That the first client, as well as financier and promotor, of Agora should not have his own Conference, might appear odd. However, very few individuals in the Radical Party organs--despite my continued insistence--make use of the computer. It should not surprise anyone, therefore, if the number of candidates for "moderator" of the "Radical Party" Conference was not exactly high.

Consequently, we decided that that position would be filled in turns,; me first, due to my computer "seniority", followed by other colleagues holding positions of responsibility in the Party.

Meanwhile, Treasurer Paolo Vigevano has removed all typewriters from the Radical Party offices, in the hope that everyone will thus be forced to learn to use the computer.

Of course, it is very possible for an individual to live without the PC--and I do not mean the PCI (Italian Communist Party)--and without television, even without reading the newspapers. But in that case, it is also very possible that that individual will understand absolutely nothing about the new means of the mass media.

For the moment, those in the Secretariat who have been converted to the use of the computer are: F. Rutelli, M. DiLascia, P. Calerisi, E. Bonino, M. Turco, P. Vigevano, O. Dupuis, S. D'Elia, P. Pietrosanti, A. Stango, S. Ottoni and M. Taradash.

And, it is my very strong opinion, that before very long even Marco Pannella will have his own Agora' Questiontime .

What issues does the RP Conference deal with?

Just about everything, although one of my tasks as moderator will be to guide the discussion in the direction of the more pressing Party issues.

We will begin with a debate on non-violent action; that is, on the proposal presented in a document prepared by Marco Pannella, Giovanni Negri and Luigi Del Gatto to revise the present concept of that last stand method of protest action--fasting.

To open that discussion, I should like to suggest two texts: the above document and an article I wrote for Radical News.

Who will be the first to break the ice?

P. S.

Anyone wishing to obtain documentation on non-violent action can select texts in the RADICAL PARTY ARCHIVE using the key word: "non-violence".