Mana Deschisa & The San Patrignano Community

Mana Deschisa Leadership
Larisa Marshall Gigi Sara

In 2006, the founder of Europe's largest drug rehab community - The San Patrignano Community - of northern Italy, was named "Social Entrepreneur of the Year" at the World Economic Forum in recognition of the success of this community's recovery model.

Begun in Rimini, Italy in 1978 with 20 volunteers, the San Patrignano Community has been at work for over thirty years and helped rehabilitate more than 20,000 people to a drug free condition.

Like Mana Deschisa Romania, this thriving community has integrated traditionally separate structures - with business/non-profit/government/social welfare - all mixing together in new and innovative ways where rehabilitation meets economic sustainability and prosperity.

Here is a sumary of their wonderful work and you can find them at: www.SanPatrignano.org

Mission: (much like Mana Deschisa)

• To welcome and rehabilitate
• To offer this service completely free of charge
• To put an end to addiction
• To use professional training
• To provide support to families
• To collect sustainable economic resources through our activities
  

Treatment: as with any successful program, depends upon the individuals desire to work to change his or her life, while being integrated into society (not in a gated community) as they thrive with daily interaction in the local marketplace.

From its inception the founders believed that there was "a business solution to the drug addict's life." They realized early on that collaborative relationships with the external world were critical to the community's long term success.

Vision is now reality with dozens of professional training sectors (over 50) or industry clusters, cooperatives ranging from wine making to high-end furniture, and even state of the art publishing. The kitchen produces over 4,000 meals daily and the majority of food is produced by the community.

Members: They have over 1,800 members and over 150 volunteers, many of whom are former addicts. They also have over 200 professionals and consultants that contribute to the many activities which take place at San Patrignano, like legal assistance and medical care.

The success of the community now rests on more than the vision of one person and in the hands of all the members that perpetuate a myth and a vision of a collective awareness and altruism.

Adapted from Phelps Equine Word News Jan. 14, 2007

What an inspiration!
Cheers,
O'