itself with its most decisive questions. Distance learning has reopened the question of the purpose of education, a closer family life has brought back to the surface the meaning of family relationships, the difficulties in meeting school mates or neighbourhood friends has led to a rediscovery of friendship. What relationships do children and young people need in order to discover themselves and the world? What care should be taken to foster their freedom and their assumption of responsibility? What are they looking for when they look at us, adults? And what really matters when we hug them?
Shows
I SING
The “I SING" event: the singer-songwriters Walter Muto and Carlo Pastori, accompanied by Marcello Colò on drums, will perform songs from their repertoire, music from the Italian songwriting tradition and folkloristic Irish dances, to cheerfully conclude the 2021 edition of the Meeting.
Meeting Music Contest
The Meeting Music Contest is the result of the synergy between the Rimini Meeting and the Meeting of Independent Labels of Faenza (MEI), to which so far more than 137 bands have already registered. This music contest, dedicated to songwriting, is addressed to young artists and bands eager to get involved, to perform on the prestigious stage of the Rimini Meeting and to get a chance to win important prizes. The Artistic Direction of the Rimini Meeting and the Mei will shortlist 16 semi-finalists who will perform from August 20th to 23rd in the Meeting's swimming pools area. The 8 finalists will compete for the victory during the final evening of August 25th that will take place in Piazza Tre Martiri in Rimini. On this occasion, a special Jury of Honour, made up of Lorenzo Baglioni, N.A.I.P, Erica Mou, Federico Mecozzi, Max Monti and other.
