The good news, however, is that in Italy these exclusionary practices of Italian politics towards an entire slice of the population, known as the ‘Invisibles’, have not gone unnoticed.Īmong them, there is certainly Aboubakar Soumahoro, a leading player in the trade union struggles in favor of the rights of field workers and lately, particularly concerned about the employment emergency following the coronavirus crisis. In fact, many critics agreed about a fundamental point which was the lack of inclusion. Suffice it to say that not even journalists had access. The excluded parties - some voluntarily, like the opposition - were many. But let’s face it, the States General of the Economy have not exactly been the emblem of a democratic and representative exercise. Creating a space of confrontation and listening in order to redesign the future of the country by overcoming the ongoing harsh economic crisis should be considered a noble attempt. The idea is that there is representation of all social classes (originally, in the time before the French Revolution, this meant the clergy, nobility and third state) to limit the power of a monarchy. It is precisely in this context that, between June 13 and 21, the States General of the Economy ( Gli Stati generali dell’Economia) took place, which was strongly desired by Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte. Practically, political protagonists have silently and opportunistically withdrawn into their palaces, as if nothing happened, re-proposing this typical all-Italian dynamic: on the one hand a hesitant, uncertain, bewildered majority without a unifying political credo but who want to stay in power at all costs, and on the other a cynical, extreme, populist and verbally violent opposition. While within national borders and beyond, the Black Lives Matter movement has been clamoring for sacrosanct human, social and economic rights and for a historical reworking of colonialist history throughout the West - including through the demolition and smearing of statues - the institutions did not dare speak up. The Invisibles have unquestionably been elevated to heroes and yet, without their condition actually improving. Soon, too soon, the turbulent flow of events brought us back to the usual. It didn’t take much to re-dress the king, though We will all come out better, we said! The mask had fallen and, if it’s not a contradiction, the king was naked. We were looking for the guilty parties and we had the firm feeling that everything was ready for a historic turning point. There was a moment when it really seemed that we wanted to rebuild our society on a more sustainable basis. Voices, stifled until before, have acquired authority denouncing lethal turbo-capitalism, unbridled neoliberalism, austerity policies, the role of multinationals that is all those dynamics that have weakened and drained the resources of our social and welfare system and made the rich increasingly rich and, simultaneously, increased poverty. So we began to denounce the reasons for their condition as invisible. This group includes supermarket cashiers, call center workers, underpaid nurses and health care workers, precarious researchers, field workers (in Italy they are called braccianti and are mostly migrants) as well as a lot of women. Remember when we used to fantasize about what the world would be like after the lockdown? About how important it was not to miss this tragic but still unique opportunity to put an end to all those injustices that the health and eventually economic and social emergency due to the Coronavirus has made even more evident?Īt a certain point, we realized - or had to realize - that it was precisely the ‘Invisibles’, a group of precarious, discriminated, ill-treated and unheard people, that took Italy forward - during one of the toughest periods in its history - and made us so proud. Credits: Sarah Narducci Labelled the ‘Invisibles’, this large group of people has rekindled the lower-class struggle in Italy by clamoring for social justice and the protection of rights.
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