When Economic Culture becomes social solidarity (Paolo Pegorer)

In Trieste, Aldo Pianciamore with his daughter Donatella have created a Committee for a Trust. The initiative was born because of the great love that united the couple in life. His wife, Hazel Marie Cole died of an incurable illness. Mr Pianciamore and his daughter have committed themselves to activities of social solidarity in her memory. The goals the Committee has set itself vary in different areas, encouraging younger children all over Italy, students from poorer countries, who have been helpful and kind, students who win scholarships and young people who help the elderly. The Committee has created an independent fund, with the help and contribution of friends and industry. The first award was presented to Simone, a 10 year old boy, one of the eight candidates suggested by Father Pucci's association "l'Alunno piu' buono d'Italia". Just only a few months after it was born the Charity has already distributed pocket money to an Indian student and four African students from the United World College of the Adriatic. When similar initiatives make way in today's world it means values still exist. It is nice to see that people who are in senior positions within the economic system in a country do something directly involved in the social world. It's like giving new energy to the hope of justice, fraternity and solidarity. With this kind of initiative the free market assumes a new role. Economic culture finds a great way to show its strength in supporting democracy. The free market is not always synonymous with clashes, delusions and sorrow. The culture of the free market can be used to give new light to intellectual, political, civil and moral commitment. It is also important to direct one's own knowledge towards supporting and helping those people who are weaker. This should remind us that world development needs to defend the principals of the right price, the right profit within economic equilibrium. The intervention that governments and individuals do has to be without mediation. Only this way can we expect the social doctrines to find their own life. Profit, property, free market, employment and work, is slowly but inevitably changing. This means that one needs to think about other worries, politically, economically and socially. What we used to be sure about yesterday, like a "life time job", elderly pension schemes etc etc, no longer are absolute realities. In order to "save the world " it is important that everyone finds the principal goal of ones activity in doing "good deeds" for others. Globalisation does not help in this sense. Economic and social problems that mankind needs to resolve have to meet today's new reality which we are still in the process of discovering. Economic intervention is not just the responsibility of individual governments, but the responsibility of all of Europe. Re-organising social structures has to satisfy both individual and external needs. How can we therefore do something to help and support such a global community? We need to revisit a system of values that undoubdtebly is still in the process or being re-written. Once upon a time the dominant ideology was the same the world over. Now each one of us is as if immersed in economic interests and obligations of immesurate proportions. Everyone is worried about not being able to react or respond to everyday needs. Survival means a fight against oneself and others. Everyone is faced with the same problem in a world where there is no visibility of the future. In today’s blurring reality, economic facts are only superficially at our fingertips. These facts instead are for the specialists and therefore far away from every day life. The experts in finance and economics need to be more humble and more open to others. It is important to give priority to a system where we can identify values to guide us. It is not good enough to just follow economic parameters that need to be respected so that the system does not collapse. National revenues are not enough to guarantee the communities well being. It is instead necessary to support each and every initiative that adds value from an ethical and not just a political or economical point of view. The goal is clear : economic progress needs to be accompanied by cultural progress. Any institution like the Charity created by the Pianciamore family, is a signal along the road of the union between economics and society, between economic interests and ethical values.