Hopes and doubts. «We hope that the Mattei Plan does not remain an empty frame». The Catholic network present in Africa, still deeply rooted and composed of dozens of missionary orders, strengthened by recent agreements from Vatican hospitals in key countries such as the Central African Republic or, recently, Cameroon, not to mention the widespread work of Sant'Egidio and Cuamm, the large Catholic NGO that provides doctors and assistance to eight Sub-Saharan African countries (Angola, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Central African Republic, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda) with about three thousand European and African operators in 23 hospitals, 64 districts (for public health activities, maternal and child care, fight against AIDS, tuberculosis) constitute a significant strategic platform on which the government of Giorgia Meloni hopes to count.
Mattei Plan of 5.5 billion, Meloni's move at the Italy-Africa summit: here are all the priorities
Her project is an ambitious one named after the founder of Eni to «promote a common, sustainable and lasting development, in the political, economic, social, cultural and security dimension». However, no one is under any illusions, Africa is a complicated, multifaceted continent, undergoing rapid transformation, crossed by a dangerous wave of neo-colonialism and a manifest rapacity on the part of Russia and China (especially) for the hoarding of raw materials. However, for Europe and Italy it remains an opportunity to work on several fronts also to be able to stop the migratory phenomenon.
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Don Dante Carraro, head of Cuamm, highlights the strengths and weaknesses of the Mattei Plan. «I have in my heart the hope that it can lay the foundations for growth and for doing it together. Grow by working “with”, without the rush for easy and immediate results but, on the contrary, committing with constancy and determination in a long-term perspective, accepting the effort of development and the patience of waiting for a result».
He hopes that the Plan does not remain an «empty frame, but is made of concrete interventions». «We would like those who have the power to direct future policies to have the courage to make radical choices, guided by the awareness that we are really all “in the same boat”, as Pope Francis says, and that the good and the “well-being” of the neighbor, near and far, concerns us all, indistinctly».
Even the bishops' newspaper Avvenire, in an editorial, observes with interest all the steps but sends a cross-cutting message to clarify that it is a good thing to support development together with African leaders but only if the horizon is broadened. «What is wrong with the Mattei plan is the underlying objective that through aid migrations from Africa to Europe can be stopped. The reading of the phenomenon is wrong and the therapy is ineffective. On the first front, the spotlights on Africa as a source of massive and unsustainable migrations derive from the alarm about landings. But landings, and refugee entries, are only a modest fraction of a much larger migratory phenomenon” which is derived from wars, repressions and instability of vast African regions».
Even more incisive is Father Giulio Albanese, perhaps the most famous Italian Africanist, a long-term missionary with the Combonians. «Obviously I'm glad when we talk about Africa - he tells the Messenger - but to me the plan seems premature and I don't understand how it will materialize. You don't make weddings with dried figs, 5 billion euros may be fine for the earthquake victims of Emilia Romagna but not for a continent, and even assuming that contributions come from private individuals, systemic problems related to speculative finance that has a strong impact on the public debt of each African country must first be addressed. The debt is financialized and the payment of interest is linked to stock market speculation. As long as there are speculations on raw materials, every attempt will always be in vain. Public debts should be zeroed out».
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