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Photos
from Palermo and Sicily
Sicily
is an emblem of civilization — and of globalization. Few places
on earth have been so central to globalization in the past as this
island off the toe of the boot of Italy.
With
a population today of five million people, Sicily has been a crossroads
of world civilizations for almost 3,000 years.
The
magnificent architecture of the palaces and churches of its towns
and cities (such as Palermo, Cefalu, Taormina, Messina, Erice, and
Enna) covers the Romanesque, the Norman, the Gothic, the Renaissance
and the Baroque eras.
Yet,
in the early 21st century, with all the wealth Europe has accumulated,
people should not have to live in such squalor as they do in Sicily.
As
Jean-Pierre Lehmann's photography makes clear, poverty and neglect
are hurting the beautiful urban landscapes in Palermo. Though Sicily's
ancient monuments — such as Segesta, Solinunte, Agricento and
Syracuse — are all well preserved, most of the cities are disintegrating.
Buildings
that have been preserved for centuries seem destined to disappear
very quickly. Walking around parts of Palermo and seeing so many
totally dilapidated buildings is reminiscent of Sarajevo. But in
Sarajevo, the decay was due to a very recent war.
However,
in Palermo, the decay is due to general neglect — both locally
and by Rome. Amazingly, buildings that were damaged by battles during
World War Two over 60 years ago are still unrepaired. But grinding
poverty leaves little resources — and perhaps even less reason
— to maintain these ancient urban areas.
About
Jean-Pierre Lehmann
Jean-Pierre
Lehmann is professor of International Political Economy at IMD —
a leading international business school, based in Lausanne, Switzerland.
He
also is an adviser to WTO Director General, Dr. Supachai Panitchpakdi.
In
1994, Mr. Lehmann established the Evian Group, a forum, thinktank
and advocacy group. Composed of government, industry and opinion
leaders mainly from Asia, Europe and America, it promotes improving
global governance.
In
the early 1960s, Mr. Lehmann began travelling and working extensively
throughout Asia. In the past decade, he has undertaken projects
in Latin America, the Middle East and Africa.
To
read more about Palermo and Sicily click
here.
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