First day of the conference organized by the Department of International Human and Social Sciences of the University for Foreigners of Perugia, entitled: “In the Time of Force. Wars, Democracy Crises and Conflicts”, organized to place at the heart of public debate the value of scientific research as a tool for critically understanding the major transformations shaping our contemporary world: international tensions, wars, crises of the rule of law, new power dynamics, technological and environmental transformations.
The proceedings were opened by the Rector of the University for Foreigners of Perugia, Prof. Valerio De Cesaris, who highlighted the need to bear witness to peace and to strive to “know” the situations where peace is denied, asknowing what happens in a given war zone is not the same as seeing it with your own eyes.
He was echoed by the opening remarks of the Director of the Department SUSI, Prof. Paolo Morozzo Della Rocca, who emphasized that «at a time when emotions risk guiding debate more than knowledge, scientific research is a crucial tool for countering oversimplification and developing a critical approach to reality, which is increasingly being depicted in distorted ways».
The comments by historian and writer Anna Foa were particularly incisive, as she addressed the current policies of the State of Israel with these words: «Since the Nova Festival massacre, human rights and even the concept of the rule of law have been dangerously undermined by Tel Aviv: for example, there have been proposals to revoke Israeli citizenship from the makers of the film Naza, but citizenship is not a candy you give to children when they behave well, nor is it a reward—it is an inalienable right».
Tommaso Greco, philosopher of law, focused on a State's decision whether or not to pursue war, citing Immanuel Kant: «The philosopher from Königsberg wrote that if it is the people who must decide between war and peace, they will rarely choose war, because the
consequences of conflict always fall on the shoulders of the population, not those in power. Therefore, democracy must be constantly safeguarded».
Journalist Maria Concetta Mattei, long-time anchor of TG2 and now Director of the Rai School of Radio and Television Journalism in Perugia, in her concluding remarks, called on the audience to bear witness to the pursuit of peace and dialogue, as well as democracy, through organizing forums for discussion, participating in peaceful demonstrations, and joining events that promote the will to foster dialogue and constructive diplomacy.