Pasquale Antonio Riccio is the president of Campus Health and Project Alpha. He lives, promotes and disseminates engagement in the third sector, the evolution of the culture of prevention and a dream that crosses the Ocean to New York, via the United Nations.
Pasquale Antonio Riccio, who are you and how did your involvement in the third sector come about?
“I started from an early age to cultivate the practice of helping others, thanks in part to the education I received from my mother. My path in social work originated from volunteering and associationism: I founded Progetto Alfa, which later inspired the birth of Campus Salute. Both grew thanks to the collaboration of many professionals, initially Neapolitans like me. I started as a simple volunteer and over time, perhaps because of my daily commitment and ability to network, I was given the presidency. For the past few years, both associations have been accredited to the United Nations Economic and Social Council, where we bring our official input in documents and activities in New York, Geneva and Nairobi. “
There is a lot of talk on TV talk shows and in newspapers about the “third sector,” but what this definition encompasses is not always well explained.
“It is often confused only with volunteerism, but it is much more than that. The third sector is the link between the state and the civic engagement of citizens. It is the set of entities that offer services where the state cannot reach, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity. It is an organized form, different from private enterprise: it does not generate profit, but produces social value. A common mistake is to think that nonprofit equals total gratuity: in reality, free is the service to the citizen, but professionals are justly paid. “
Does the third sector receive public funding? And how are they distributed?
“Yes, it receives important funds that enable it to carry out decisive projects for communities. But there is a big gap: small voluntary associations, so-called SBs, are often forgotten. During the pandemic, for example, people thanked the volunteers who brought groceries home, but once the emergency was over, the resources went only to the big ones. Small associations, which are the real backbone of Italian volunteering, were left out because of inaccessible bureaucratic requirements: small budgets, no bank guarantees. Yet, they live by self-taxation and sacrifice. “
You often talk about the “spirit of the third sector.”
“I mean that spirit that animates a young person to join an association, to do community service. The third sector is a great training school: it is educational, it teaches contact with others, the value of the common good. But beware, doing good is not enough. It has to be done in an organized way, with a safety net for those who want to get involved, either as volunteers or professionally. “
Campus Health and Project Alpha: two associations, one vision. How do they operate in Italy?
“Project Alpha, born first, is concerned with cultural promotion and youth participation. We work a lot with young people, promoting community service and initiatives on legality, culture, and volunteerism. Campus Salute, on the other hand, brings prevention to Italian squares: we set up real field hospitals, with free specialist visits. In Piazza del Popolo, in Rome, we had more than 100 volunteer doctors who performed thousands of checkups. “
I know you also work in difficult settings.
“Yes, we are working, for example, on the recovery of an abandoned and degraded train station, together with the Volturno Autonomous Authority. It was a place of drug dealing and violence. Our young volunteers faced threats, but today that station is a space for participation: tickets are made, social clinics, meetings on legality and culture. This is the third sector sewing the wounds of the territory and fostering social cohesion. “
Let’s talk about internationalization: how do you develop your work at the United Nations?
“We have local representatives who help us maintain dialogue with our Italian representation and with UN agencies. We mainly collaborate on the drafting of official documents and public consultations. Paradoxically, I have felt more heard in New York than in my own territory. The United Nations, despite criticism, is an example of open participation with civil society. “
What issues do you bring to the United Nations?
“We promote correct lifestyles, the culture of prevention and, thanks to our scientific director, Professor Annamaria Colao, also an evolution of the Mediterranean diet: the “Planeterranea.” The idea is to adapt the principles of the Mediterranean diet to all geographical contexts of the world. It is an innovative project that we are also developing in the United States, together with ilNewyorkese, our media partner. “
A dream to be realized a year from now?
“Very simply, I hope that this will not stop. My dream is to be able to leave a concrete footprint, both in Italy and at the United Nations. I believe that in five years we can really make a difference. “
The article “Good is not enough, it must be organized”: Pasquale Antonio Riccio talks about the third sector between solidarity, prevention and the future comes from TheNewyorkese.
