a journey through the present of tomorrow’s people
Odissea Terra (Earth Odyssey) is a project promoted by Fondazione Pesenti Ets with the support of Italmobiliare Investment Holding, created to raise awareness, foster participation, and promote concrete action on major environmental, social, and cultural sustainability challenges.
At its core lies a deep conviction: sustainability is not only an opportunity, it is an ethical and civic duty toward future generations. If we believe that humanity is not destined merely to exploit its surroundings, but to grow, evolve, and build a better future in harmony with the environment, then we must ask ourselves: what does “sustainability” really mean? Is it just an abstract concept, or can it become the driving force that helps us change course, find our direction, our Ithaca? From these reflections emerges a fundamental truth: Odissea Terra concerns us all. To shape a future that is truly sustainable for those who come after us, we must embark on a journey of awareness one guided not by opinion, but by science. We must invest in research, in lifelong learning, and in an education that fosters consciousness and responsibility. “Sustainability: a journey through the present of those yet to come” is more than a slogan. It is a direction. We can no longer leave it to the next generation to fix what we have broken. The time to act is now, for them.
Odissea Terra is both an educational and outreach initiative, designed to engage a wide and diverse audience. The first phase includes a series of four public conferences, held in collaboration with Fondazione Corriere della Sera and moderated by Massimo Sideri, special correspondent and columnist for Corriere della Sera.
The first event, titled “Shipwreck in indifference: is sustainability still everyone’s business?”, cast a spotlight on the growing personal, institutional, and media disengagement that risks stripping sustainability of both urgency and meaning. The panel featured leading voices such as writer and teacher Alessandro D’Avenia, virologist and Johns Hopkins University Senior Fellow Ilaria Capua, and Stefano Pogutz, professor at SDA Bocconi. The conversation called for a renewed narrative and collective commitment, highlighting the essential role of education, science, and ethics in countering apathy and eco-anxiety.
The second conference, “Castaways or navigators: knowledge as the route of change”, took place in Bergamo, at gres art 671,
a symbolic space of cultural regeneration promoted by Fondazione Pesenti. The discussion focused on the strategic importance of education, learning, and scientific research in building a society equipped to face environmental and climate challenges. The speakers included Maria Chiara Carrozza, until recently President of the CNR, Mario Calderini, professor at the Politecnico di Milano, and once again Alessandro D’Avenia.
Alongside the conferences, Odissea Terra expands through a podcast series, available for free on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and the Italmobiliare website. Produced by Fondazione Pesenti Ets and Fondazione Corriere della Sera, and hosted by Massimo Sideri, the Odissea Terra podcast takes listeners on a journey of discovery and awareness. It is a journey toward a future built on shared knowledge, opportunity, dreams, and hope.
We live in a time where younger generations are called to take the helm of a world that risks becoming “unsustainable.” With our current tools, we are not equipped to handle alone the consequences of the climate crisis we have helped create. That’s precisely why it is essential to invest in research, in continuous learning, and in an education that activates responsibility and awareness. Because it will be them, the young ones, who must read the maps, chart new routes, and find their way back to Ithaca.
The next Odissea Terra conferences will take place on September 30 and November 25, 2025,
in person at Fondazione Corriere della Sera’s Sala Buzzati and livestreamed on corriere.it, continuing to fuel a conversation that is both necessary and urgent.