Hi, the ryder is Maria Chiara (Emmeci) and the edge is European citizenship.

I am Italian, I successfully settled in Paris seven years ago and I work for a magnificent Opera House as artistic coordinator.  

Despite my happiness in holding this position and in living in Paris, I constantly ask myself: why it is impossible for me to vote for the country I live in? What if I decide to move two or three times in other European countries? What about my taxes? My health care? My retirement?

We don’t care about these subjects because we are still very young, but are we sure that our highly mobile lifestyles aren’t making us loosing something on the way? Something that has been build in generations?

Above all this (as I am still young and not very interested in retirement), I perceive myself on the edge by the perspective of participation and civic engagement. Should I still pay attention to my country’s political daily life? Should I be completely involved in the state I live in? Am I aware enough of what’s going on in the European institutions? Can we volunteer entirely on a virtual basis? Where’s the place for building democracy, in lives like ours? At what level are we more effective?

How urgent is for every one of us to obtain a full European citizenship?

If you visit my profile you will see a couple of projects that are my personal answer to these questions. But I really wait for your opinions, ideas and answers.