A new good practice for the Manual – Results of the OST on intercultural dialogue (Modena, June 2nd 2010)

Posted by Fausto Aarya De Santis on June 4, 2010 under Events, News, Video | Be the First to Comment

People from different cultures took part at an initiative, sponsored by the Municipality of Modena, which was held on June 2nd 2010. The Open Space Technology  (OST) was on “how to improve the cohabitation of different cultures living in the same town”  and - in spite most citizens not having any experience of this new methodology of discussing – they contributed very actively, with passions, strong motivation and by providing new ideas on how to improve the quality of life in Modena.

The practice of OST has been selected as one of the good practices for the Eugad manual. You can read more about it in the following link – http://www.eugad.eu/wiki/index.php?title=Good_practice_-_Open_Space_Technology_to_promote_intercultural_dialogue_(Modena,_Italy)

Below is the video of the OST in Modena (in Italian)

(1) regole dell’OST (2) le idee dei partecipanti (3) intervista a Marianella Sclavi al termine della giornata

by Wilma Massucco

If welfare doesn’t mean well-being, what’s the right definition for Development?

Posted by Fausto Aarya De Santis on May 3, 2010 under Interviews, News | Read the First Comment

“There’s a strong relationship between the increase of social and environmental deterioration and the increase of economy, i.e. increase of GDP” – says Stefano Bartolini, Professor of Politic Economy at University of Siena (Italy) and writer of the book recently published “Manifesto per la felicità, Come passare dalla società del ben – avere a quella del ben – essere (2010, pp. XIV-306, Ed. Saggine)” – Manifest for Happiness, How to change from a society of material-well being to a society of social -well being.

“In such a case, you are daily induced to afford new expenditures, in order to fill your own hole” – he explains – ” which increase the value of GDP but doesn’t improve the quality of life. On the contrary, it gets worse and worse, as the so-called relational goods proportionally reduce more and more. Welfare doesn’t mean well – being”. If it is so, what may be nowadays the right definition for Development? And what are the action plans to successfully implement a complete Development in our societies?

→ Find out more about it in his interview

by Wilma Massucco