22 marzo 2022 – School visit
On Tuesday the 22nd March, a school class from touristic institute of Prato visited the Polo. The students were introduced to the concept of civil economy, the economic model followed and carried forward by the Polo Lionello. The civil economy introduces a new way of looking at the man, at work and at the environment. It’s a story of people who believe in business as a place were our humanity is fully realized. It’s an economy based on principles and values such as reciprocity and fraternity, which go beyond the supremacy of profit. From this intuition, in 2012, the SEC, The School of Civil Economies was born. An institution that has its headquarters at the Polo Lionello and carries on an idea of cooperation that has public happiness at its horizon. The students were made aware of the importance of their choices and small gestures of common life, introducing them to the “vote with the wallet”. Voting with the wallet means taking the responsibility of making informed choices, of supporting national and local good practices, with a positive cascade effect on workers, people and communities. Voting with the wallet is an individual responsible choice for the well-being of all. Buying a product after learning about the values and standards of the manufacturer allows us to go to support ethical and sustainable goods and services. It is therefore necessary to enhance that part of the market that stands out from the mainstream, which does not aim exclusively at profit, but aims at an ideal of common well-being. Then they visited the Multimedia Exhibition of the social, civil and communion economy. Through the experiential path, the students were able to deepen their knowledge in the economic field, trying to imagine a more equal economy model. At the end of the tour, they were able to “touch” the concept of the economy of communion, passing through the “Fagotto”, a place of sharing and redistribution of material goods. Education is the terrain on which we play our abilities to react to change. Young people are our future, so it is important to sensitise young people on the importance of the civil economy.