“A community activates around relational and common good, and experiments with urban practices of listening and exchange for its spiritual and material well-being”. These words are from the brochure of the Third Paradise Neighbourhoods celebration organized on the occasion of Rebirth Day 2022 by Lecco’s Rebirth/Third Paradise embassy over three days (10, 11 and 21 December). “The idea,” explained Rebirth/Third Paradise ambassador Angelo Riva, “is to build an inclusive, ecological and fair city, generating a reduction in poverty and differences”. In fact, the “laboratory territory”, inspired by the symbol of Michelangelo Pistoletto‘s Third Paradise, and therefore attentive to environmental and social issues, wants to be an example of hospitality and innovation.
10 and 11 December: school of philosophy, workshops and activities
The first day of events, Saturday 10 December, marked the launch of the “Professor Challenger” school of philosophy dedicated to Bernard Stiegler at the Circolo ARCI Promessi Sposi, an occasion attended by around 40 people, mainly teachers from Lecco’s secondary schools. During the day, the scientific directors presented the school, which will involve students from high schools of the area, associations, researchers and citizens, and invite them to reflect critically and philosophically on the global problems characterising contemporary society through an intergenerational approach. “This educational infrastructure will lead to a greater awareness of the knowledge of the future,”emphasised ambassador Angelo Riva.
On Sunday, 11 December, the courtyards and squares of Lecco’s Acquate district hosted workshopsand a variety of activities, such as chess, cooking and musical performances, entertaining not only the new generations, but the entire local community, again in line with the intergenerational perspective promoted by Lecco’s Rebirth/Third Paradise embassy.
21 December, the conference “Economy, Work and Urban Metabolism”
Inspired by the meaning of Michelangelo Pistoletto’s trinamic symbol, since 2019 Lecco’s project has been working in collaboration with CRAMS (Research Centre for Art Music and Performing Arts), Cittadellarte – Fondazione Pistoletto, IRI (Institute de Recherche et Innovation of the Centre Pompidou) in Paris and IRSACTS (Institute for Socio-Anthropological Research for Territorial and Experimental Accounting) to create a “laboratory territory” for sustainable development in five neighbourhoods of the Lombard province. The IRSACTS institute’s economists, sociologists, philosophers and experts on energy and energy-saving systems have begun researching the evolutionary character of the Third Paradise Neighbourhoods and the practical construction of this model.
The talk of 21 December allowed a discussion with organisations, institutions, companies and inhabitants of the “laboratory territory” aimed at creating a research network that can monitor the transformation of the city and, consequently, the impact of the initiatives on the well-being of the citizens themselves. Proposals were also presented for the energy efficiency of production activities, necessary for the emergence of a renewable energy community.
On this occasion, a system of innovation of the indicators was discussed, leading to the development of a new experimental and territorial reporting through a new model for measuring progress that does not only take turnover into account.
The event saw the participation of Michelangelo Pistoletto, who was streamed in during the opening of the proceedings; the artist, as Angelo Riva reported, “introduced the keystone of the laboratory-territory and made a further contribution to the motivation that generated the Third Paradise Neighbourhoods four years ago. It is art, above science and other human activities, that leads to change. As Pistoletto emphasised, it is necessary to intervene in everyday life with activities involving people such as the laboratory-territory, a project that has his symbol as its basis”.
When asked “What are your expectations for this project?”, Angelo Riva answered without hesitation: “to change the world”. Indeed, the Third Paradise promotes the creation of a new relationship between nature and people and between people themselves, a concept that can be extended to a balance between financial capital, knowledge capital, skills and labour.
The future of territories consists of their inhabitants, and among them are not only workers and entrepreneurs, but also young people and children, and elderly people who can pass on their knowledge to the new generations. “Even individuals who have not yet been conceived are already inhabitants of a territory,” said Angelo Riva, “which must ensure acceptance and guarantee human dignity. The aim of the initiative is to create more births than the national average and to welcome more migrants and people in need”.
Under the guidance of the trinamic symbol, the project promoted by Lecco’s Third Paradise Neighbourhoods wants to create a harmonious territory, respectful of nature, in its attentiveness to the sustainability of resources and to energy efficiency, and of human rights, proving not only proactive and present for those who live there, but above all inclusive and welcoming to those in need of help and shelter.
