Caffè sospeso

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A caffè sospeso (pronounced [kafˈfɛ ssoˈspeːzo]; Italian for "suspended coffee") or pending coffee is a cup of coffee paid for in advance as an anonymous act of charity. The tradition began in the working-class cafés of Naples, where someone who had experienced good luck would order a sospeso, paying the price of two coffees but receiving and consuming only one. A poor person enquiring later whether there was a sospeso available would then be served a coffee for free.[1][2] Coffee shops in other countries have adopted the sospeso to increase sales, and to promote kindness and caring in all communities.

John Sweeney, of Ireland, launched a social movement called Suspended Coffees in March 2013, as well as a website dedicated to encouraging businesses around the world to join and support the tradition of a cafe sospeso. www.suspendedcoffees.com [3] Mr. Sweeney has been featured in numerous publications from around the world, for his efforts in bringing kindness to the forefront. The movement has a following of over a quarter of a million people on social media. In March 2015, Mr. Sweeney gave a TEDx talk on Suspended Coffees and why kindness matters. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igCjBFTTiNI

History

One 2010 account claims the tradition was over 100 years old, but declined during the postwar economic boom, so that it is mainly observed around Christmas time.[4] A 2008 article reported the tradition was obsolescent, the reporter having visited three bars where it had not been observed for at least 15 years.[5] Aurelio De Laurentiis is reported to pay for ten sospesi after each victory by S.S.C. Napoli, the football club of which he is chairman.[6]

The sospeso gave the title to a 2008 journalism collection by Neapolitan Luciano De Crescenzo, Il caffe sospeso: Saggezza quotidiana in piccoli sorsi, which helped publicise the tradition throughout Italy.[2][7] The idea has been reported in cafés in Bulgaria,[8] Ukraine,[2] Australia,[1] Canada,[9] Romania,[10] Russia,[11] Spain,[12] Argentina,[13] the United States,[14] and Costa Rica.[15] A Dutch campaign at Christmas 2011 gave a discount on the price of the donated coffee.[16]

The UK arm of coffee chain Starbucks signed up for a charity initiative based on the suspended coffee concept in April 2013, in which it said it would match the value of each suspended coffee with a cash donation to the Oasis charity.[17] The growth of the trend in other coffee shops in the UK also received media coverage around the same time.[18]

On 22 July 2013, a Tuesday, an anonymous customer in Edmonton, Canada, North America paid for 500 large coffees at Canadian coffee chain Tim Hortons. This started a trend that spread to a total of 30 locations with over 10,000 cups of coffee being paid for by donors.[19]

Symbolism

The caffè sospeso has been identified as a symbol of grassroots social solidarity, prompting its revival in response to the 2008 recession and ensuing eurozone crisis.[4] In 2004, a giornata nazionale del sospeso at Easter was announced by the Ronde della carità charity.[20] In 2011, a Giornata del Caffè Sospeso was scheduled to coincide with Human Rights Day in December.[21] A collection of Italian arts festivals emphasising social solidarity in 2010 came together under the umbrella "Rete del Caffè Sospeso".[22] An Italian fundraising website started by Luca Argentero is called 1caffe.org.[23][24]

See also

References

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Bibliography