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RIFLESSIONI^* 2003: ABILITIES, COMMITMENT AND SOCIAL CHOICES

 

<<La sera prima di cominciare il mio lavoro alla Banca mondiale tenni la mia ultima conferenza stampa in qualità di presidente del Consiglio dei consulenti economici di Bill Clinton. Con l'economia interna perfettamente sotto controllo, pensavo che il problema principale per un economista fosse quello, sempre più preoccupante, della povertà nel mondo. Che cosa potevamo fare per il miliardo e duecentomila persone che vivono con meno di un dollaro al giorno, oppure per i due miliardi e ottocentomila che vivono con meno di due dollari al giorno, vale a dire più del 45 per cento della popolazione mondiale? Che cosa poteva fare io per realizzare il sogno di un mondo senza povertà? Come potevo dedicarmi al sogno più modesto di un mondo con meno povertà? Ritenevo di dover agire su tre fonti: mettere a fuoco le strategie più efficienti per promuovere la crescita e ridurre la povertà, lavorare con i governi dei paesi in via di sviluppo per attuare queste strategie e fare in Occidente tutto ciò che era in mio potere per promuovere gli interessi e tutelare le esigenze dei paesi in via di sviluppo, insistendo affinché le nazioni industrializzate aprissero i loro mercati oppure fornissero un aiuto più efficace...>>

    Da "La globalizzazione e i suoi oppositori", Joseph E. Stiglitz, 2002 Giulio Einaudi Editore, Torino, pp. 24-25

Stiglitz’s words made this gray year-ending day turn in a colourful one and they gave me enthusiasm and  positive feelings - that I miss up to now – needed to write some brief notes this year too. I hope a lot of people will have time and will be willing to read them. These considerations come in addition to those from previous years that can be read using links above in this page.

I have met several people really interesting recently. I appreciated their strong academic background as well as the remarkable effort they put in what they do. Moreover, some of them, not too few, half-revealed a real talent, that is some skills that you cannot learn in books or on school’s desks. I am lucky in having these kinds of people as friends.

The subject I would like to discuss regards the way of using – someone would say of capitalizing – these abilities and this effort. Does it exist a “right” way of using their own abilities and of putting into practice their effort? There isn’t one unique way definitely, these choices are strictly personal and I don’t pretend to influence them.

However, I allow myself to do the following reasoning:

I’m no doubt making a mistake if I say that most people chose to use their abilities in high-salary jobs (for example  working for an investment bank). This is not a unsual hypothesis for those living in western capitalist societies where competition means more than solidarity and where people often are valued only according to the money they have. I don't mean it as criticism, I’m only stating a bitter fact.

If one considered the effect of his own actions on the community “world”, then the strategy of allocating their abilities to the most profitable activity couldn’t be so efficient. Citing the former example, a relevant question could be the following one: Is it efficient “renting” one’s abilities and one’s effort to a bank with the effect of increasing (a lot) his own balance and that of the (few) – probably already rich – bank’s customers?

Let’s think for a moment, wouldn’t those with plenty of abilities and that work hard to acquire new skills deserve to work at something more ambitious, something useful for the good of community?

Put in these terms, mine is basically an invitation to make a consideration more than a consideration in itself. That’s a call I do mainly to those that are choosing their career in the following months. I believe that a trade-off between one’s own interest and others’ is always possibly and even more efficient in some cases. Stiglitz’s example is no doubt a confirmation of what I’m arguing. Moreover, I also invite to a reconsideration so as to make their job more useful to the entire society those that already have chosen a career. In brief, my invitation is to make what Amartya Sen calls a “social choice”.

 

If we act now with realism and foresight,
if we show courage,
if we think globally and
allocate our resources accordingly,
we can give our children a
more peaceful and equitable world.
One where suffering will be reduced.
Where children everywhere                                                      
will have a sense of hope.

This is not just a dream.                                                  

It is our responsibility. 

JAMES D WOLFENSOHN                                                                       
President of the World Bank Group                                                                                                                                   

 

In conclusion, I think that those of my generation are at the a crossroad that can expressed in the following terms:

-Will our generation be only a transition one, a generation that will witness – in a passive way – the consolidation of this development pattern that seems at least iniquitous?

-or, shall we want to be a generation that shifts the point, in which each of us – with his peculiarity and within his activity – will contribute to the development of the whole community, the community “world”?

 

WE’RE THE ONLY ONES THAT CAN MAKE THE CHOICE. LET’S MAKE IT SOON.

                                                                                                                              Vincenzo Di Maro

      

 

 

 

 

 

* Riflessioni means considerations.