WSS
The World Social Summit is an initiative of the Fondazione Roma, conceived by the Chairman, Professor Emanuele, and implemented with the scientific collaboration of the Fondazione Censis. The purpose of the summit is to examine the numerous issues that affect social progress by opening a worldwide debate between high profile personalities such as Nobel Prize laureates, academics, investigators, business people and representatives of national and international institutions. The World Social Summit entitled “Fearless: dialoghi per combattere le paure planetarie (Fearless: discussion on how to combat global anguish)”, held in Rome under the High Patronage of the President of the Republic and Ministry for Foreign Affairs on the 24th – 26th September 2008, laid the foundations upon which future society may be able to improve its management of fear.
The considerable increase of fear within contemporary societies suggested this subject be addressed. Fear does not arise only from the greater amount of risks that individuals feel threatened by such as terrorism, personal safety and environmental catastrophes, ever wider brackets of the population are mainly concerned about the uncertainties they must face.
The event also examined the social, multiethnic and economic relationship with globalization in an attempt to understand if fear, as an almost natural feature of modern society is, in some way, an inevitable consequence and to what extent it is kindled by the increase in migration between North and South. The mechanisms of the mass media behind today’s expansion of fear were also considered. Many widespread concerns do not actually correspond to real threats or risks, they are produced by the present day’s mass vulnerability. The purpose of the Summit was to understand who has an (economic, political or media) interest in bringing this about and in which way language and conversation have helped to extend it.
A special session addressed metropolitan fears since this is where they are more concentrated. In an attempt to find a remedy for uncertainty, the conditions in ten large cities around the world were examined for the World Social Summit by Censis. Fear in the future was also investigated by trying to understand its cultural evolution, how individuals project their anxiety and the role played by science and technology in either generating or fighting anxiety.
The Illustrious line-up of speakers at the World Social Summit included: David Altheide (Sociologist specialising in Mass Communication – Arizona State University, USA) , Jacques Attali (Economist, France), Zygmunt Bauman (Sociologist – Leeds University, Great Britain), Gary S. Becker (Nobel Prize for Economy – University of Chicago, USA), Daniel Bell (Political Philosopher – Tsinghua University of Beijing, China), Edoardo Boncinelli (Biologist–Vita-Salute University of Milan), Johanna Bourke (Historian – Birkbeck College, Great Britain), Robert Castel (Sociologist – École des Hautes en Sciences Sociales, France), Giuseppe De Rita (Sociologist – Chair of Fondazione Censis), Emmanuele F.M. Emanuele (Professor and Lawyer – Chair of Fondazione Roma), Bill Emmott (Economist, journalist and author – Great Britain), Frank Furedi (Sociologist, journalist – University of Kent, Great Britain), Massimiliano Fuksas (Architect – Italy), Anthony Giddens (Sociologist and expert in politics, London School of Economics & House of Lords, GB), James Hillman (Psychoanalyst and Philosopher, USA), Christine Loh (Journalist and Chair of Civic Exchange – ecology movement - China), Michel Maffesoli (Sociologist –The Sorbonne University - Paris V, France), Angela Melo (Lawyer – African Commission on Human and People’s Rights, Mozambique), Suketu Mehta (Author, India), Ester Mujawayo (Psychotherapist, Ruanda), Ellin Nan (Town Planner – Arizona State University, USA), Ashis Nandy (Sociologist and Psychologist – Centre for the Study of Developing Society, India), Salvatore Natoli (Philosopher, Università degli studi of Milan-Bicocca, Italy), Giuseppe Roma (Town Planner – CEO Fondazione Censis, Italy), Roberto Saviano (Author and Journalist, Italy), Pier Luigi Vigna (Magistrate, Italia).