Comune di Crotone (Municipality of Crotone, Italy)

Description

Invited by the Municipality of Crotone to participate in the International Refugee Week event (July 2024) as main speaker to introduce the documentary "For Sama" and the theme of migration from war-torn countries and to address the importance of remembering the crises triggered by the outbreak of conflicts.

During my speech, I strongly condemned the current political and cultural stagnation that characterises the West in general, and Europe in particular, in our times. I highlighted how critical thinking has been almost entirely neutralised. I presented evidence showing how dissent, which is the lifeblood of democracies, is often disparaged if it does not align with the status quo. This is evident in the way dissent against the support of conflicts—such as the support for Israel and Ukraine—is treated.

History is being disregarded. Yet, there was a time when politics did not fear taking a stand, when intellectuals were ready to take sides, and when Atlanticism and Europeanism were distinct concepts. A time when conformism existed, but it did not suffocate us to the point of making it impossible to breathe.

The event was a poignant reminder of the critical need for open dialogue, historical awareness, and the defense of the freedom to dissent in our democratic societies, to remind that most of the migrations and refugees' crises are direct consequences of the wars fuelled by the West in the MENA.

Period	29 Jun 2024
Visiting	Comune di Crotone (Municipality of Crotone, Italy)
Degree of Recognition	International