Intense days with a packed schedule in preparation for the first Annual International Meeting organized by the Magna Grecia Foundation, which opened its doors at Mondello Palace Hotel at 3 p.m. on October 4. The three-day event gave the floor to some of the prominent minds on the national and international cultural scene to take stock of the situation in the South. An exchange of ideas, stories and projects aimed at young people. “Sud e Futuri” is bound to become much more than a mere project: it stems from the desire to break the mould, starting from those who have already done it and keep doing so.

"If we convince ourselves that we are machines, we will end up becoming machines, reducing the universe to meaningless mathematical formulas." A quote by physicist, inventor and entrepreneur Federico Faggi. He was responsible for the invention of the microchip and the fundamental components of touchscreens: the Italian "Steve Jobs" who was convinced that AI could never surpass human intelligence. He closed, together with other scientists such as astronomer and astrophysicist Sandra Savaglio, the convention on Sunday morning. The future marked by artificial intelligence was discussed in the broader scenario of a new Industrial Revolution. In this regard, the experience that Melinda Chen, General Manager of Deep Blue Technology, brought during the round table was most interesting. The Chinese AI giant with a turnover of 3 billion euros a year has already shown great interest in investing in Italy.

But in order to plan for the future, knowing the present is mandatory: the three-day event opened with the presentation of the first report on the future of the South. It was presented by Roberto Poli, Unesco Chair on Anticipating Systems and President of Skopìa Anticipation services.

On the theme of how to "govern the South", Domenico Arcuri, CEO of Invitalia, the National Agency for
Inward Investments and Economic development, was one of the speakers. He developed and implemented the reorganization and relaunch plan of the company that manages all the facilitative measures for companies, including the new Smart&Start Italia incentives and the Italia Venture I Fund for innovative startups. Esteemed guests Luca Bianchi, director of Svimez and Carlo Borgomeo, president of the CON IL SUD Foundation were also in attendance.

Renowned journalist Paolo Mieli, an expert politologist and historian, was one of the moderators. Former managing editor of newspapers La Stampa and Corriere della Sera and president of publishing house RCS Libri, he was a great foreign news correspondent and his career was studded with remarkable achievements.

Another well-known face in the world of journalism was that of Giuseppina Paterniti, director of newscast Tg3: she dealt with political-economic information as a news correspondent of Tg3 editorial staff and until 2015, as a Rai reporter, she covered European institutional activities from Brussels. Giovanna Casadio of newspaper Repubblica, Fabrizio Frullani of newscast Tg2 and Roberto Napoletano, managing editor of newspaper l'Altra voce dell'Italia were other prominent media figures that took part in the three-day event.

The protagonists of the debate on Mafias were National Anti-Mafia Prosecutor, Federico Cafiero de Raho, Nicola Gratteri, Prosecutor of Catanzaro, who has always been involved in the fight against 'Ndrangheta and drug trafficking, the President Emeritus of the Constitutional Court Antonio Baldassarre, and the President of Eurispes Gian Maria Fara.

International institutional representatives, such as Lebanese ambassador Mira Daher Violides, minister of State for Albanian Diaspora Pandeli Majko, US Federal Judge Arthur J. Gajarsa, the former Minister of Economy and President of Attika Bank of Athens Panagiotis Roumeliotis, were the protagonists of a round table on the theme "South, where Europe and Africa lay the foundations of the future".

Finally, since the word “culture” spells growth in the South, the world of art was discussed as well. Film producer Fulvio Lucisano was one of the speakers, someone who since his beginnings as a documentary filmmaker, and a distinguished career that represents a milestone in cinema history, has always regarded motion picture as "an inexhaustible source of beauty and freedom that brings people together". Film director Mimmo Calopresti was also in attendance, bringing his cinema verité on the big screen in November with his latest work "Aspromonte la terra degli ultimi". CEO of Capitale Cultura, Antonio Scuderi, and the president of Lucana Film Commission, Paride Leporace also joined in the discussion.