“The Giffoni Film Festival is a little miracle, not only for the Campania Region but for the whole of Italy. Giffoni is the proof that constant efforts can make little miracles, even in a small town like this. Good ideas can make little miracles, and Giffoni is one of those”. Thus spoke President of the Anti-Corruption National Authority Raffalele Cantone during his visit at Giffoni. Cantone was welcomed at the town Cittadella del Cinema by Giffoni Mayor Antonio Giuliano, Giffoni Film Festival President Piero Rinaldi and Director Claudio Gubitosi.
The detailed visit included the Giffoni Film Festival theatres, where Cantone could feel all the warmth and enthusiasm of the jurors who have the great opportunity to attend a festival for children where children are absolute protagonists of the event. “The youth – said ANAC President – mainly focus on actions rather than words, which are often misused. Among the most misused words is ‘legality’. The youth don’t content themselves with words, they demand effective examples. Why are we trying to discuss legality with the youth? Corruption is not confined to politicians, entrepreneurs and authorities. It also affects the youth and their future. Higher the corruption level in a place, higher the brain drain percentage. Lack of research funding has a negative effect on the youth opportunities. That’s why the issue of corruption is so important for all of us”.
The visit at the Cittadella went on with a stop at the Multimedia Valley construction site: together with Director Gubitosi, safety helmets on, Cantone went round the future locations of the Giffoni Film Festival. “Our Region – said Director Gubitosi on the subject – took risks investing on Giffoni: I want to thank President Cantone for his invaluable everyday work and also for coming here at Giffoni to discuss it”.
Afterwards, Cantone met Generator +18 jurors in Sala Alberto Sordi: “I’m a magistrate, in the past I was in charge of fighting organized crime, our country’s ball and chain “, Cantone commenced. “Corruption – he added – is a mentality, it’s a way of relating to things. Goals can be achieved by walking two ways: obeying or breaking the rules and this last one is corruption, that is breaking the rules. Corruption is a cultural fact, not an anthropological feature, but it answers a cultural shortcoming related to civic pride”.
Cantone also tried to set out potential solutions to thwart the phenomenon of corruption: “I believe – he explained – that arrests and handcuffs are not enough. We need to implement instruments of prevention and transparency. The issue must be faced with structural logic instead of emergency. Today you have the chance to know everything – Anac President told the jurors – when I was student I could hardly have a newspaper. Today, all you have to do is a click to get a lot of information. This is great because it allows you to get stop-press news, even without further mediation. The last fifteen years have witnessed a decisive springing up in the thwarting of organized crime. The role of associations has been fundamental in the fight against mafia. For example, if the Casalesi hadn’t been under the spotlight, especially thanks to the extraordinary work of Saviano, there wouldn’t have been the results we’ve achieved. In this perspective, knowledge is a primary instrument”.
During the morning, Cantone has also attended “Io sono qui”, the project promoted by the National Guarantee for Childhood and Adolescence as part of Youths Security and Legality Plan of Action developed by the Department of the Interior. “I’ve had a very intense morning – Cantone commented after attending the project introduction – I’ve tried to explain to youths how to fight against corruption. The one and only way is to free ourselves from all the mechanisms restraining our country from doing what must be done”. Eight schools, 160 students, 8 short films: these are the figures of the project, that will be held in Naples in conjunction with the beginning of the new academic year and that schedules the final presentation of eight short films produced by schools from Campania, Calabria, Puglia e Sicilia (Napoli, Capua, Bari, Taranto, Cosenza, Gioia Tauro, Catania e Palermo). Combining legality and involvement is one of the goal we want to achieve – was explained by Filomena Albano, Guarantee Authority for Childhood and Adolescence of Rome – We’re not used to combine the real world with the virtual one, but it is essential to help the youths becoming aware that personal values can be practically showed just like this project does. The Giffoni Film Festival is the best answer to fear and to all the events we’ve seen happening during the last days”.
Cantone also spoke to the under 26 talents Dream Team of Giffoni Innovation Hub, who are currently working on four projects for the creative industries and the Multimedia Valley. As he finally explained, “The innovation is the future of southern Italy, the fundamental mechanism to stop rampant corruption. A corrupted country is not productive, invests little money in research and drives the youth into escaping abroad. This is why I’m incredibly happy to speak today to Giffoni, the best townlet in the country. I’m sure that all the investments in the research and development of the ideas of the youth are crucial to fight delinquency”.
