“The Conspiracy of Good”: A new book by Luca Casarini documents the secrets of the Mare Junio and challenges inhumane laws to rescue migrants in the Mediterranean
The new documentary and investigative book titled “La cospirazione del bene” (The Conspiracy of Good) has sparked widespread interest in the human and political context in human rights and media circles since its publication. The work, published by the famous Italian publishing house Giangiacomo Feltrinelli, within the “Fragments” series, contains one hundred and sixty pages ofMedium cutting. This work comes to pose a disturbing and profound philosophical and moral question about the nature of the era in which we live. What are these difficult times when doing good, which is saving human lives on the verge of destruction, becomes something that requires work in secret and adventure under the name of “conspiracy”? The work documents the behind-the-scenes establishment of civil initiatives to confront local laws that seek to criminalize human solidarity and empty international laws of navigation of their humanitarian and moral content.This exceptional book derives its value and uniqueness from the militant identity of its author, Luca Casarini, the well-known Italian activist and one of the most prominent leaders of the global movements against unjust neoliberal globalization. The text of the book was written through extensive dialogues recorded and collected by the writer and activist Gianfranco Bettin, through which it expresses the living voice of the experience of the Italian rescue ship “Mare Jonio”. The book also gained a unique historical feature by including a special introduction written by Pope Francis, the Pope of the ChurchCatholicism, which relied in its introduction on the text of his famous speech, “The Sea and the Desert,” addressed to security, in which he declared his absolute support for defenders of the rights of immigrants in the face of the exclusionary policies of political regimes.The historical book traces the secret beginnings of the founding of Mediterranea Saving Humans, the only civilian organization among the Italian-flagged sea rescue fleets in the Mediterranean. Casarini tells how a group of civic activists from various contemporary collective movements met with a network of supporters and financiers, allowing them to purchase and outfit the Mare Juneau in complete secrecy to begin its humanitarian missions. Since the launch of its first cruise in...In 2018, the ship was able to rescue hundreds of souls tossed by the waves, and protect them from the risk of being forcibly returned to horrific detention camps in Libya, where they are subjected to torture, slavery, and blatant violations.In this work, Casarini exposes the inhumane dimensions of the political and partisan exploitation of the immigration issue. It explains how the Mediterranean Sea (Mare Nostrum), which throughout history was a meeting place for human civilizations and a bridge of communication between peoples, turned into a vast and desolate watery graveyard for those fleeing the scourge of wars, famines and persecution. The author explains how established moral principles and ancient laws of the sea, which require saving lives first and then discussing second, collide with internal legislation and laws established by governments.It aims to criminalize relief and besiege civilian humanitarian work through special legal decisions specifically formulated to target the ship and obstruct its humanitarian path.
The book provides a vivid and exciting account of the difficult confrontations that the ship’s crew experienced at sea, including confronting gunfire and armed threats from the Libyan Coast Guard, as well as the fierce legal and judicial resistance in the face of malicious lawsuits brought by the executive authorities against the activists. Casarini confirms that the intellectual allianceThe moral that emerged between the organization and the Catholic Church under the leadership of Pope Francis gave the volunteers spiritual strength and tremendous moral support to continue on the path of “moral civil disobedience,” based on the supreme humanitarian principle that the dignity and life of the human person always comes before any political considerations or geographical borders.The book received wide critical praise from major Italian newspapers. The newspaper "Il Gazzettino" described the publication of the work with a pontifical donation from the Pope as an exceptional and rare event in the world of publishing, while the newspaper "Il Piccolo" confirmed that the book represents a frank and direct call to the global human conscience not to close our eyes or remain silent in the face of the continuing tragedy of migrants. The book “The Conspiracy of Good” is not just a documentation of a sea voyage, but rather a legal statement and a moral position that clearly declares that humanitarian navigation is in order to save the tortured.On land, you will continue with all courage, in broad daylight and on the open sea, despite the challenges.
