FOR INTEREST OR FOR LOVE?

by ANDREA BELLAVITE

The European Capital of Culture is like a seed thrown into the ground. Beyond the thousands of initiatives, the enthusiasm, and the disappointments, the message was and remains very strong: a land bloodied by two world wars sparked by nationalism, racism, and Nazi-fascism is now held up to Europe and the world as an example of coexistence between diversity, concrete solidarity, and the potential for peace and justice. Everyone knows it’s both an “already” and a “not yet.” The seed will germinate, grow, and become a tree, a leaf, a flower, and a fruit if every citizen, aware of their specific responsibility, truly feels “Gorizian.” Each will passionately offer their history, culture, worldview, and language to the other.

Yes, even language—or perhaps it’s above all language—still represents an important, and sometimes insurmountable, barrier in people’s minds. The fact is that the majority of Nova Gorica’s residents—though the percentage is declining—know Italian well. The older ones learned it the hard way, living under the occupation of the Kingdom of Italy and then teaching it to their children. The “younger” people born between the 1960s and 1980s learned it by watching Tele Capodistria broadcasts or Italian TV channels. Among the residents of Gorizia, obviously apart from those who are part of the Slovenian presence in Italy, it must be admitted that very few people are fluent in Slovenian. A small portion of people “risk” a Dober Dan or a Hvala when they go to get gas. Some manage to understand and make themselves understood in a sort of passive bilingualism (I speak my own language, but I understand yours), but the Italians who speak Slovenian fluently can literally be counted on the fingers of one hand. This is not the way it should be! This is the most obvious, if not the most important, of the “not yets.” And let’s not pretend that there is no reciprocity, since there are some bilingual signs in Gorizia, but almost none in Nova Gorica. Anyone who says this has probably never walked around Bevk or Kardelj squares and really looked around. They also fail to consider that while there is a strong Slovenian presence in Italy, in Nova Gorica there are practically no native Italian speakers… Aside from that, It is clear that the real problem is to overcome the abyss of difference, through a new conception of language learning and school policy.

Yes, because it’s important to ask not only “how” but also “why” to learn the other’s language, remembering that the European Union recommends that border lands focus on teaching their own language, that of their neighbor, and English, as a “vehicle,” to be able to express themselves in the rest of the world. The great Ivan Ilyich, in his forgotten but important and provocative book Overthrow the institutions, He noted that one can learn another’s language either out of interest or out of love. In the first case, it is an act of violence: I enter without knocking and take over the most individual of ways a person represents themselves in the community in which they live. I do it only to secure a job or at least gain a living in society. In the second case, the other opens the way for me to “enter” into the depths of their intimacy and gently invites me to be part of their story and their way of expressing themselves, which can only be achieved in a loving and affectionate dimension. Simply put, I grant you the privilege of entering into me, into my way of being and thinking, lovingly offering you what belongs to me and my people; I invite you to open yourself by welcoming this precious gift.

Beyond Ilich’s suggestions, the issue must also be addressed on a political level, with very concrete choices. Some examples?

One could hope for the existence of multilingual schools, following the example of the Celovec/Klagenfurt High School, where lessons are taught in German, Slovenian, Italian, and English, so that students can leave school understanding and speaking each of them.

A decision should be made to introduce Slovenian as the curricular language in all Italian schools in Gorizia and Italian in all Slovenian schools in Nova Gorica.

It is also worth highlighting the increasingly frequent requests from Italian parents to enroll their children in Slovenian schools, and above all the need for daily collaboration between the schools in Nova Gorica and Gorizia to offer greater opportunities and freedom of choice across borders.

Significant investment should be made in adult education, in collaboration with universities and qualified teachers. There is already a lot of work underway, for example, among the many that could be cited, very virtuous initiatives such as the mutual understanding initiatives proposed around Epicenter or the Maks knjigarna kavarna, those held in the two Slovenian libraries of Nova Gorica and Gorizia, those promoted by Kulturhaus in Casa Ascoli, by the managers of the Slovely.eu website, or by the excellent publishing houses QuduLibri or ZTT for cultural promotion. Local authorities could also encourage such initiatives and offer other opportunities, supporting teachers and students in expanding challenging courses that can enable as many people as possible to transcend the mere formalities.

Casa Ascoli? Yes, it’s also the headquarters of the Friulian Philological Society. After losing its Jewish and German roots, Gorizia must hold on tightly to and support its historical and contemporary Friulian roots. Such a fundamental part of the region’s tradition must not be erased, making it possible for everyone to learn about important literary figures from the past like Pietro Zorutti, Ugo Pellis, Pier Paolo Pasolini, and from more recent times like the giant Celso Macor, the sweet Anna Bombig, and many others, not to mention—for fear of forgetting someone—the vast array of living poets and authors.

Alongside all this, we must not forget the new Gorizians, coming from every continent and arriving on the banks of the Isonzo River out of necessity or choice. They too are part of the Community, and their cultural, linguistic, and religious uniqueness can and must be the heritage of each and every one. It is the marvelous richness of communion in celebrating the beauty of diversity. Of every diversity that each human being is and carries within themselves.