Italy’s “Clean Hands” Prosecutor to Visit Second Life
by Alphaville Herald on 10/07/07 at 4:35 pm
I almost never report on hypervents, but this one is special. Imagine this: There I was snorkeling off the coast of southern Italy, near Maratea . I came back to the beach and sent the cabana boy for a Campari Soda and a copy of the Corriere dela Sera when the mojo wire on my satellite phone buzzed. Ho hum, another hypervent, but as I am about to hit “delete” I notice that this one is different: Antonio Di Pietro was coming to Second Life on Thursday, July 12.
Di Pietro was one of the priniciple “mani puliti pulite” (clean hands) prosecutors who tore into corruption in the Italian government, exposing its relation to the Mafia and the P2 black Masonic lodge (membership of which included prominent journalists, parliamentarians, industrialists, and military leaders — including the then-future Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi). The Mani Puliti judges eventually reshaped the Italian political landscape, but Berlusconi, who owns three of the seven television networks in Italy and several important newspapers, has managed remained politically powerful (see my 1994 piece on the Italian Hacker Crackdown for an early primer on his antics). Di Pietro’s current gig, in the Prodi government, is Minister of Infrastructures, and he is working hard to develop new media for political discourse, and it is no mystery why, given that Berlusconi still basically controls most of the media in Italy. Di Pietro’s blog is here. Press release is below the fold. — Uri
Italian Minister Antonio Di Pietro to meet with Journalists and Public in Second Life
Power of Second Life to Communicate Theme for Italian Minister of Infrastructures
Antonio Di Pietro, the Italian Minister of Infrastructures, will conduct a live, virtual press conference with leading Italian journalists and the public on Thursday, July 12, 2007 in the 3-D on-line community, Second Life.
Minister Di Pietro will meet with journalists to discuss and demonstrate the power of Second Life as a tool for political and social organizing.
Antonio Di Pietro is the founder of Italy’s”Italia dei Valori” party, which advocates expanded use of the internet to enhance freedom of information, promote social values, fight corruption and foster democracy. The Italia dei Valori party’s virtual headquarters in Second Life has hundreds of followers among residents of the online community.
Minister Di Pietro is committed to communicating directly with the Italian public on critical issues through new media, including Second Life as well as weekly videocasts on YouTube.com and a political blog at www.antoniodipietro.it The upcoming press conference will be the party’s first formal event in Second Life.
Minister Di Pietro distinguished himself as a judge and prosecutor during the “Clean Hands” era of the 1990s when he became well-known as a leading opponent of corruption, working with a small team of judges to root and out and expose criminal dealings throughout the Italian government. He founded the Italia dei Valori party to further his advocacy of a free and open Italian society. He will address the crucial role of the internet in reaching that goal during Thursday’s live Second Life event.
The press conference will take place on Thursday, July 12, at 11:00am U.S. Eastern time (5:00pm Italian time and 8:00am Second Life time.) The event is presented by Casaleggio Associati and Italia dei Valori and is being produced by the Cambridge-based Lichtenstein Creative Media.
To enter the Italia dei Valori “Never Land” sim in Second Life, visit the SLURL link at www.LCMedia.com/italia.htm For more information, including press materials and photos, contact Julie Fischer at 617-682-3699 or email Julie@LCMedia.com.
High-resolution press photos available upon request.
–
Bill Lichtenstein
President
Lichtenstein Creative Media “The New Public Media”
One Broadway; 14th Floor
Cambridge, MA 02142
617-682-3700
Direct: 617-682-3708/Fax: 617-682-3746
www.LCMedia.com
Jessica Holyoke
Jul 10th, 2007
Woo hooo new topic! Yay Uri.
Tizzers Foxchase
Jul 10th, 2007
What does this have to do with mudkips?
Prokofy Neva
Jul 10th, 2007
Yay, Uri, same old topic and oh-so-relevant!
fabrice79
Jul 10th, 2007
Sorry if I correct u, but it’s “mani pulite”.
Sil Demina
Jul 11th, 2007
heh
wouldn’t if be funny if a large crowd with group tags bearing words like ‘Capo di tutti Capi’, ‘Caporegime’ and ‘soldati’ showed up in expensive suits with guns attached for his little meeting, lol.
So when is this thing anyway? Give me a time and place and I’ll custom craft you a front page story.
Sil Demina
Khamon
Jul 11th, 2007
“Antonio Di Pietro is the founder of Italy’s”Italia dei Valori” party, which advocates expanded use of the internet to enhance freedom of information, promote social values, fight corruption and foster democracy.”
One out of four, enhance freedom of information, ain’t bad. How can the Internet be used to promote social values, fight corruption, or foster democracy?
urizenus
Jul 12th, 2007
There is a long history of using computer technology to fight corruption in Italy. For example back in 94 the PeaceLink BBS was used to out mafiosi and fascists in positions of power (typically local mayors). This lead (in my opinion) to Berlusconi’s BBS crackdown. The Italian groups also established their own networks (typically on top of Fidonet — if you remember that one) to exchange political information. It’s not crazy to say that they played a hand in the fall of Italy’s corrupt postwar republic.
Anonymous
Jul 12th, 2007
“How can the Internet be used to promote social values, fight corruption, or foster democracy?”
Ask Prok.
Jessica Holyoke
Jul 12th, 2007
to Khamon,
One thing about the internet that fosters democracy is that it provides easier access to information. You can look up party platforms, candidate views and see opposing viewpoints that would not be as easily available before. (of course, the mainstream media might not be publishing such things anymore because of the internet.) While Howard Dean did not receive the US Democratic Party Presidential nomination in 2004, he was brought to the forefront of people’s awareness due to his internet presence.
Keenan Torok
Jul 12th, 2007
Best comment of the pre-event chatter: He must have been stuck on the Orientation Island (rough translation). But overall he was a powerful speaker and this was a great event.