In his essay In the same boat, Peter Sloterdijk compares the History of Humanity, of human life in society, to that of navigation from that in rafts going down the river of the primitive communities, to the one of all in the same boat of our era of information society globalization. All in the same boat, in the same spaceship Earth in our trip towards the future, in the middle of the Ocean, we can just try to float, let us be taken by the currents and the winds; or we can try to sail, to reach a point in the horizon which may become a welcoming harbour or the island of Utopia. Our collective navigation in History is not like driving a car on a previously traced road, but that of the ship in unchartered waters: we don’t know the winds or the currents we will have to face, but where in the horizon we want to direct our way.

María Zambrano told us that we are the only beings who do not only suffer History, but also want to make it. And we want to make it with ideas, to realize them in History, to make of ideas the points where we want to sail to. Since we don’t resign ourselves to let them in Plato’s cave. Since, once conceived, ideas call to the future and advance it. Although Utopia has not been realized in History, it has moved it. This ambition, this capacity to transform ideas into reality defines us.

In his memories, Jean Monnet tells us that nothing is possible without the persons, and nothing remains without the institutions. That persons pass by, and what we can do to leave to those who come after us, is to contribute to the institutions, whose life is infinitely longer than ours, and can, if well built, accumulate and transmit wisdom to the next generations. Since only institutions can become wiser, allow future generations to build on what they have learned from the precedents.

Looking thirty years behind, we can contemplate some ideas, some words through which they were expressed, a political decision, collective engagement and illusion, a building in Lisbon and some persons embarking themselves in the creation of the European Centre for Global Interdependence and Solidarity, with the willingness not to resign themselves to let the North South campaign - which in Europe had been carried out by the Council of Europe – to be a temporary flow of Solidarity of Europe with the rest of the World and consciousness of Global Interdependence, but with the illusion to create an institution, to provide the Council of Europe this partial agreement as a tool for Global Interdependence and Solidarity, as a tool to make Europe mean human rights, rule of Law and democracy not only for Europeans, but for all human beings, as a tool to make them mean development.

Looking throughout this thirty years of the European Centre for Global Interdependence and Solidarity – also known as the North South Centre – we can pass by the way which has led as to its programs and lines of action on Global Education, Youth and Empowerment of Women or to its flagship annual activities of the North South Prize and the Lisbon Forum – respectively in their 24^th and 25^th edition –, to its University of Youth and Development in Mollina or its Euromediterranean Youth University in Hammameth, and so many other initiatives, actions and moments we can remember when passing through its History. Looking throughout these thirty years, we can see also the Centre as the argument of the hope of all the persons which have dedicated their work and their lives, their passion and their hope to it. Looking throughout these thirty years, we can see the birth and growing of an institution to its maturity age, and the accumulation of experience and wisdom it entails, which permits us, thanks to the effort and illusion of those who have preceded us, to go beyond where they could go with our daily effort and illusion. Looking throughout these thirty years, we can see the Centre alive as a reference in the lives of those who have taken part in its programs, its Youth Universities, the Lisbon Forum or the North South Prize, and hear their testimony of what it has taught or given them.

María Zambrano told us also that neither the past nor the future do exist, but the present of the past, or the memory, and the present of the future, or the hope. We face always the challenge to make the alchemy of transforming memory into hope, to look behind to better look ahead. And thus the celebration of the Centre’s 30^th Anniversary cannot consist only on looking behind, paying tribute those who preceded us and have made it possible, commemorate what has been achieved; but to look ahead into the horizon and define where we want to address our navigation, which hope we want to turn into memory within thirty years. To look inwards to look outwards: that is what we have done by carrying out a reflection process which has led to the elaboration and approval at the meeting of the Centre’s Executive Committee last June 21^st of the Vision Paper which constitutes our navigation charter from now on.

A Vision Paper which reflects on the who, the what and the how and where of the Centre.

The who, by making a conceptual approach from what is implied in its name, as a Centre for globalization and for interdependence and solidarity; of the Council or Europe, and therefore for human rights, rule of Law and democracy, and with a vocation to contribute to the external dimension of European construction, especially in its Neighbourhood; and of the quadrilogue, as point of encounter between governments, parliaments, regional and local powers and civil society.

The what, by proposing that, while continuing with its present programs and activities, to develop its potentiality the Centre orients itself also towards: strengthening the role and contribution of the Council of Europe to the Sustainable Development Goals and the link between development and human rights, rule of Law and democracy; contributing to Intercultural and Intercivilisational Dialogue; reinforcing the Centre’s presence and interaction with the Euromediterranean diplomatic architecture and being a useful tool of CoE’s Neighbourhood Policy; and contributing to the explanation and knowledge of CoE’s conventions.

The how and where, by focusing on how to pass from vision to action; the development of a line of action on “pre-cooking” and second-track diplomacy; the Centre’s geographical and universal vocation; the application of the guiding principles and objectives; its anchoring within the Council of Europe; and on assumption of ownership.

The 30^th anniversary of the Centre is an occasion to reflect, to look behind and ahead; and is an occasion to celebrate. To celebrate what we have been, what we are and what we want to be. To celebrate that we are, since any celebration cannot be but a celebration of life. To celebrate our departure from harbour towards new horizons, new navigations, new experiences. To invite you to join us in our journey and make it the journey of global interdependence and solidarity towards human rights, rule of Law, democracy and development.

Viver não é preciso

Navegar é preciso…

To live is not necessary, to sail is necessary… The words and the melody of the song Os argonautas of Caetano Veloso – sung by him, by António Chainho or so many others Portuguese speaking singers – come to me with the image of the monument of the discovers where the Tejo encounters the Atlantic, reminding us of so many departures seen form there that have made us to be what we are. Without navigation life is not life. Since to live is to be, to become all we can be; and we can hardly be it without embarking ourselves, without sailing, navigating towards the future and towards ourselves, without becoming the only being who transcends himself – as Kant defined us -, without feeling the Sun, the wind and the sea, and feel and thank that we are alive. Let us embark ourselves in the North South Centre and depart towards the future, to make vision and ideas reality.

Manuel Montobbio

Chair of the Executive Committee

of the North south Centre

Ambassador Permanent Representative of Spain

to the Council of Europe