Free from waste

The abundance of goods and services is a recent novelty in human history, which however does not concern all humanity, but only our Western world.
Widespread waste is therefore a modern reality, very rare to find before the industrial revolution, except in the upper classes. In recent times, in addition to involving material goods such as food, waste is gradually affecting our lives and is revealed as a loss of meaning and commitment towards others.
The economist Andrea Segre and the phytopathologist Ilaria Pertot highlight the dimension of food waste that paradoxically impoverishes those who are already poor and undermines the foundations of our democratic society.
The young people of the Arsenale tell us about their experience: putting time and effort at the disposal of others.
From the collection of food and material for people in need, reasoning can arise on the functioning of the economy and society and build a new mentality oriented towards the common good.
Finally, Sandro Calvani tells us about Fast fashion from his special vantage point in Bangkok, to open our eyes to a phenomenon that is based on significant environmental and human exploitation.

A pe(n)sante dinner
Belly and head together to make the world fairer

On September 28, 2024, about 300 people gathered at the Arsenale, more than half of them young people, to participate in the “Pen(s)ante Dinner”: a dinner organized by the youngest volunteers who frequent Sermig.
The aim was to launch two projects: to finance the reactivation of some water wells in Eritrea and to support the Camillian Fathers in the construction of an aqueduct in Haiti. During the dinner, the various groups of young people shared with all the guests the fruits of the service they carry out in the Arsenale. From the dozens of tons of materials collected in food drives, to the more than a thousand school kits prepared and delivered to families in the neighborhood, to entertainment and sports activities, to containers of materials shipped around the world, to after-school activities for younger children; but above all they wanted to share the positive impact on themselves that committing themselves, as a team, for others and for the world has.
The reflection then focused on the theme of reusing the clothes that are donated to the Arsenale every day and that young people also help to select.
We discovered a reality made of globalization without rules, exploitation, compulsive consumerism, distant and poor countries used as landfills for the richer world. Maybe we won't be the ones to change this situation, but we can certainly be the first to live in balance with ourselves, our neighbors and the environment. First step?
Consume less and ask yourself what is really necessary and work every day so that more and more people mature in operational awareness, which does not limit itself to making us indignant, but pushes us to get involved concretely, together with others, starting from our own square meter.

Edited by the Editorial Staff
NP February 2025