"Vita in the South" Magazine is Born
A constant flow of news and multimedia insights on the Vita website and social media channels (www.vita.it), and a monthly focus in the magazine: the VITA group is launching a new editorial project called "Vita in the South." "It's neither a new publication, nor a magazine insert, nor a section of vita.it. 'Vita in the South' is a shift in focus towards social innovation and models of civil economy that are developing in the 6 target regions: Campania, Basilicata, Puglia, Calabria, Sicily, and Sardinia," writes VITA's director, Stefano Arduini, in the November magazine issue, available from Friday, November 6 (and already downloadable online from the website www.vita.it), dedicated to the launch of this initiative. All content produced for "Vita in the South" will be identifiable online and offline by a dedicated logo.
"The project arises from a specific need," continues Arduini, "to create a narrative about the most advanced social experiences in the South of the country, increasing both quantity and quality. Social storytelling is precisely what demonstrates the greatest reliance on stereotypes about the South. The Southern regions of the country constantly find themselves in a condition of subordination or heroism that does not do justice to what the social fabric, especially in recent years, has managed to generate in some areas. A vitality that deserves to be reflected in the media and, therefore, in the civil and political debate in the country, both at the central and local levels."
"Vita in the South," which relies on a distributed editorial team composed of five journalists (three women and two men) living and working in Southern Italy, is launched with the support of the Fondazione Con il Sud and is based on an alliance between VITA and five important social and economic hubs in the South (Rete di economia civile "Sale della Terra" in Benevento, "Comunità Progetto Sud" in Lamezia Terme, "Domus De Luna" in Cagliari, "Cooperativa sociale Dedalus" in Naples, and "Fondazione comunitaria di Agrigento e Trapani").
In his editorial published in the November issue of VITA magazine, Carlo Borgomeo, the president of Fondazione Con il Sud, emphasizes that in the South, "the most relevant issue, concerning communication related to the social sector, is not so much the quantitative aspect but the approach used. Often, a world of good deeds is celebrated, with beautiful stories, exceptional individuals, and unexpected results. A positive approach, but one that has a limitation: that of 'separating' the world of social issues from other issues usually considered more important and urgent, confirming in public opinion that the experiences promoted by the Third Sector can at most contain inequalities and make up for the deficiencies of the public system but cannot guide policies, suggest models, or indicate new priorities. The challenge of 'Vita in the South' is to break this pattern."