German

It is a word that pops up in the dictionary between the beak of a duck and an adjective from barbarian invasions, and is surprising for its meaning: born of the same parents. This may not be new to those who know Spanish, since in that language Hermano means one's brother. It comes from germinating. We look at the origin, therefore, to indicate a bond dictated by the commonality of blood, not chosen, but found. Germano is a fact: either you are or you are not, and if you are, you cannot not be.

It is not always easy to accept being a brother to another even when it puts you to the test, even when you would not choose him as such. This word offers a clarification to the other, brother. It allows us to clarify it and also to reveal its greatness: because brothers, certainly to add, we can always become. On the other hand, it offers, as a provocation, an incentive to reflect on how humanity could grow if we imagined it beyond ties built on a voluntary basis, and instead as a set of people united by an original bond of brotherhood, that cannot be abolished.

NP december 2020
Fabio Arduini