Global Campus of Human Rights Magazine n 12 (March 2024)

Abstract

Venice as a city for young people with a sustainable future is the main theme of this 12th edition of the Global Campus Magazine. “Coming to study in Venice must mean coming to study the future” is one of the messages of City Councillor Simone Venturini. The city increasingly realises that young people are an asset for Venice and, therefore, started the Venice City Campus project with the aim of doubling the number of university communities in the coming years. The “Citta Campus” initiative is closely linked to the idea of developing Venice to become the World Capital of Sustainability, as Jacopo Galli, the project manager of the Venice Sustainability Foundation, explains. The history of Venice, a city built in an “impossible” place, is a “path of sustainability that spans the centuries”. In his opinion, the Mose project, “a work of mobile hydraulic engineering that has no equal in the world”, is the “true game-changer of Venetian development, as it enables the socio- economic development of a territory finally protected by the sea”. Visions for a Sustainable Future is also the theme of a series of TEDxVenezia talks, as Maria Giovanna Scrobogna explains in her interview for the GC Magazine. “Venice is built on water, and water is the source of life” serves as a powerful inspiration for the SUMUS (“We are”) community in Venice with the vision of a new way of living respectful of humanity and the planet. “What makes us so optimistic is the power of nature” says Helene Molinari, the founder of SUMUS: “nature is not only a beautiful landscape or supermarket for human beings, nature is an unlimited source of innovations to solve all our human challenges”. She urges us to better protect the rights of children, animals, plants and minerals and to “give an identity to the rivers, mountains as if they were a person to be able to better defend their rights.” These ideas resonate very well with the new priorities of the Global Campus, developed in partnership with Right Livelihood, namely to go beyond children’s rights to the protection of rights of future generations, nature and Earth Trusteeship. “Living in Venice was a once in a lifetime experience” for Chiara Mongello, one of our current EMA student representatives, and her counterpart Vasil Ivanov adds: “I never lived in a place that can take your breath away a few times every single day”. However, according to Vasil, Venice is still “mostly known as a tourist city and not really as a study destination. If more is done for the local students, such as the establishment of more places to socialize, student events (festivals), sports facilities, venues etc (especially in the historic centre) I believe that more and more young people will start seeing Venice as their future study destination.” As Secretary General of the Global Campus of Human Rights, I fully agree with our EMA student representatives and, therefore, support local initiatives, such as the Venice City Campus and all efforts to make Venice the World Capital of Sustainability and, thereby, more attractive for students and young people who are actively engaged in fighting for climate justice and the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment. Let me close this editorial with two messages of our student representatives. Chiara wishes the Global Campus community to “approach others with openness and kindness”, since “our honesty and interactions are our daily chances to live human rights and create positive impact”. In the same spirit, Vasil sees “many people from my generation that are good at outlining criticisms towards various things, however I wish more people started offering solutions as well. The reason for this is because the world nowadays more than ever needs answers about how to tackle multiple current crises instead of hearing the criticisms that the majority of people are already aware of.” _______________________________________________________________________ This issue includes interviews to: Simone Venturini, Jacopo Galli, Mariagiovanna Scrobogna, Hélène Molinari, Chiara Mondello and Vasil Ivanov