WORLD SOCIAL SUMMIT 2008
'WSS: Emanuele, welfare reform, compulsory route'

The President of the WSS and Fondazione Roma, Emmanuele F.M. Emanuele, closed today the works of the World Social Summit. "The truest answer -says Emanuele - comes from the understanding of a topic that is dear to me, on which I have been meditating for a long time so that it will not disappear: the reform of the welfare state that ensures men the serenity of being workers". And today "a free trade that lacks rules is giving shocks of quite unstoppable fears, that affect the economic-social asset in which men live". Emanuele sees the solution in the third route between socialism and free trade, and mentions Giddens who suggests in turn a third solution based on politics set aside from traditional political parties. Emanuele hopes to regain the "hope that fills Europe with social certainties" as suggested by "Becker's utopian realism".

Emanuele says he is "more satisfied than what I said to whom has asked me" to have written "a page together, we, men of culture". "I think that the reform of the welfare state, which I identify as a mix of social and public aspects, is compulsory and as paradox, I see Europe rising barriers against it" said Emanuele.

"Europe -says Emanuele - lacks pragmatic sensitivity which I see for example in America". The New Continent, recalls Emanuele with reference to the recent interventions of the American government to assist American business banks, "does not fear to intervene with internazionalization". And referring to the main events of Italian economy, Emanuele says: "this does not occur in our country which hopes to find a solution to the problem by relying on private subjects".

The choice of the topic, says Emanuele, was a "premonitory intuition". "We started to reason on the topic two years ago - remembers Emanuele - then politics turned it into a debate, thus confirming that this was a well centred idea". The president of the WWS recalls the speeches of "many people outstanding in culture, science, philosophy, who gave a great contribution with their presence, their speeches, magisterial lessons and supported also these theses that I explained during my opening speech".

Going through the reflections made during the three-day convention, Emanuele reminded the conclusions of the speakers, in particular on the main topics such as globalization and welfare. Globalization "must be positive and may solve great financial crises" says Emanuele with reference to the latest American events. "A supranational institution should be assigned the role of regulating authority" - said Emanuele. And we can "eliminate the fear of the globalization evil" says Emanuele, by giving "the skill to the evil".

Emanuele then recalls the topic dealt by Bauman regarding personal unsuitability that generates fear and it consists in the "fear to lose, face what is new that keeps asserting itself". With regards to the crisis of values, at the basis of the "saving project", Emanuele recalls Saviano who "talked about the importance of civil values" starting from "assuring negative values as crime". Therefore we need to "rediscover the essential values of society and the sense of belonging". Mentioning Bell, he reminds the spiritual alternatives that some cultures are re-discovering to face fear, and citing Boncinelli, "the assuring function of science".

"I hope - said in conclusion Emanuele - that other great meetings will follow every two years with regards to our reality". Because "Fondazione Roma dedicates endless time to the great problems of our society: research, education, culture, volunteering services". To do this, we "need a light, a skill to see the right path to take". And he claims the choice of the "strong collaboration with Censis, that allowed to begin a prolific path as proven today by this event".