Building the “recognize and change” culture
Francesca Finelli
Maria Bottiglieri2021
visibility
…
description
276 pages
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1 file
The Recognize and Change project, funded by the European Union and the Italian Development Cooperation Agency, aims to promote Global Education through global youth empowerment. The project main goal is to build a culture based on the recognition of equal Fundamental Rights for all, by fighting all forms of discrimination and violence, predominantly those based on gender and cultural diversity. The book would like to document a three–and–a–half–year journey, which involved fifteen partners from nine countries and three continents, who speak seven languages, use three different alphabets, and which had to reinvent themselves following the Covid–19 crisis
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1 his dissertation was made possible by the generous support of many people and communities. I am taking a great risk in naming just a few cf those here. I was fortunate to sharpen my perspective with superb academics whose intellects and care continuously push me to challenge my limit. My special thanks go to Sangeeta Kamat who has been my academic adviser since I joined the graduate school in 1998. She introduced me to post-colonial theory. This completely changed the direction of my career. I would not have pursued a doctoral degree in Education without her presence in the School of Education. Since 1999 when 1 joined the Advanced Graduate Feminist Certificate program Ann Ferguson has helped me to explore feminist theory. The two articles 1 published while studying with her would have been impossible without her pointed and timely encouragement. She also generously invited me to give birth to my child in her home. I will never forget the first few days of my parenthood at her beautiful place. 1 owe an enormous debt of gratitude to Julie Graham. She strongly influenced my perspective by introducing me to poststructuralist Marxist theory. Her critical and creative work with Kathy Gibson has been an important source of intellectual stimulation. It directed me to think about development in a new way. Alex Deschamps guided me in my teaching. I benefited tremendously from her friendly guidance, creative performance, and careful management skills. My co-exploration of transnational feminist thought with her was indispensable in thinking about the implications of this dissertation in a concrete material context. I thank Jacqi Mosselson for her generous offer to join my committee in the last stage of my dissertation. 1 also thank Ximena Zuniga for her assistance in helping me to complete my dissertation proposal. Many communities helped me intellectually and personally during my graduate studies. One is a community in the Center for International Education and the School of Education at large. I thank especially
Credits
© CITY OF TURIN 2021
International Cooperation and Peace Office
Via Corte d’Appello 16, -10122
www.comune.torino/cooperazione.internazionale
[email protected]
Organizational Committee
ISCOS Piedmont
Scientific Advisors
CIRSDE (Interdisciplinary Centre for Research and Studies of Women and Gender -University of Turin) supported by the City of Turin in the coordination of the research
activities (published in Chapter 3, 2.3. and Appendix n. 3).
SFEP (Permanent education training school the of City of Turin) drafted the R&C Formative Model (Appendix n. 2).
Edited by
Maria Bottiglieri, Francesca Finelli, and Antonella Tropiano
Authors
Pierpaolo Alessio, Valesa Bassanganam, Maria Bottiglieri, Mia Caielli, Norma De Piccoli, Mihail Fenerov, Francesca Finelli, Marco Alessandro Giusta, Besmira Gurguri, Ileana
Leardini, Cláudia Múrias, Paulino Oliveira Do Canto, Dimitris Paraskevopoulos, Irene
Sancho Gustos, Emanuel Adrian Sarbu, Karbu Bibiana Suárez Foronda, Robson Torres
Bandeira, Davide Tosco, Antonella Tropiano, Gianmaria Vernetti
Research Supervisors
Otilia Barros, Mia Caielli, Diego Carniero, Rita Félix Boavida, Stratos Georgoulas, Ali
Mradabi, Suiany Moraes, Laura Murphy, Apostol Stoichev.
Editing team
Cooperation and Peace Office at the Municipality of Turin: Maura Favero, Cecilia Gosso
Iscos: Stefania Di Campli, Cecilia Elia, Paolo Mascia, Paolo Pozzo
Translations and Language review
MULLER WORLDWIDE LINKS S.r.l.
This publication has been produced with the support of the European Union and AICS. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the authors and can in no way be taken to
reflect the views of the European Union or the Italian Government.
BUILDING
THE “RECOGNIZE
AND CHANGE” CULTURE
edited by
MARIA BOTTIGLIERI
FRANCESCA FINELLI
ANTONELLA TROPIANO
Essays by
PIERPAOLO ALESSIO, VALESA BASSANGANAM, MARIA BOTTIGLIERI
MIA CAIELLI, NORMA DE PICCOLI, MIHAIL FENEROV, FRANCESCA FINELLI
MARCO ALESSANDRO GIUSTA, BESMIRA GURGURI, ILEANA LEARDINI
CLÁUDIA MÚRIAS, PAULINO OLIVEIRA DO CANTO, DIMITRIS PARASKEVOPOULOS
IRENE SANCHO GUSTOS, ARGELIO GALLEGO SÁNCHEZ
EMANUEL ADRIAN SARBU, KARBU BIBIANA SUÁREZ FORONDA
ROBSON TORRES BANDEIRA, DAVIDE TOSCO, ANTONELLA TROPIANO
GIANMARIA VERNETTI
©
isbn
979–12–5994–029–2
first edition
roma 31 march 2021
Table of Contents
9
15
Forward
Maria Bottiglieri
Partner Cards
Part I
The R&C Approach
27
Young People and Local Policymakers: Recommendations Based
on Interactions
Marco Alessandro Giusta
31
Empowerment Peer Education: the Recognize and Change Experience
Ileana Leardini
39
From Training to Communication: the R&C Approach
Davide Tosco, Gianmaria Vernetti, Pierpaolo Alessio
Part II
Empowerment Peer Education in Action
51
The Red Button. Anecdotes and Stories about the E.P.E. Approach
Antonella Tropiano
63
E.P.E. Focus #1. The Impact Study of the R&C Project in Dunkirk
Valesa Bassanganam
69
E.P.E. Focus # 2. The Italian Research on the Young Educator
Experience
Antonella Tropiano
5
6
Table of Contents
Part III
The Research Project
91
Introduction
93
Tackling Discrimination and Violence in the R&C Territories
The Experience of Fortaleza (Brazil)
Robson Torres Bandeira, in collaboration with Diego Carneiro, Suiany
Moraes and Otilia Barros
101
Tackling Discrimination and Violence in the R&C Territories
The Experience of Burgas and Ruse (Bulgaria)
Mihail Fenerov, in collaboration with Apostol Stoichev
109
Tackling Discrimination and Violence in the R&C Territories
The Experience of Praia (Cape Verde)
Paulino Oliveira Do Canto
117
Tackling Discrimination and Violence in the R&C Territories
The Experience of Dunkirk (France)
Besmira Gurguri
125
Tackling Discrimination and Violence in the R&C Territories
The Experience of Ermoupolis (Greece)
Dimitrios Paraskevopoulos, in collaboration with Stratos Georgoulas
133
Tackling Discrimination and Violence in the R&C Territories
The Experience of Turin (Italy)
Francesca Finelli
143
Tackling Discrimination and Violence in the R&C Territories
The Experience of Alto Alentejo (Portugal)
Cláudia Múrias
155
Tackling Discrimination and Violence in the R&C Territories
The Experience of Bucharest and Baia Mare (Romania)
Emanuel Adrian Sarbu
Table of Contents
7
161
Tackling Discrimination and Violence in the R&C Territories
The Experience of Huelva and Jaen (Spain)
Argelio Gallego Sánchez, Irene Sancho Gustos, Karen Bibiana Suárez
Foronda
169
The Comparative Analysis
Francesca Finelli
209
Afterword
Norma De Piccoli, Mia Caielli
213
Bibliography
Appendices
233
1. The Campaigns, the Contests, and the “Choose and Change” Game
247
2. The “Recognize and Change” Formative Model
269
3. The “Recognize and Change” Research Project
Building the “Recognize and Change” Culture
ISBN 979-12-5994-029-2
DOI 10.53136/97912599402921
pp. 9-13 (March 2021)
Forward
Maria Bottiglieri*
Recognize and Change is a global education project co–financed by the European Union within the framework of the DEAR program and by AICS
(the Italian Development Cooperation Agency) according to the Call for
Territorial Entities1.
The Recognize and Change project aims to promote a culture based
on the plurality of identities and their mutual recognition by fighting all
forms of discrimination and violence, predominantly those based on gender and cultural diversity. The project, which is targeted at the citizens of
the participating countries — in particular young people — includes:
1. school initiatives implemented through mutual learning activities
and peer education on three main themes (one initiative per year):
a. relationships: personal and social identity;
b. diversity and discrimination: being equal and different;
c. violence: action and reaction.
2. awareness–raising campaigns implemented through events, contests and a multimedia platform;
3. the promotion or institution of local public policies and activities (local and international workshops, and meetings with policymakers
which interact with youth associations).
Project partners are the Municipality of Fortaleza (Brazil), Caritas Ruse
(Bulgaria), the Delphi Association for Strategic Management (Bulgaria),
the Municipality of Praia (Cape Verde), the Municipality of Dunkerque
(France), Vardakeios School for Indigent Children — Ermoupoli (Greece),
Project Manager of R&C, Head–Office of Youth policies, International cooperation and Peace
Department of the City of Turin, Lawyer, specialized in Public Law and Right to adequate Food, Ph.D.
in “Local self–government, Public services and Citizenship rights”, University of Eastern Piedmont.
1. European Commission – DG EuropeAid (call 151103 / DH / ACT / Multi – Lot 4) and
AICS – Call for Grants for Initiatives Presented by Territorial Entities – Year 2017 (Line B).
*
9
10
Maria Bottiglieri
the City of Collegno (Italy), the City of Turin (Italy), ISCOS Piemonte
(Italy), the Intermunicipal Community of Alto Alentejo — CIMAA (Portugal), the Directorate of Social Assistance of Baia Mare Municipality (Romania), the General Directorate of Social Welfare of Bucharest Municipality (Romania), Caritas Bucharest (Romania), the Provincial Council of
Huelva (Spain), and the Provincial Council of Jaén (Spain).
Project beneficiaries are students, young people, schools, parents,
youth associations, researchers, and local administrators2.
R&C partners promote a Global Education project through Global Youth
Work action3.
The aim is to protect and fulfil fundamental rights for all, in particular
young people, women, LGBTQ+ people and the migrant community.
The R&C project would also like to contribute to:
— the Global Agenda for Sustainable Development 2030, especially
Goal number 4 which commits the international community to
“providing quality, fair and inclusive education, and learning opportunities for all”4;
— the Council of Europe’s perspective on Global Education, according to which “Global Education is education that opens people’s
eyes and minds to the realities of the globalized world and awakens
them to bring about a world of greater justice, equity and human
rights for all”5;
— the European Union’s objectives of Development Education, especially those pursued through the DEAR program (Development
Education and Awareness Raising Program).6 According to Europaid,
2. For more information, see the official website on www.recognizeandchange.eu. Also see
the video–promos (https://recognizeandchange.eu/PromoRCShort.mp4); the videos made by
young people involved in the 2019 video contest (https://videowall.recognizeandchange.eu/contest/); and the game Choose and Change (https://game.recandchange.eu/).
3. M. Sallah, Global youth work: A matter beyond the moral and green imperatives?, in M. Sallah
& S. Cooper (eds.), Global youth work: Taking it personally, National Youth Agency, Leicester (UK)
2008, pp. 1–13.
4. General Assembly, Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on September 25th, 2015
– Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development – A / RES / 70/ 1, October 21st, 2015 (www.un.org).
5. North–South Centre of the Council of Europe, Global education guidelines: Concepts and
methodologies on global education for educators and policy makers, North–South Centre, Lisbon 2019.
6. The DEAR Program also involves local authorities, as stated in art. 14 of Regulation (EC)
no. 1905/2006 of the European parliament and of the Council of December 18th, 2006 and estab-
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11
“Development Education and Awareness Raising (DEAR) aims to inform EU citizens about development issues, mobilize greater public
support for action against poverty, give citizens tools to engage critically with global development issues, and to foster new ideas and
change attitudes “7;
— addressing national goals of Global Education. According to Italian law, which calls Global Education Educazione alla Cittadinanza
Globale (ECG), ECG entails a specific set of international cooperation policies and — alongside Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid — it is one of Italy’s key foreign policy objectives8.
Recognize and Change (R&C) encompasses a host of project activities,
several scientific disciplines, and an interdisciplinary approach involving
multiple players (young educators, schools, associations, communications
experts, university scholars, and local Policy makers). The ultimate goal is
to contribute to the promotion of societies which are either aware of and
resilient to different kinds of gender and migration–based discrimination
and violence and which, consequently, are more engaged in tackling these
phenomena.
This publication aims to document and illustrate a three–and–a–half–year
journey, which involved nine countries from three continents, fifteen partners who speak seven languages and use three different alphabets, and
which has had to reinvent itself following the introduction of Covid–19
emergency prevention measures9.
Through a host of actions, a range of different languages and a participatory approach, R&C has strived to promote global education paths —
understood as “a training process that encourages people to be committed to change in social, cultural, political and economic structures which
lishes a financing tool for development cooperation. See the Text of Regulation (EC) 1905/2006
of the European Parliament and of the Council of December 18th on https://eur-lex.europa.eu/
legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=CELEX:32006R1905.
7. For more about the DEAR program, see https://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/node/655_fr.
8. See Art. 1 (4) Law no. 124/2015: “Italy promotes education, awareness and participation of
all citizens in international solidarity, cooperation and sustainable development”.
9. For an early contribution to the significance of the R&C project in the European landscape,
see: M. Bottiglieri, Decentralised Cooperation and Global Education in Turin, in G. La Rocca, R. Di
Maria & G. Frezza (eds.), Media, Migrants and Human Rights. In the Evolution of the European Scenario of Refugees’ and Asylum Seekers’ Instances, Peter Lang, Berlin 2020, pp. 187–202.
12
Maria Bottiglieri
has an influence on their lives”10 — with the aim of contributing to the
construction of societies that are more aware of the various forms of discrimination and violence based on gender and migration and which are
consequently more committed to promoting law enforcement actions in
each territory.
This is a complex challenge, but it is not impossible if every partner, whether public or private, acts with intensity and responsibility in their territory
and field of competence, collaborating and networking with other realities.
We intend to illustrate this complexity, summarizing the main achievements of this approach.
The first part of this volume focuses on:
— the recommendations (Giusta et al.) resulting from a structured dialogue between young people and local policymakers, which have
been shared and promoted by all project partners through an international participatory process;
— Empowerment Peer Education (E.P.E.): the approach chosen by
SFEP11 (Leardini) to bring the themes of the project to schools
through its main ambassadors, i.e., young educators (Tropiano 1
and Tropiano 2); The E.P.E. — adopted as the basis of both training
and communication — was then disseminated in each local territory according to their specificities.
— the participatory communication project which saw young educators and students not as recipients but actors of the awareness process (Tosco et al.).
10. Global Education Monitoring Report Team, Global education monitoring report, 2019: Migration, displacement and education: building bridges, not walls, 2018 on https://en.unesco.org/
gem-report/. According to the Europaid view, “the Development education and awareness raising
(DEAR) program aims to inform EU citizens about development issues, mobilize greater public
support for action against poverty, give citizens tools to engage critically with global development
issues, to foster new ideas and change attitudes”. For more information about the DEAR program,
see https://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/node/655_fr. According to the European Council, the “Global
education is education that opens people’s eyes and minds to the realities of the globalized world and
awakens them to bring about a world of greater justice, equity and human rights for all”. For more,
see: North–South Centre of the Council of Europe, Global education guidelines: Concepts and methodologies on global education for educators and policy makers, North–South Centre, Lisbon 2019.
11. S.F.E.P. Scuola formazione educazione permanente della Città di Torino (Permanent education training school the of City of Turin).
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13
The second part of this volume focuses on these specificities through the
partners’ anecdotes and experiences (Tropiano 1) and describes two local
experiences (the French and the Italian one), which are complementary to
one other and validate the impact of the E.P.E. among students (Bassanganam) and Young Educators (Tropiano, 2), that is to say the two main
groups of actors/beneficiaries of the project.
The project initiatives — from training to communications, participation to international awareness–raising — were supported by research
on legislation and policy and created a structured endo–project which allowed for the construction of a common heritage.
The third part of the volume contains the results of the research coordinated by the CIRSDe12 on behalf of the City of Turin and was conducted
simultaneously in all partner territories (Torres Bandeira, Fenerov, Oliveira Do Canto, Gurguri, Paraskevopoulos, Finelli, Múrias, Sarbu, Gallego
Sánchez, Sancho Gustos, Bibiana Suárez Foronda) and collected by a comparative study (Finelli) in support of the project itself.
The main methodological materials employed in the R&C project are
included in three Appendices. The first appendix, regarding the communication issue, is created by ISCOS Communication team of Recognize
and change; the second one, about educational activities, is created by the
SFEP team; and the last one, on juridical–political research, is created by
CIRSDe.
Peer-to-peer education, bottom–up communication and juridical research
are the pillars of the R&C project; they end up being different perspectives
of the same fight against discrimination and violence but they can perfectly interact with one another (De Piccoli & Caielli).
And it is precisely in the dialogue between different matters that the
added value of the R&C approach lies.
12. CIRSDE: Centro Interdisciplinare di Ricerche e Studi delle Donne e di Genere – CIRSDe
dell’Università degli studi di Torino (Turin University’s Research Center for Women and Gender
Studies) – https://www.cirsde.unito.it/en/services/formation.
Partner Cards
1.
BRAZIL
Municipality of Fortaleza
Prefeitura Municipal de Fortaleza
Surface (sq. Km)
313.8
Population
2.6 million
Legal status
Decentralized / territorial governance (PUBLIC body)
Chapter IV – Municipalities – Brazilian Constitution
(Art. 29–31)
Address
Rua São José, 01, Centro, Fortaleza – CE, 60765–165
Main activities
Local administration and policies.
Relevant competences for the R&C project:
Human Rights and Social Development
Public Policies for Women, Racial Equality, and Sexual
Diversity
Youth policies
Culture, arts and sports
Official website
www.fortaleza.ce.gov.br
15
16
Partner Cards
2.
BULGARIA
CARITAS ruse
Русенска католическа организация
“Каритас”
Surface (sq. Km) –
Municipality of Ruse
521.89
Population –
Municipality of Ruse
159,410
Legal status
Non–governmental (Catholic) organization (NGO) (PRIVATE actor)
Address
ul. “Baykal” 10, 7005 gk Zdravets, Ruse
Main activities
Caritas Ruse fights poverty, exclusion, and discrimination.
Integration and rehabilitation of children and youth with
disabilities;
Support for children at risk and their families;
Accommodation, integration and rehabilitation of
homeless people;
Health and social care for the elderly;
Support for victims of domestic violence;
Response to disasters and humanitarian crises;
Support for refugees and asylum seekers;
Organizational and spiritual development.
Official website
http://caritas–ruse.bg/
Partner Cards
3.
17
BULGARIA
Delphi Association for Strategic Management (Burgas)
Асоциация
за
стратегическо
управление ДЕЛФИ
Surface (sq. Km)
253
Population
202,434
Legal status
NGO (PRIVATE actor)
Address
7, Graf Ignatiev Str., 8000, Burgas
Main activities
Promotion of direct democracy and dialogue between
citizens and institutions;
Support for local and vulnerable communities;
Implementation of initiatives and projects for civic education, awareness, protection of human rights and direct
participation in governance.
Official website
4.
http://delphi.ngobg.info/
CAPE VERDE
Municipality of Praia
Câmara Municipal da Praia
Surface (sq. Km)
102
Population
159,050
Legal status
Decentralized / territorial governance (PUBLIC body)
Legal basis
Art. 253 Cape Verdean Constitution
Address
Praça Alexandre Albuquerque, Praia
Main activities
Local administration and policies.
Relevant competences for the R&C project:
Social services
Integration of immigrant communities
Gender empowerment
Promotion of Culture
Official website
http://www.cmpraia.cv/
18
Partner Cards
5.
FRANCE
City of Dunkirk
Ville de Dunkerque
Surface (sq. Km)
43.8
Population
88,667
Legal status
Decentralized / territorial governance (PUBLIC body)
Legal basis
Title XII – On Territorial Communities – French Constitution
Address
Place Charles Valentin, 59140 Dunkerque, France
Main activities
Local administration and policies.
Relevant competences for the R&C project:
Fight against discrimination
(Youth) integration and employment
Promotion of cultural projects and raising awareness initiatives
Official website
6.
https://www.ville-dunkerque.fr/
GREECE
Vardakeios School of Indigent Children, Ermoupoli
Βαρδάκειος Σχολή Απόρων Παίδων
Ερμούπολης
Surface (sq. Km) –
Ermoupoli
11.2
Population
13,737
Legal status
Independent association (PRIVATE actor)
Address
8 Marten Nordestrom Str., Ermoupoli
Main activities
Language courses (for adults and foreigners)
Multicultural environment
Information office for immigrants
European and international programs
Official website
http://www.vardakeios.gr/?lang=en
Partner Cards
7.
19
ITALY
City of Turin
City of Turin
Surface (sq. Km)
130
Population
870,952
Legal status
Decentralized / territorial governance (PUBLIC body)
Legal basis
Title V – Regions, Provinces, Municipalities – Italian
Constitution
Address
Piazza Palazzo di Città, 1, 10122 Turin TO
Main activities
Local administration and policies.
Relevant competences for the R&C project:
Fight against discrimination and social exclusion
Intercultural participation
Educational programs and youth policies
Development of gender policies
Promotion of human rights
Statute of the Municipality of Turin: http://www.comu
ne.torino.it/amm_com/statuto/statuto.html#art02
Official website
8.
http://www.comune.torino.it
ITALY
ISCOS Piedmont
Surface (sq. Km) –
City of Turin
130
Population
870,952
Legal status
NGO (PRIVATE actor)
Address
Via Sant’Anselmo, 11, 10125 Turin
Main activities
Development cooperation in the field of Citizenship
Education
Access to fair labour conditions
Promotion of professional training
Protection of human rights
Official website
http://www.iscospiemonte.org
20
Partner Cards
9.
ITALY
City of Collegno
City of Collegno
10.
Surface (sq. Km)
18.1
Population
49,615
Legal status
Legal basis
Decentralized / territorial governance (PUBLIC body)
Title V – Regions, Provinces, Municipalities – Italian
Constitution
Address
Town Hall Square 1, 10093 Collegno (TO)
Main activities
Local administration and policies.
Relevant competences for the R&C project:
Promotion of equal treatment (and opportunities) for all
Educational programs and youth policies
Cultures
Official website
https://www.comune.collegno.gov.it/home
PORTUGAL
Inter Municipal Community of Alto
Alentejo
Comunidade Intermunicipal do Alto Alentejo
– CIMAA
Surface (sq. Km)
Alto Alentejo Region
6,080
Population
105,479
Legal status
Legal basis
Decentralized / territorial governance (PUBLIC body)
Title VIII – Local Government – Portuguese Constitution
Address
Praça do Municipio, Nr. 10, 7300–110 – Portalegre, Portugal
Main activities
Local administration and policies.
Relevant competences for the R&C project:
Promotion of economic, social, and cultural development
Territorial (intermunicipal) cohesion and inclusive participation in the decision–making process of public policies
Statute of CIMAA: http://www.cimaa.pt/cimaa/estatutos
Official website
http://www.cimaa.pt/
Partner Cards
11.
21
ROMANIA
Caritas Bucharest
Asociația Caritas București
Surface (sq. Km) –
Municipality
of Bucharest
228
Population
1.8 million
Legal status
Non–governmental (Catholic) organization (NGO) (PRIVATE actor)
Address
Str. Gheorghe Pripu 22–36, sector 1 Bucuresti, 014376
Main activities
Combat poverty, social exclusion, and inequalities
Socio–medical assistance for disadvantaged people
Educational programs
Official website
12.
https://caritasbucuresti.org/
ROMANIA
Directorate of Social Assistance Baia
Mare
Directia de Asistenta Sociala Baia Mare
Surface (sq. Km) –
Municipality of Baia
Mare
233.5
Population
123,738
Legal status
Decentralized / territorial governance (PUBLIC body)
Address
Str Gheorghe Șincai 37, Baia Mare 430311
Main activities
Local administration and policies.
Relevant competences for the R&C project:
Social assistance and inclusion (without discrimination)
Culture and Education
Official website
https://www.baiamare.ro/ro/
22
Partner Cards
13.
ROMANIA
General Directorate of Social Welfare –
Bucharest Municipality
Direcția Generală de Asistență Socială in
Municipiului București
14.
Surface (sq. Km) –
Municipality
of Bucharest
228
Population
1.8 million
Legal status
Decentralized / territorial governance (PUBLIC body)
Address
Str. Constantin Mille N. 10, sector 1, Bucharest
Main activities
Local administration and policies.
Relevant competences for the R&C project:
Social policies and assistance in the field of child protection, family, elderly, people with disabilities, as well as
other persons, groups, or communities in social need
Combat situations of marginalization and social exclusion
Promotion of human rights
Official website
https://www.dgas.ro/
SPAIN
Provincial Council of Jaén
Diputación Provincial de Jaén
Surface (sq. Km)
13.484
Population
638,099
Legal status
Legal basis
Decentralized / territorial governance (PUBLIC body)
Part VIII – Territorial Organization of the State – Spanish
Constitution
Address
Plaza de San Francisco, 2. 23071 Jaén
Main activities
Local administration and policies.
Relevant competences for the R&C project:
Equality and social welfare
Promotion of culture
Official website
https://www.dipujaen.es/
Partner Cards
15.
23
SPAIN
Provincial Council of Huelva
Diputación Provincial de Huelva
Surface (sq. Km)
10.128
Population
519,932
Legal status
Decentralized / territorial governance (PUBLIC body)
Legal basis
Part VIII – Territorial Organization of the State – Spanish
Constitution
Address
Avda. Martín Alonso Pinzón, 9, 21003 Huelva
Main activities
Local administration and policies.
Relevant competences for the R&C project:
Social services
Equality
Culture (scholarships)
Professional training and employment
Official website
http://www.diphuelva.es/
Part I
THE R&C APPROACH
Building the “Recognize and Change” Culture
ISBN 979-12-5994-029-2
DOI 10.53136/97912599402922
pp. 27-29 (March 2021)
Young People and Local Policymakers:
Recommendations Based on Interactions
Marco Alessandro Giusta
The R&C project is aimed at strengthening multicultural societies based on
mutual recognition by raising awareness, educating and training young people.
Activities were carried out through participatory and inclusive processes that allowed young people to express their uncertainties, doubts, and
fears, and formulate requests which were collated and presented to policymakers as nine recommendations.
The local decision–makers in the partner cities of the project accepted the above–mentioned recommendations and committed to promoting
public policies that take them into account.
Each political decision–maker plays a decisive role in allowing recommendations to be suggested, heard, and accepted, during the deliberation
stages, then acknowledged and ultimately applied.
An inclusive process made it possible to reach a consensus on the nine
recommendations by involving young people, their parents, teachers, and
members of local associations in the project partner regions, with the support of stakeholders.
These recommendations were formulated on the basis of the know–
how gained from workshops held in the schools which participated in the
project, of the exchange of ideas during the meetings and workshops, and
public events and local conferences organised with the support or participation of all the players involved.
The partners committed to speaking up and speaking out in the interests of the direct or indirect target groups of this project.
With these intentions in mind, a board was established; said board,
which included members such as local political representatives committed to promoting R&C objectives by organising annual meetings in which
they compared and exchanged findings. The board, which convened in
Turin in 2017, in Jaén in 2018, and in Sinaia in 2019, shared, discussed, and
approved the following recommendations on how to combat discrimination and intolerance in the countries taking part in the project:
27
28
Marco Alessandro Giusta
1. Promote Refresher Programs pertaining to discrimination aimed at
the staff working in compulsory education and high schools;
2. Promote Awareness–Raising Programs pertaining to issues of discrimination amongst students, starting from kindergarten;
3. Make the fight against bullying and cyberbullying a priority, and focus on educating adults;
4. Promote the integration of young people with disabilities into the
labour market at a European (EU) level;
5. Promote the participation of young people in international and European mobility projects;
6. Promote and support the introduction of voluntary educators who
are trained in fighting discrimination and violence, at every level of
compulsory education, from kindergarten to high school;
7. Promote awareness–raising activities pertaining to discrimination
among the adult and elderly population;
8. Allocate funds and encourage collaboration between local authorities and youth associations for activities aimed at combating discrimination and violence;
9. Draw up a Memorandum which classifies types of discrimination
and outlines the approaches and techniques to be adopted in the
municipalities of each territory involved in the project, paying particular attention to areas with a smaller population.
Public administrations, particularly local ones, are contexts in which
discrimination and violence are encountered on a daily basis due to the evermore global nature of society and the constant increase in inequalities,
chief among these, financial equality, for which the younger generations
are paying the costs.
In the long R&C journey, young people have reiterated their needs for
Dignity, Recognition, Participation, and Involvement in decision–making processes; in short, they are asking for democracy and the right to be
heard.
While, in terms of social relations, racism and discrimination are increasingly tangible on a daily basis through concrete narratives and practices which highlight growing violations of human and collective rights,
there are recognition and reparation policies in place for excluded populations in the international regulatory framework of R&C countries. These
policies promote equal rights and their recognition, implementation and
achievement.
Young People and Local Policymakers: Recommendations Based on Interactions
29
The nine recommendations, which are the result of a bottom–up participatory process, represent a tool for political decision–makers to foster
interregional and global debate and dialogue, and to guide concrete action in each region.
Building the “Recognize and Change” Culture
ISBN 979-12-5994-029-2
DOI 10.53136/97912599402923
pp. 31-37 (March 2021)
Empowerment Peer Education:
the Recognize and Change Experience
Ileana Leardini
The School of Permanent Educational Training (the Italian acronym is
SFEP) has been a service provided by the Social Services Division of the
City of Turin since 1968. The decision to establish a service dedicated to
teaching processes in the social sphere and to strengthening the skills of
all operators working in social service contexts, has been maintained over
time. As a matter of fact, SFEP constitutes a formal and informal research
hub of social and educational professions, whose work has proved to be
necessary over the last few decades as societies have faced profound transformations connected to their growing complexity. This has highlighted
the importance of carrying out a precise analysis of societal needs in order for people involved in integration processes to implement adequate
educational, social and welfare methods.
Therefore, SFEP’s main mission is to define and implement training
policies in order to equip the socio–educational and socio–health services
with the necessary tools. It aims to achieve its mission by:
— designing and managing basic training activities and modernising
social, health and socio–educational professional profiles which are
not included in university training degrees;
— designing and managing refresher courses, continuous professional development and research activities for professionals employed
in the social, health and socio–educational sector and who provide
citizen services;
— carrying out needs analyses pertaining to social worker training in
line with Piedmont’s regional laws, and monitoring the training offered in the region by other non–university training entities;
— planning and managing basic training activities and activities aimed
at retraining social, socio–healthcare, socio–educational professionals (i.e. providing training which is not envisaged by university programmes).
31
32
Ileana Leardini
In addition to contributing to training, over the last decade, SFEP coordinated CPD and research activities for social, socio–healthcare, and
socio–educational professionals active in providing services to citizens.
. This approach led to the differentiation of professional profiles aimed
at enhancing skills and at also promoting inter–professional and inter–
institutional integration. The research carried out by the City of Turin
alongside national and international partners has enabled the exchange
of experiences pertaining to relevant social issues such as good practices
in reception and integration services for minors, foreigners, people with
disabilities and elderly people, gender discrimination, and violence against
women.
Thanks to its vocation to research in the social–educational field, the
Recognize and Change project (R&C) — preceded by the experience of
the Jcvg ( Jovens Contra Violencia de Genero) — was immediately seen
as an interesting opportunity. The project is seen as a potential tool for
raising awareness and training young people who are active in their communities and local associations.
The Methodological Approach
The “research action” methodology, which has already been adopted in previous projects, seems particularly adequate, since it uses a reflective practice
which constructs and reconstructs collective experiences by analysing attributions of meaning, and prevents research from becoming fragmented. It is also
particularly suitable for analysing complex contexts, zoning in on a problem,
and recognizing and consolidating good practices.
In order to successfully implement awareness–raising activities, training young educators is of paramount importance.
The model chosen to train young educators is the Empowered Peer
Education (E.P.E) because it encompasses advocacy1 and empowerment2.
1. Advocacy: a political process by which an individual or group of people aim to influence
public policies and the allocation of resources within political, financial and social systems and
related institutions. Advocacy can include numerous activities that a person or organization may
carry out, including press campaigns, public speeches, commissioning and publishing research or
surveys, and gathering favorable documentation.
2. Empowerment: understood here as the achievement of self–awareness and control over
one’s choices, decisions and actions, both in the sphere of personal relationships and in that of
one’s political and social life.
Empowerment Peer Education: the Recognize and Change Experience
33
Compared to more traditional models of education, the E.P.E. focuses on
developing the autonomy of the young people who would be involved
not only in leading the awareness–raising workshops, but also designing,
planning and evaluating them.
The E.P.E. also features subjects such as psychology and community–
building and entails a flexible and dynamic network of all people taking
part in the experience. Participants and young educators develop their
knowledge by exchanging and questioning the know–how they already
possess; thus, eliminating the top–down learning approach.
E.P.E.’s theoretical framework is:
1. Social Psychology which, by bringing together individual, society
and politics, encompasses concepts such as: empowerment, self and
mutual help, and social support.
2. Research and Action according to which the people involved in the
project can actively participate in reading and analysing processes,
choosing the problems to address, designing the research–action,
elaborating the data gathered, and evaluating the results.
3. Social and Cultural activities which focus on how people relate to
themselves, to others and their surrounding environment; learning
from experiences by processing what it means to “have an experience” and “have experience”; and creating communicative pathways.
4. Action Learning, which identifies strategies on how to learn from
the re–elaboration of the actions, favoring internalization processes
and encouraging debates between participants. It is important to
add that E.P.E. pays particular attention to personal, community
and environmental relationships, as it sees these as the bedrocks
of individual and social identity. Thanks to this approach, young
people start to play an active role in addressing factors which affect
their well–being, all the while developing a wide range of important
skills pertaining to knowing how ‘to do’ and knowing how ‘to be’,
and also knowing how ‘to become’ and know how ‘to hope’.
Training Young Educators
The training program was aimed at groups of Young Educators [YEs],
aged between 19 and 26, who play an active role in their communities and
local associations.
34
Ileana Leardini
The YEs, in their own groups, were immersed in a structured experience, similar to the awareness–raising activity they would then conduct in
their classes. This allowed for them to experience a process which featured
research–action characteristics, that is a circular process in which learning,
recognizing and redesigning are constantly occurring.
Through the training, it was important to convey to the YEs that,
when teaching in a classroom, they were not meant to be seen as ‘trainers’; rather, their role was to act as ‘facilitators’ enabling people to access
their personal resources and encouraging them to engage in important
interactions, reflections and creations in line with the aims and objectives
of the R&C project.
The training program wanted to raise the YEs’ awareness of the fact
that, in their workshops, they would play the role of ‘co–builders’ and
were responsible for creating a structured space for all participants, but
that within that space they would refrain from steering the conversation
and allow the content to flow freely. The YEs learned this approach during
the training program by addressing these themes over the course of three
years: relationships / identity, inequality / discrimination, violence.
The YE course was to train YEs on how to develop and increase the
involvement of high school students on these themes by fostering discussions within the class groups and sharing the results of their awareness–
raising activities. The YEs learned to take on the role of process ‘facilitators’, a role which hinges heavily on the ability of the YEs to create a safe
space in which all students abided to a limited number of clear, shared
rules.
In addition to the transversal content, which was used in all iterations
of the training course, each year we focused a specific theme which was
studied in depth and centred on awareness–raising activities:
— 1st year: “identity and relationships” — this focused on the right /
duty of being recognized and respected, and of recognizing and respecting others. The training focused on topics pertaining to creating your own identity, integrating into the world, roles and relationships, and the group and best practices.
— 2nd year: “diversity and discrimination” — highlighted the similarities and differences between one’s own identity (and the wealth
of resources it encompasses) and that of others, focusing on their
value. Topics covered include the analysis and deconstruction of
stereotypes (starting with gender, ethnic, and cultural stereotypes);
Empowerment Peer Education: the Recognize and Change Experience
35
discrimination; and individual and collective responsibility in discriminatory acts.
— 3rd year: “violence” — which is seen as one of the possible consequences of discrimination. The topics addressed are types of violence; perpetrators and victims; positive reactions and a culture of respect, with
particular attention towards violence against women and immigrants.
The training model suggested to all project partners consists of the
following points (which are obviously to be tweaked taking into consideration each local context):
— presenting the topic and adapting it to the local context;
— applying the methodology in relation to the specific context;
— integrating the basic bibliography with studies carried out in the
country of origin;
— organizing the scheduled program;
— identifying the trainers;
— implementing training through:
– a residential internship – 16 hours;
– training sessions – 10 hours;
– meetings to share and exchange knowledge (during the workshops in the classrooms) – 6 hours;
– ongoing and final evaluation – 6 hours;
– potential meeting with stakeholders – 2 hours;
— defining the assessment and evaluation phases, in relation to the
time schedule;
— monitoring and collecting documentation.
The recommended methodology constituted the bare bones upon
which to build and create a local training model, overseen by the MLAE
(Manager of Local Awareness–Raising and Education Activities), with
the support of the Training Consultant and Social Media Manager. The
MLAE is essential in order to provide guidance, to foster constant dialogue and interactions between the many different stakeholders (young
people and adults in their different roles and positions).
The YEs’ training started with off–site group training days ; subsequently, the methodology adopted was further explored by suggesting
other tools (animation and re–elaboration techniques; social media interaction techniques; short movie creation techniques).
36
Ileana Leardini
The content of the training course highlighted the tools required to
guide young people in creating an awareness campaign. Here are some of
the tools that were used:
— plenary sessions conducted in an interactive way;
— collective re–elaboration and construction group work;
— role plays / collaborative games / simulations;
— narrations.
The training of the YEs has led to identifying the tools required to encourage young participants:
— to recognize preconceived or partial thought patterns;
— to identify alternatives to prejudice that can be surprising, unsettling and, sometimes, even amusing.
By experimenting and re–analysing the actions carried out, the YEs
were able:
— to learn from experience (action learning);
— to develop critical–thinking;
— to create creative approaches that prompt changes in mentality.
The real–life experience and its shared re–elaboration have led to the
creation of active interventions in middle school and high schools, which
can involve and highlight the experiences of girls and boys.
Awareness–Raising Activity in Schools: Workshops
According to the project’s educational model, the YE is seen as a ‘facilitator’ who brings exercises and experiences to the class groups, manages
their execution, and ultimately analyses the data. The format to these activities has been called a ‘workshop’, and the goal is to encourage processes of change, through discussion and awareness–raising.
The workshops were conducted by the YEs in pairs (which were interchangeable) in order to facilitate collaboration and exchange amongst all
parties. In line with the training they received, the YEs designed and conducted the workshops in a familiar and welcoming physical space and set a
Empowerment Peer Education: the Recognize and Change Experience
37
small number of common ground rules aimed at ensuring that everyone
would express their opinion on the topic. The workshops, which adhered to
the principles of non–formal education, clearly differed from the everyday
school context and approach.
In order to carry out these sessions, collaboration with the teaching staff
proved essential. They too are beneficiaries of the project and they were given suggestions on behalf of the training coordination team as to what to observe during the workshops. The presence of teachers in the classroom was
necessary also in terms of responsibility, but what proved particularly fruitful
was getting them to agree to take on the role of a ‘non–participating observation’. They were asked to document what they observed, and their reports
were used for the redesign of the project and constituted an important contribution to the process of monitoring and evaluating the lab outcomes.
To Summarise
The methodological choices of the YE training project were made taking
into account the awareness workshops for school students were conceived.
The Empowered Education approach was chosen due to its peculiar feature: the fact that the young participants play a central role at every stage of
the project, from its conception to its evaluation. The YEs did not acquired
skills as ‘trainers’, but as ‘facilitators’ whose role it is to encourage students
to access the resources they already possess and to foster interactions, reflections and meaningful thoughts. They oriented the aims of the R&C project
towards specific objectives that they themselves helped to identify.
From an operational viewpoint, the model is a circular and continuous
research–action process. The framework is action learning (learning from
the re–elaboration of the action). The tools that the YEs used corresponded
to the content of the training itself. The YEs were not trained in a theoretical
way on the content; on the contrary, they were trained in practical terms, so
they themselves could reflect on the content and could help young students
to formulate their own ideas on the three main topics of the project over
the course of the three years. All of this allowed for the creation of an informal education experience in a formal context, where it is possible to discuss
the issues of identity, discrimination and violence. Both “know–how” and
“knowing how to be” are seen as essential skills required to initiate the processes of change.
Building the “Recognize and Change” Culture
ISBN 979-12-5994-029-2
DOI 10.53136/97912599402924
pp. 39-47 (March 2021)
From Training to Communication:
the R&C Approach
Davide Tosco, Gianmaria Vernetti, Pierpaolo Alessio
(Communications Team)
1. Building a Culture of Trust: Knowledge as an Act of Creation
On a theoretical and methodological level, the entire project refers back
to community psychology and relies on the theoretical–practical principles
of action research, socio–cultural engagement, community engagement
and social learning. This approach is underpinned by active involvement
of all the players involved in the experience and the notion that the group
itself is the key resource.
From an operational standpoint, this approach espouses continuous
research and action, which are improved through feedback loops. In other
words, the learning occurs by repeating — and improving — actions. This
theoretical–methodological approach led to the creation of a training
course for Young Educators (YEs) which was essentially a co–constructed
experimentation1of what the YEs would then replicate with high school
students upon completion of their training program. Therefore, the starting point was the course proposal, which was shared in advance with each
class group; the students experimented with techniques and approaches
according to the circular structure of “knowing, recognizing and redesigning”, which is typical of action–research processes.
The Recognize & Change project decided to give the YEs, who had been
trained according to different methodologies and practices, the role of content
creators in the sharing, communicating and awareness–raising campaigns.
The activities that the YEs were asked to participate in after their training experience were:
1. Bereiter and Scardamalia (2006) define the co–construction of knowledge as an approach
capable of restoring meaning to education through the coherent attempt to introduce students to
the culture of knowledge creation. This approach is based on current research on the nature of
expertise and how to create new knowledge. Main objective: to promote creative work with ideas.
39
40
Davide Tosco, Gianmaria Vernetti, Pierpaolo Alessio
— to perform an active role in identifying, reading and analysing their
own relational maps through recognition, legitimation, participation, belonging, and power of action;
— to identify and promote the field and the theme of the project
(which change every year), paying special attention to the singular
context–dependent specifications pertaining to themes of identity,
discrimination and violence;
— to outline strategic guidelines which are necessary in terms of developing the project in the classes;
— to activate all individual and group resources available;
— to create awareness–raising content.
As part of the themed–based campaigns carried out during the three
years of the project, various communication methods were adopted both
on online and off–line platforms. The social channels of the project played
a central role, both internationally and locally. These channels consisted
of the website (recandchange.eu) and the interactive game available on
the site which, when used during the training activities (game/recandchange.eu ), allowed the young participants to independently make short
videos and share them through their social profiles.
An important non–digital component was the preparation of communication (printed) materials for offline dissemination. Thanks to the
collaboration of local public bodies and local transport agencies, the official promo advertising content (recandchange.eu/promo) was distributed
in highly frequented public spaces of some of the partner countries involved (these spaces include stations, public transport, and schools). This
increased the visibility of the messages not only for young people, but
also a broader audience, generating raise awareness opportunities among
citizens and political decision–makers. Each partner contributed to disseminating awareness–raising initiatives which, depending on the country, also included press, radio and television broadcasting. These methods
have proved to be much more effective in reaching a wider audience than
the ongoing initiatives on the R&C social channels.
The raising awareness campaigns and materials have helped to spark
discussions during the classroom activities in the participating schools,
helping to make young people reflect on their role in society and on the
topics covered.
Thanks to the support of the Social Media Managers (SMM) and the
Young Educators (YEs), informal communication activities were organ-
From Training to Communication: the R&C Approach
41
ised to interact with an audience that went beyond the schools participating in the project.
Furthermore, within this conceptual framework, the contests which
took place during the three years in which people could vote for the best
videos, contributed to extending the project’s reach.
The role of the SMMs and YEs is of fundamental importance in extending the visibility of the content published on the project’s social channels.
The official and unofficial communication material (posters, promos and
multimedia content), the three contests and the video content generated
in the schools during and following the training program were also published on the project’s digital platforms and on the digital platforms of the
media partners in each country.
Thanks to this method, both students and YEs develop so–called agency
skills2, or in order words, the self–efficacy to exercise causal power and
the right to intervene on real situations that affect them. Agency, which is
acquired from childhood through processes of social learning and modelling (imitation and reproduction), must be nourished through continuous
experiences that allow to build one’s own social conduct.
2. Participation: When Users Define the Story Line
The R&C’s main communication objective was to contrast and prevent
violence and discrimination through the production and distribution of
online, offline and on–air media content.
In the three years that the Recognize & Change activities were designed
and implemented in communication activities, contents and targeted
messages that could incentivize a wider audience, but also especially
young people and students involved in awareness–raising campaigns, to
participate.
The production and publication of original content on the project’s social
media channels of the project tried to engage students in a participatory
and creative way. The contests have demonstrated this potential and have
2. A. Bandura, Social Learning Theory, Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs (NJ) 1977; A. Bandura,
Self–efficacy: theory and applications, Edizioni Erickson, Trento 2000.
42
Davide Tosco, Gianmaria Vernetti, Pierpaolo Alessio
contributed to increasing the project’s reach thanks to the videos which
the audience could vote for directly on the project website on (a total of
427,000 votes were cast, starting from a total of 3,000 students involved in
the project and 168,000 total visits to the site).
By appealing to both a heterogeneous audience and, at the same time,
groups of well–defined users (adolescents and young people), the intention was to invite people, in a light–hearted and somewhat ironic way, to
reflect on serious and important issues.
3. On–line, Off–line, On–Air, a Multi–Platform Engagement Strategy
The communication and awareness–raising campaigns that were designed centred on the three project themes: identity, discrimination, and
violence. The aim was to appeal to ‘fundamental abilities’3 at the basis
of social learning theories, which essential in trying to create engaging
content:
a. symbolization: the ability to symbolically represent knowledge.
Language is the clearest example of our cognitive ability to reflect
upon abstract symbols;
b. vicariousness: the ability to acquire knowledge, skills or competences by observing or modelling other people;
c. prediction: the ability anticipating future events, which are extremely relevant both emotionally and motivationally, for example, the
fear of what the future might hold;
d. self–regulation: the ability to establish objectives and evaluating
one’s actions by referring to internal performance standards;
e. self–reflective thought: the ability to consciously reflecting on one’s
self.
Through these tools, communication products were created (mainly
videos); in addition to symbolically representing the annual themes of the
project, they also present the reflections of the students involved.
3. A. Bandura, C. Barbaranelli, G.V. Caprara & C. Pastorelli, Mechanisms of moral disengagement in the exercise of moral agency, «Journal of Personality and Social Psychology», 71(1996),
pp. 364–374.
From Training to Communication: the R&C Approach
43
In the first year, the workshops focused on the representation of the self
through short video recordings that showed the specific actions of each
individual in emotionally charged circumstances; in all cases, the people
were to use their instinct and spontaneity.
In the second year, we created a toolbox of exercises — which through
few interactions and with little planning — made it possible to create
many videos based on the Emotion Wheel used in theatre improvisation
practice activities (http://bit.ly/recemotions); the purpose of this activity
was to uncover the social discrimination that high school students have
accumulated unconsciously during their upbringing.
Among the informal content generated by the students, there are two
contributions which exemplify the reflections that emerged during the
student workshops: ‘Words of Wisdom’ and the five–second videos that
were added to the Choose & Change game archive.
The third year saw the creation of stories of physical and psychological
violence (these were not autobiographical in nature) with de–stigmatizing processes that made the students narrators of episodes of extreme
violence.
The activities of the third year underwent significant changes during
lockdown, due to the impossibility of continuing the workshops in person
in the schools. Accordingly, the YEs changed their role from product processing facilitators to key players of the communication campaign, creating more than 50 exclusive short videos which they designed, wrote and
put together.
4. Claims for Change
Each year has a key message, or in other words, a short claim.
In the first year, the claim was ‘BUILDING A CULTURE OF TRUST’,
which was correlated to theme of the year (Identity). The message behind
this claim is that, through trust, we can address all identity, discrimination
and conflict issues covered in the three–year project.
In the second year, the claim was ‘DISCRIMINATION DOES NOT EXIST’; the word NOT is visible on the slogan but is deleted from the text
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Davide Tosco, Gianmaria Vernetti, Pierpaolo Alessio
(i.e., ‘NOT’); the purpose of this was to get a reaction out of the reader,
who would immediately feel compelled to say, “It’s not true!”, and to use
this statement as a catalyst for campaign–related discussions and activities.
In the third year, the issue of gender–based violence was addressed and
the claim ‘ACT HUMAN’ was used. The idea behind this communication came from the need to promote the design and implementation of
mini–awareness campaigns managed independently by students within
the schools who would have taken part in the contest of the final year.
This component was changed due to the national lockdown which coincided with the practical workshops which would have taken place in the
classes.
5. Social Media. Speaking the Same Language as the Target Audience
Social media represented an important communication tool for the project. A new social profile was created in order to engage with different
targets, using different channels and lines of communications.
In order to maximize the effectiveness of the message, both international and local / national channels were created.
This was pivotal in fostering communication and proved effective in
achieving the project goals.
A “glocal” approach
The international channels were the ‘institutional voice’ of Recognise
& Change. They defined the content used as guidelines for the partners’
communications. All actions were taken in order to offer people an opportunity to gain information and awareness on the project themes in
relation to their targets.
This is why theme–based rubrics were created on the three social channels (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter), with the aim of offering users
opportunities to reflect and share content, to read news and dig deeper
into the topics.
The local and national channels were conceived as tools to keep a direct
line of communication with users on a daily basis. These channels also
took care of adapting, translating and localising the international content
From Training to Communication: the R&C Approach
45
in order to offer users an opportunity to reflect, and reflection is one of
the objectives of the project.
The local — global dichotomy proved to be essential in developing the
Recognise & Change project, because it meant action steps forward were
being made simultaneously in two contexts.
Channels, targets and lines of communication
There was an immediate need to activate local communication channels
in order to minimize the distance between the project and its target users.
Accordingly, the partners activated local social channels, in line with the
guidelines and management methodologies shared by the entire working
group.
Recognize & Change’s social activity was based on 23 social media channels, which overall generated an average monthly reach of 50,000 users
and over 120,000 views. The social strategy was based on three international social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter) and,
more specifically, 10 Facebook pages, 7 Instagram accounts and 3 Twitter
handles, were managed locally.
Local content allowed users to take a closer look at the project and its individual initiatives, effectively eliminating the communication barrier that
is often created in such large–scale transnational projects.
At the same time, reflections pertaining to the local activities which
were carried out made it possible to feed the “global” content, thus creating a virtuous circle that expanded slowly but steadily over the three years
of the project.
The initial idea of the project was to focus all social activities exclusively
on the three international channels. (i.e., Facebook, Instagram and Twitter) in order to connect with and involve the main target audience of the
project:
— teachers, parents, and general public via Facebook;
— young and very young audiences via Instagram;
— journalists, opinion leaders, and stakeholders via Twitter.
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Davide Tosco, Gianmaria Vernetti, Pierpaolo Alessio
A specific line of communication and strategic vision was defined for
each social media platforms and unique theme–based rubrics were also
created for each channel. With regard to the content, it can be broken
down as follows:
— institutional and awareness–raising content: 40%;
— narrative content pertaining to activities on the ground: 30%;
— user generated content (YEs and students): 30%.
The contests also constituted an important awareness–raising element,
so they had a lot of space dedicated to them on social media.
With regard to this, national channels and individual partners (small
and large) were entrusted with ‘pushing’ the views and voting on the platforms. The numbers yielded by the contest were extremely positive and
broadened the reach of the project’s messages.
In 2020, the lockdown greatly influenced the R&C’s social media activity.
One of the most complex aspects has been adopting a coherent and cohesive line of communication, in light of the emergency situations taking
hold in different ways in the different partner countries.
On a strategic level, all “strong” awareness–raising content (e.g., stories
of violence) were temporarily suspended to focus on positive “community” messages such as ‘we are close even if apart’ or ‘you are not alone’, and
practical advice to better cope with the lockdown.
Management and coordination
At an operational level, the social networks were managed through:
— monthly editorial plans structured under different theme–based
headings. All content was designed in a way to facilitate its adaptation, translation and localization, and was made available to all
national social media managers;
— remote coordination meetings between the central communications
team and the local social media managers (2–3 meetings per month).
The dialogue and coordination between people from different communicative contexts, combined with their different cultural and professional
backgrounds, represented both a challenge and an opportunity.
From Training to Communication: the R&C Approach
47
How to approach social media varies significantly depending on your
geographical context: depending on the country, some platforms are preferred to others, the approach to content varies, as does sensitivity to the
project themes.
These elements generate an opportunity for professional and cultural
enrichment, but they also mean that distributing and sharing of project
content takes more time.
Results
In numerical terms, we registered a positive response to our publications on
various social channels. From this perspective, the national and international Facebook channels generated high engagement and great visibility.
With regard to the “young and very young” target audience, Instagram
proved to be the ideal platform for interaction and reflection. To sum up,
national channels contributed to the results of the project to varying degrees; international channels took on the role of institutional voice of the
project. One social media platform that requires more attention is Twitter: we need to reflect on the use of Twitter in terms of our actual ability
to engage journalists, opinion leaders and stakeholders.
Part II
EMPOWERMENT PEER EDUCATION
IN ACTION
Building the “Recognize and Change” Culture
ISBN 979-12-5994-029-2
DOI 10.53136/97912599402925
pp. 51-61 (March 2021)
The Red Button.
Anecdotes and Stories about the E.P.E. Approach
Antonella Tropiano
Introduction
The aim of this chapter of the handbook is to illustrate and summarize
the 15 partners’ experiences of managing the non–formal peer education methodology. SFEP (Scuola Formazione Educazione Permanente
— School of Training and Permanent Education) and ISCOS (Istituto
per la Coesione Sociale — institute for Social Cohesion) thought to ask
each partner to write down and share some anecdotes, stories and tips
that will help us to consolidate our understanding of their groups’ multitude of experiences.
The municipality of Fortaleza (Brazil) writes that their peer education “consists of teenagers or young people acting as facilitators of actions whose intention is to reach an audience of which they are a part”.
Subjects who are within the same age group have and use a similar language and can achieve the proposed objectives more successfully. The
definition of young educator selection criteria was established at the
beginning of the project for all the partners; however, they were encouraged to tailor said criteria based on their own territory and youth
population. Non–negotiable criteria included: willingness to conduct
voluntary and social activities in youth associations active in the territory; specific interest in the theme; relation skills; and language skills.
The Delphi association (Burgas – Bulgaria) states that “what was
important in order to determine the profile of the YEs was the activity of the candidates and their ability to encourage thinking and create
trust, when adopting the ‘peers teach peers’ method”. In this perspective, all members are seen as equal and all knowledge is valid: “[what
is important] is the possibility of being heard without having a person
in the position of leader; rather than ‘teachers’ the people managing
the interactions and exchanges are ‘mediators’” (Fortaleza, Brazil). The
more horizontal the relationship is, the greater the engagement of the
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students involved is. Paraphrasing the words of the Caritas of Ruse (Bulgaria), the methodology works only if the YEs present themselves as
individuals, get to know one other, and create trust and motivation to
achieve a common goal.
Young Educators enter relationships that are useful for “getting to
know one other and feel how they would partner with another person
in a team to work on the overall goals of the project” (Ruse, Bulgaria).
Presenting Violence, Discrimination and Identity in a practical emotional experience, give both the YEs and students the opportunity to
recognize them as part of their own social system. This creates critical
thinking, the ability to formulate a thesis, and it enriches the perceptions of the roles of everyone involved in the process of violence and
discrimination. “The dynamic process of training gives young educators
the opportunity to actively understand and participate in the process of
empathy, tolerance and acceptance. In addition, they develop the skills
necessary to recognize the signs and symptoms of the roles of “aggressors”, “harassers”, “victims” and more” (Ruse, Bulgaria).
How Can the Methodology Facilitate the Emergence of the Contents?
Paraphrasing the guideline of the project, SFEP proposed a course–training model at the beginning of each phase. The proposal was the groundwork which allowed for the creation of local training imparted by the
MLAE with the support of experienced specialists and facilitators. The
application of non–formal learning methods, such as lectures, multimedia presentations, working in small groups, games, simulations and case
studies and lectures were reported by many partners. “After the training,
the YEs participated in team meetings (workshop) where they were met
with a consultant to discuss training methodology […] the methodologist
introduced them to a variety of game methods for the acquaintanceship,
icebreaking, concentration, visual presentation of the project and discussion of the annual topic, as well as for assessing the impact and change in
the environment» (Delphi Association – Burgas, Bulgaria). Most of those
activities were applied to the classroom after training.
The training in general helped the YEs to promote thinking and create intergroup trust. Let’s see the way the Delphi Association used to
present discrimination (Burgas, Bulgaria):
The Red Button. Anecdotes and Stories about the E.P.E. Approach
Story #1
During a workshop at school the young educators (YE) present the topic of discrimination. Various ways in which a person can be put at a disadvantage or be
harassed are listed: these include nationality, religion, faith, age, gender, sexual
orientation, and ethnicity.
One of the students reacts violently: “– Hmm, Roma people, I hate Roma people.
They are lazy and have a bad personality; moreover, all they do is steal”.
Then one of the young educators (YE) says: “– You know me quite well, and you
know that I’ve reacted the same way before. If six months ago, somebody had
told me that a Roma person would be my best friend now, I would probably have
sworn at him. The things we hear about others without knowing them personally are a form of prejudice. Right now, my best friend is of Roma origin and that
doesn’t worry me at all. We cannot judge a book by its cover. We need to see the
content.
At this point, the student reflects on what he said minutes ago and says: “– In
reality I don’t have anything against Roma people. I even have classmates who
are Roma with whom I frequently talk. These thoughts aren’t mine, they are my
parents’, for which I’m sorry”.
… and a personal experience reported from a student:
Story #2
My first day in the project “Recognize & Change” started just like a normal day.
I overslept, as per usual and was almost late for the bus. Well, the important part
is “almost”, since I managed to join the other 14 people gathered at the bus stop.
Most of them only seemed to be interested in talking with their friends, so I did
not have the courage to engage in conversation with anybody. I confess, I am very
introverted and, well, that’s why I spent the next 40 minutes on the bus reading
something on my phone. When I arrived at the venue, I was not feeling a tad bit
comfortable. This was my first time participating in non–formal training without
any of my acquaintances. I usually don’t engage in ice–breaking games so, after
we finished with that segment, I think I knew even less about the people around
me. I would say that this was one of the factors that led to pay less attention to
the topic that the trainer was introducing. The surrounding environment did not
help me much. Some of the other participants did not seem to be very interested
either and, well, I could not say that they were disrupting the atmosphere, but
they were further discouraging me. A few minutes passed, maybe half an hour.
I only did the bare minimum. I only talked if I was personally asked a question
while pretending to take notes, while scribbling something in my notebook. That
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is probably why I missed half a segment and my brain started working again
when I heard one of the girls talking, or it was rather I noticed her passionate
expressions and use of words. She was telling us about her personal experiences,
about the bullying and discrimination you thought you only saw in movies. I
don’t know how she found the courage to share her story in front of people she
had just met but she for sure got the attention of people who did not seem as
interested in the beginning.
She told us her story of being a transfer student (for the purpose of the story, we
have called her Ava); new school, new town, new neighbourhood. Everything
was different but somewhat normal for a person in this situation, until… after
a few days, Ava’s class had a new transfer student (for the purpose of the story
named Rea). She was gorgeous, looked older than she really was, actively trained
in ballroom dancing and probably participated in other after–school activities. All
the other students were immediately drawn to her. Although Ava was practicing
fencing at the time at a prestigious school, that seemed irrelevant when compared to Rea’s achievements. Soon after, every time Ava dared to peek at Rea and
her friends, they were always in constant laughter pointing in her direction. Firstly, Ava though it was just a coincidence, but it happened again and again. Ava’s
lack of reaction provoked Rea even more. Rea started playing “harmless” pranks
on her on a daily basis: pouring liquids into her bag, putting gum in her hair, and
throwing eggs at her are just some of the things that Rea’s friends came up with.
In the beginning, it was all about shaming but, as things progressed, Ava started
to be physically hurt. So, she started pretending to be sick, waiting outside the
school away from Rea’s friends, and waited for her classes to end and everyone to
leave before she would go home. At a certain point in time, Rea had all the class
under her influence; she threatened anybody who dared to speak up to teachers,
telling them that they would receive the same treatment as Ava if they did so. Ava
could not tell her mother out of fear of the consequences and her homeroom
teacher’s response was that Rea is a model student and he can’t simply punish or
investigate something based on Ava’s words since nobody has spoken about any
problems. Ava began being absent from school more than she was present and
the principal was forced to schedule a meeting between Ava’s mother, her homeroom teacher and himself. Ava did not know what happened during that meeting;
this is all her mother said to her: “You are lucky because you have good grades,
and you are good at fencing”. Rea’s behaviour towards Ava continued for another
year until Rea and Ava were put in different classes. Without Rea there and with
many new faces, Ava was finally defended by somebody and the bullying slowly
diminished. Ava dared not tell anybody about her story though, until today.
The Red Button. Anecdotes and Stories about the E.P.E. Approach
55
Reading these stories may be useful in order to get the attention of
young students and involve them in playing an active role in society against
discrimination. The non–formal methodology may help people to believe
in their thoughts, and recognize and change them without judgement.
The methodology is directly related to the role of the young educators.
“They are not operators, but people who make their generative presence
available” (Vardakeios School of Ermoupolis – Greece):
Anecdote #1
At the beginning of the program, our YE role in the class was a little bit ambiguous — for young educators and students alike. Students were talking to us quite
formally and considered us to be teachers. As soon as the aims of the program
were made clear to them and they understood that the purpose of our presence
was not related to teaching, students felt free to discuss and even reach out to us,
not only during class hours but also in their free time.
It was obvious that our role was only to spark a discussion and, after a while —
especially with one group of students — our role became supplementary. This
specific group participated, won the first prize and decided to use the prize in
order to spread R&C’s work to students on a neighbouring island. They asked
us to accompany them on their trip and it was our pleasure to go with them. In
Vardakeios, we organized a small presentation before our trip. The students were
those who wanted to do and eventually did the presentation on their own and
the YEs were there only to guide them as far as the sequencing and timing of the
presentation were concerned. In this presentation that the students did, it was
clear that they had entirely understood the goal of our effort. Our cooperation
was something memorable and the work we all did together was remarkable.
This experience took place three years ago, but still today we keep in touch with
these students. We meet regularly and during our meetings and discussions we
expand on many of the topics that had concerned us from our very first meeting.
Should We Make a Change or Not? Should We Address Them as YEs?
The previous stories may lead people to undervalue the YEs’ role in making a change. The methodology’s tools — that is the concrete use of stories, images, role play etc. — are only a part of the process of changing.
As we said in the introduction, the YEs (selected according to their personalities and unique traits) play a big part on inner change. When the
partners speak of being able to ‘foster trust’, they are talking about the
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power of a peer–to–peer connection that they nurture and introduce into
the education of the young students. It’s not easy to be a YE without prejudice and the claim to changing others according to one’s own vision of
the world. The YEs of Turin and Collegno (Italy) have been interviewed
about their personal experience, and they reported making a conscious
effort to distance themselves from their own opinions and purely focus
on observing the process of exchange in the classroom instead. A fitting
anecdote follows:
Anecdote #2 – Making a change?
Classroom with fifteen (15) boys and a (1) girl. Nobody looks particularly interested. At one point, there is a question about the role of the woman in modern
society. The boys try to give standard “correct” answers (i.e., “same as the man’s
role”, “equal”), so that they can get out of digging deeper.
The girl, who has barely spoken at all, says “she has to be a good housewife, do
the housework and be obedient and faithful to her husband”.
We are quite shocked to hear that, especially coming from the single girl in the
class, but had to accept the view nonetheless so as not to single her out or make
her feel side–lined. We were basically waiting from the rest of the class to speak
on that. Surprisingly, the rest of the class barely spoke, just accepting the different
opinion, no matter how conservative it sounded.
This experience gave us great food for thought. Even now, we don’t know if we
should have pushed the discussion further, even at the risk of making the student
(the only female) feel side–lined.
Vardakeios, Greece
Even though some opinions do not reflect the YEs’ opinion, the YEs
decided to not participate in a process of aggression. They just decided
to use tolerance and silence, and this is only one of the possible non–
violent answers to discrimination and prejudice. Reading the Anecdote
#2 may provoke both anger and disappointment in the reader, or comprehension and agreement. The approach of feeling and expressing only
one’s own emotions is not the request moved to the YEs: they must explore and feel the experience of different people. This is one of the most
difficult relational skills to acquire and use: empathy. The three years of
training and exercises in the classroom helped the YEs and scholars to
develop empathy and understand how important the personal commitment can be:
The Red Button. Anecdotes and Stories about the E.P.E. Approach
57
Anecdotes #3 – Personal commitment
The first workshop of the second year of the project coincided with our first experience as young educators in a class of high school students. We noticed that a
student is extremely withdrawn from her classmates. We realized that they were
discriminating against her because she came from a rural area. However, the detachment of the girl created a closer connection between her and the teachers,
and for this reason her classmates were very envious, considering that the teachers
favoured her; so, they ganged up to exclude the girl from the class group.
Noticing this situation, we decided to spend an hour on discussions and debates,
trying to help reduce this conflict, which prevented the smooth running of activities
with them. Each student had the right to express his/her opinion, but the situation
soon escalated. Seeing the agitation in the classroom, we changed our approach and
began to tell them experiences from our lives. We also talked to them about what it
would be like to put ourselves in the other person’s shoes before we judge them. By
openly discussing the concrete situation in their class and the strong emotions felt
around this topic, we were able to get to the point where we helped them realize that
the existing situation was not favourable for anyone and that it is important to find a
balance. Thus, at the end of the discussion, each student made a personal commitment to help reduce the conflict: the girl’s classmates promised to try to include her
in the class group, and the girl said she would try to be more sociable and friendly.
“We all know that there is a big difference between making a promise and having
good intentions, and actually changing one’s opinion, attitude or behaviour: this
requires a conscious and sustained effort. Changes does not happen overnight. But
the first step is awareness and the desire to make a change”. In our case, we felt that,
with each hour spent with the students, with each discussion, game and exercise in
which we involved them, we placed another stepping stone on the road to change.
This is because, as young educators, we have made a personal commitment: to not
judge, to be present, to be ourselves, to be open to new learning experiences, to
support the activities for which we have prepared and also to have the courage to
talk about difficult or uncomfortable topics.
And the personal satisfaction and the confirmation that we did something good
materialized at the beginning of the activities of the 3rd year of the project, when
we saw that the students had transformed into a “new” class, which was much
more united and open to exploring new things.
By Paula Căprar and Cristi Codrea, young educators from Baia Mare
“We all know that there is a big difference between making a promise
and having good intentions, and actually changing one’s opinion, attitude
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or behaviour: this requires a conscious and sustained effort. Changes does
not happen overnight. But the first step is awareness and the desire to
make a change for the better” (Anecdote #3).
This anecdote begs the question: what is it that can develop the ability
to recognize and change? Maybe personal change is capable of guiding
this process? These can remain open questions, but YEs have undoubtedly
been directly involved in personal change:
Anecdote #4 – Feelings
To better understand what the empowerment process has involved through
peer–to–peer methodology and how one’s own work in the group and in the
classroom triggers a process of personal change, we have made an assessment
“from the heart”, where they were able to express their emotions and aspirations
regarding their participation in the project in an experiential and creative way. We
noted them down word for word:
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
“I take the unity and empathy of this group. The new knowledge acquired,
greater maturity as a person, greater courage and a new way of thinking”
“I want to listen to myself more and learn”
“I feel brave and strong, free in an environment of equality and respect”
“I end this course very happy and enriched, empowered and having made
new friends”
“In short, I learnt more about myself by ‘removing the mask’”
“I want a world where there is equity, freedom, women’s empowerment,
effort and empathy”
“Move: if I move, everything moves”
“Equality is to make visible, respect, study, understand and transform”
“I would never have imagined that I would learn so much. It has served me
professionally and, of course, also personally”
Jaén and Huelva – Spain
Are There any Essential Tips for Raising Awareness in the Young Target Group?
We must consider that the target group is made up of both YEs and scholars. Starting from this awareness, we can link this question to the previous
ones. The main aim of the R&C project is to “increase the awareness of
The Red Button. Anecdotes and Stories about the E.P.E. Approach
59
youths between 11 and 30 years of age on forms of violence and discrimination in European and extra–European territories and encourage their
engagement in spreading an inclusive non–discriminating culture, using
mutual learning and peer education” (R&C project). Therefore, the main
goal of the project clearly indicates that the YEs are encompassed in the
target group, too. The training is necessary to promote change amongst
the YEs before they work as YEs in the schools. This is why they tried out
the classroom activities during the training workshops. They are called
to feel discrimination and violence and question the concept of identity
through their body and emotions. “Start from the answers, not from the
questions”; this is the strategy which is mainly used in Bucharest. “When
an action is carried out, we wonder what steps to take next. But how often
do we think about why someone chooses to perform that action? Why,
for example, a classmate chooses to offend us, hit us or laugh at us? It is
important to understand that the student who adopts such destructive
behaviour is usually crying for help”. This is an example of covert suffering on behalf of the perpetrator and we need to learn how to empathise
with it. How do we connect with young people? Is there a universal recipe
or magic formula on how to create a link, build trust, and communicate?
Some of the answers gathered (Bucharest):
— building relationships;
— accepting young people without trying to moralise;
— not expressing your expectations from young people;
— expressing empathy whenever you have the opportunity;
— focusing on the here and now;
— trying not to ask too many questions, and rather listen actively;
— learning through collaboration and cooperation, together.
“If these can be elements of a recipe, then said recipe should be used
extensively at school. I guess that openness and the lack of a formal and
superior attitude have less to do with age and more to do with who you
are, and with being given the space to think, speak, and act freely. To this,
I might add the need to communicate with someone and to be seen by an
adult who accepts without any kind of judgmental thoughts”.
The approach of the City of Dunkirk (France) is to continuously “plan
to change the plan”. “We’ve learned to take a step back, to put situations
into perspective, to keep a sense of proportion and have realize that time
and workshops are not inflexible tools and that readjustments can be
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made to adapt to each context. […] We have tried to take the specificities
of different students and situations into account […]”. They adopted a
positive and open attitude to encourage students to express their opinions. “The students appreciated having a ‘space of their own’ to talk about
taboo subjects, which were not usually discussed at school and which the
students did not always dare to talk about with their parents”.
Speaking of recipes, Italian research on the YEs’ experience (for the
complete version take a look at “E.P.E. Focus # 2. The Italian Research
on the Young Educator Experience” in this handbook), has led to the creation of ten tips for young educators, designed to help them feel like an
active part of the system, and to feel well–supported while working and
engaging with other young people. They reported their need for reference figures that can guide them while using the peer–to–peer methodology. They sometimes felt hyper–empowered, but with sufficient tools
and knowledge pertaining to the three main topics of project. They asked
for structure and fought for a ‘safe space’ (such as school, MLAE, training, workshop). So, while encouraging change amongst young people, we
must also care about those who are promoting change.
Anecdote #5 – Encouraging change – The red button
Encouraging change can be viewed under many lenses. In this essay, we have decided to refer to it as “The Red Button” because it represents the real output and
not the measurable one that both the students and us youth educators are aiming
for. This is the next step further from “Thought Instigator”. We, as trainers must
have the inner ability to visualize the situations we encounter from the outside
and try to prepare in advance a set of questions that will trigger through their
answers the so–called Red Button, or at least make the student realize where they
stand: as bullies or bullied. The question set mentioned above is also meant to dig
deeper into each and every child’s conscience. This enables them to acknowledge
their own position so they can further find solutions to diminish the discomfort
they created or felt, based on their role. This Red Button plays an important part
in changing the person on the long term, but the measurable short–term outcomes can only be seen through the videos they create, in which they have the
opportunity to show if the Button was fully understood and activated. On the
other hand, our neutrality must be shaken and we must switch sides depending
on the discussions we are having, providing a more heart–warming and positive
perspective in tense and emotional situations.
Therefore, the main goal of the whole project is a broader one, which takes into
consideration the wide range of emotions that one can experience at specific
The Red Button. Anecdotes and Stories about the E.P.E. Approach
61
times during our sessions; this range is particularly visible when students play an
active part in role–playing situations, take their own stand, and agree or disagree
with the values they are given. Perhaps one of the most delightful and the most
exciting moments for us as guides, is when we see the Red Button being activated.
Bucharest – Romania
In Conclusion: the Voice of the YEs
“An exchange of experience, perspective and energy… that’s what it’s all
about… we all discovered new things about others, we learned to be more
united, to communicate better and to have confidence in who we are…
we learned to look forward with optimism and to realize that the beauty
of a human–being lies in his or her own uniqueness. The new generation
has a great potential, but is up to us — as a society, community, specialized
institution, social group, family, or teacher — to capitalize on this potential
and to offer young people the support they need in order to grow beautifully, to motivate them and instil confidence in them… to show them that
each of us has a well–defined purpose, an important role, but that there is
no pressure to excel at everything or aspire to perfection”. (By Alexandra
and Andreea Sasaran, Young Educators from Baia Mare, Bucharest).
Building the “Recognize and Change” Culture
ISBN 979-12-5994-029-2
DOI 10.53136/97912599402926
pp. 63-67 (March 2021)
E.P.E. Focus #1. The Impact Study
of the R&C Project in Dunkirk
Valesa Bassanganam
This document contains the summary of an empirical study carried out
with the main subjects of the European project Recognize & Change at
the end of the second year of the project. Its aim was to evaluate the effects and the impacts of the project on the target audience.
To carry out this study, the following people were interviewed:
— 3 young educators;
— 2 groups of students (1 secondary school group and 1 high school
group);
— 6 representatives of the educational teams of the partner schools;
— 1 teacher at the Regional Institute of Social Work (Institut régional
du travail social – IRTS), the training college where the young educators study;
— 1 representative of the regional educational authorities.
Summary
The various partners interviewed all agree that the Recognize & Change
project has been a positive experience, which has contributed to behavioural changes in students regarding their way of perceiving people and
their relations with others. Furthermore, the project has promoted a territorial dynamic for a number of secondary and high schools, as well as for
local players working in the fight against discrimination.
From the point of view of the teaching staff of the schools involved,
the project is relevant, both in the choice of the themes addressed, and
in the choice of the method and its implementation through peer education. As for the themes of the project, they perfectly reflect certain modules of the “Moral and Civic Education” curriculum, which is taught at
all school levels, from the beginning of primary school to the end of high
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school. The themes complemented and enriched the internal educational projects of some schools and for others, they brought something new.
Some teachers stressed that schools do not leave enough room for these
kinds of discussions and debates. This is why they committed to the
project, in order to give their students the opportunity to reflect on subjects related to everyday life and harmonious co–existence. According
to their statements, the peer education technique worked well and had
a real impact on the class atmosphere. The teachers recognised that the
project encouraged the rapprochement of schools in the territory of
Dunkirk, enabling an exchange of skills and knowledge, but also allowing people to work on implementing common actions.
For the representative of the regional educational authorities, this
project constitutes a great experience that deserves to be continued, not
only because the themes addressed fall within the national educational
authorities’ guidelines to raise students’ awareness of citizenship and
co–existence, but also because the project offers the possibility to federate schools and boost the territory. For example, this project has contributed to two schools from Dunkirk winning a prize in the 2019 academic
contest “No to school bullying” (Non au harcèlement). It is the first time
this has happened in five years. He also thinks that the project has a tangible impact on students, which can be seen through their investment in
various projects they have set up in their schools.
With regard to the students, this project allowed them to spend time
with each other, to get to know one other, to talk freely and to discuss
themes that they could not (or did not want to) address with their parents.
They appreciated having a space where they can express their own
opinions and exchange their opinions with others.
This was facilitated by the fact that the young educators created an
environment of trust, thus allowing students to speak freely. Thanks to
the project, they have acquired a better understanding of the mechanisms of prejudice and stereotypes. The pupils observed a change in the
behaviours and mentalities within their classes, but also outside, within their families for example. For some students who were victims of
school bullying, discrimination or violence, the project came as a relief,
because it allowed them to talk about their own experiences. Other students have become aware of the negative impact their behaviour can
have on others. Several students have even decided to become ambassadors within their school, in order to encourage others to break the
silence and create counselling spaces, in particular within the “Conseils
E.P.E. Focus #1. The Impact Study of the R&C Project in Dunkirk
65
de vie collégienne ou lycéenne” (secondary and high school student
councils for school life).
For the teachers at the Regional Institute of Social Work (Institut
régional du travail social – IRTS), the project is also closely–linked to
the social worker course that the young educators are taking, because
students on this course will frequently have to manage cases of discrimination, violence and harassment in their profession. This explains the
strong commitment of the young educators, who invested a lot of their
personal time in the project, thus contributing to its success. The project
is innovative in its duration (three years), because it will make a real impact on students and young educators.
The young educators say they are delighted to have participated in
this project, despite its compulsory nature (we worked with two classes of social–worker students from the training college, so their participation in the project was compulsory, at least for the training part
— students could choose to not take part in the workshops if they did
not feel up to it). For some, it will remain a great experience, because
they have learned things that are complementary to their social–worker
training course, such as how to design educational tools, the facilitation
of workshops and speaking to an audience. Some students even now
describe themselves as “activists”, who are willing to get involved in various actions, to defend the themes of the project. They found that the
majority of students were very motivated to take part in the project,
whether during the activities or during the debates. They think the project is formative for themselves, but also for the students, in that it allows freedom of speech, discussions and debates on taboo subjects, thus
encouraging open–mindedness. The young educators who had the opportunity to participate in the international exchange trips found them
very enriching, both professionally and in terms of human relations and
openness to others. Finally, the young educators involved are convinced
that they can value the skills acquired through the project at the end of
their training course when looking for a job.
The various people interviewed also mentioned certain points of improvement, which could be taken into account when designing a possible continuation of the project.
The young educators and their teaching staff mentioned the fairly substantial workload preparing and running the workshops, which
weighed on the time spent on their traditional academic work. They
suggest that, in the future, the number of classes should bear this in
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mind or the number of young educators should be increased, in order
to reduce this burden and this pressure. Another solution could be to
work in partnership with the school social workers and the social workers employed by the municipality, who could run some workshops. A
way should also be found to improve communication between schools
and young educators, in order to improve the logistical organisation of
the workshops. In addition, the involvement of local associations in the
training and the support of young educators would allow greater flexibility and responsiveness on a daily basis.
The students, for their part, regret that there have not been more
inter–school exchanges, in order to discover and share each other’s projects. Students believe that the awareness–raising activities should be
extended to more classes, or even to the whole school, in order to have
a greater impact. This impact could also be improved by carrying out
“booster shots” throughout their schooling, in order to prevent pupils
from gradually falling back into their old habits. Finally, the students
would also like parents to be informed/trained so that they are more
aware of the themes and issues.
The teaching staff stress that it would be important for the municipality of Dunkirk to continue to adopt this approach in the future, because
the network created within the framework of this project is too fragile
to operate independently. This is also the opinion of the representative
of the regional educational authorities, who would like the project to
be extended to all schools in the territory. In order to achieve this, he
suggests working with local associations capable of ensuring workshops
in schools, to guarantee the sustainability of the project, especially if
the IRTS training college is unable to continue its involvement. He also
suggests using the educational tools created and made available by the
Ministry of National Education.
Finally, all of those interviewed regretted that the European dimension of the project was not very present and that there were not more
real or “virtual” exchanges.
Conclusion
The Recognize & Change project is a successful experience in raising
awareness among peers in Dunkirk. All the people who were involved
in the framework of this project wish to see the process continue, even
E.P.E. Focus #1. The Impact Study of the R&C Project in Dunkirk
67
if it has to be done in another format, and hope that the municipality of
Dunkirk will continue to run it. The National educational authorities, via
the Recotrat de Lille (regional educational authority), could support the
continuation of this project and the partner schools also remain on board
and wish to involve other pupils in this process.
Building the “Recognize and Change” Culture
ISBN 979-12-5994-029-2
DOI 10.53136/97912599402927
pp. 69-88 (March 2021)
E.P.E. Focus # 2. The Italian Research
on the Young Educator Experience
Antonella Tropiano
Introduction
The Municipality of Turin coordinated the European project “Recognize
and Change” as leader for three years from 2017 to 2020. In order for the
project to be activated, 24 Young Educators (YE) were involved in the process and were responsible for the activities carried out within the participating schools. SFEP, the body responsible for training the YEs, chose to adopt
the methodology and tools of non–formal education. SFEP’s management
team asked CIRSDE (the Interdisciplinary Centre for Research and Studies
of Women and Gender) to evaluate the effectiveness of the project in achieving the objectives of raising awareness among YEs about the issues addressed
during the project.
The YEs were selected through a call published and advertised by associations in Turin’s local cultural entities. The age range required to participate,
which was agreed upon on a European level, was 18 to 29 years of age. Considering the rapid mobility of the age group and the fact that their participation was voluntary in nature, it was decided that YEs who could not commit
to the entire project would be replaced by new YEs selected by public tender.
Of the 24 YEs who joined the project, 14 agreed to take part in this interview.
The sample interviewed is aged between 22 and 29 years (average age =
24.31); 9 are women and 5 are men. All interviewees reside in Turin and its
inner metropolitan area and have worked with educational institutions (middle and high schools) in the cities of Turin and Collegno. They got to know
the project through the associations they were affiliated with and/or through
the publication on the “Torino Giovani” portal of the city of Turin. Among
the 14 YE interviewed, 10 were involved in the project for the whole three
years; 2 only the last year; 1 only the first year; and 1 only the first two years.
With regard to the 10 YEs we did not interview, over the three years of the
project 4 participated only in the first and second year; 2 in the second year;
and 4 in the first year.
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During the third year, due to the limitations imposed by the Covid–19 pandemic and the consequent closure of educational institutions,
it was necessary to adapt part of the project into online delivery through
the use of social networks, as requested by the European coordination
team. We have included a question dedicated to the management of the
project when the Covid–19 pandemic hit in order to identify criticalities
and strengths.
A decision was made to structure the interview into 6 topic areas (personal data + 9 questions), in order to investigate most of the aspects
relating to the implementation of the project and its effectiveness:
1. Demographic data: Collection of personal information and definition of the period of participation in the project;
2. General evaluation of the experience;
3. Awareness and internalization of the experience (professional,
personal, relational);
4. Relations with the context and with the educational figures;
5. Evaluation of the proposed methodology;
6. In–depth questions and evaluation of the changes brought about
to the project due to Covid–19;
The interviews were audio–recorded with prior informed consent
via the WebEx platform of the University of Turin and took 40 minutes
on average to record.
Discussion
The sub–sections of the interview, the level of detail in the answers,
the session number, the survey objective and the guiding questions will
be indicated in the hope of facilitating reading. The demographic data
already reported in the introductory part will be omitted and the discussion will start from point number 2.
2) General evaluation of the experience: detection of the positive and
negative aspects of the experience.
E.P.E. Focus # 2. The Italian Research on the Young Educator Experience
71
1. I would like to ask you to identify the positive and negative aspects of the experience
Based on the feedback of Young Educators pertaining to the positive aspects, it is possible to identify three macro–areas:
— Training experience:
[…] how to put this — it is part of my personal growth and for me it was, let’s
say,… a new experience … so having never done anything like this, it really introduced me to a world of peer–to–peer education that I had never been a part of.
– participation in the project allowed YEs the opportunity to work
on aspects of themselves related to introversion–extroversion
and improve communication with the target group and colleagues;
– thanks to the methods and tools adopted, the training allowed
for the acquisition of relational skills that enabled the management of a class group and which fostered discussion between the
parties (the YE group activities that took place before the actual
meeting with the class groups were particularly effective);
– the non–formal education approach made the YEs independent
in the design and implementation of group activities, as their
own training was a project designed by ‘doing’ and ‘co–creating’.
— Reducing prejudice towards adolescents:
[…] I hadn’t spent time with young people of this age group for quite some
time… I felt I had lost touch with this age group, but this project allowed me to
get closer to them, to see how trends have changed and how adolescents have
evolved compared to when I was a teenager […].
– most of the YEs report higher confidence in the adolescents’
cognitive and social abilities, and in their own ability to reduce
prejudice and foster an exchange between two neighbouring
generations;
– through non–formal education, it was possible to work in the
absence of judgment and without any preconceptions about the
personality of each student;
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– the teachers were able to observe the class group from another
perspective and the analysis of the dynamics positively changed
their mental representations of individual students.
— Personal growth:
[…] I also found out a lot about myself in those circumstances.
[…] it trained me, it led me to be aware of some issues and above all to collaborate with other people in order to achieve the same goal.
– contact and awareness of YEs with the contents and themes of the
project (Identity, Discrimination, Violence). The acquisition of notions adaptable to different contexts, including personal experience;
– enhancement of the teamwork: a very cohesive and rather stable
YE group over time, encouraged by the exchange of knowledge between the pairs (before, during and after the class workshops) and
by sharing experiences in the extended group.
Downsides:
— Organisation:
[…] a lot was expected of the YEs in the workshops and the classes were very
different from one other… I felt quite drained… having back–to–back workshops
was a bit heavy to deal with on an emotional level […].
– most of the YEs found it difficult to manage multiple workshops in the same morning and/or several consecutive mornings. The scheduling of the meetings appears to have been particularly ineffective, bringing with it a considerable emotional
overload (request for significant physical and mental energy in
the absence of constant supervision tools for the activities) as
well as practical (difficult to move between different institutions on the same morning in the absence of own means of
transport);
– inadequate clarity with regard to the assignment formula (work
/ volunteer) and the methods of refund for the activities. This
problem was mainly encountered in the first year of work;
E.P.E. Focus # 2. The Italian Research on the Young Educator Experience
73
– the organization, if not well defined and scheduled, can have a
significant impact on people’s personal lives;
– insufficient time (4 meetings) to discuss such important topics.
— Training to be adapted to the needs of the YEs:
[…] time management — I found that frustrating.
– the scheduling of the coordination meetings was assessed as chaotic and ineffective, both in terms of timing and in terms of content. The Yes commented on the absence of an agenda that can
be consulted both in advance and in presence of the group, and
little adherence to real work needs;
– some training was planned when the workshops had already
started in some schools;
– inadequate clarity regarding who the Organisers were and what
specific roles they had. YEs needed to be able to contact key organisers based on specific needs (e.g. when they needed additional material, or when they needed to address the psychological
problems of students or encountered problems with schoolteachers).
— More experienced YEs felt they bore the bigger burden:
[…] I think that, on my part, there was also the desire to let other people who
may not have had as much experience, to take the reins and try to experiment;
however, in some crisis situations, I found myself managing the dynamics between people alone, because my less experienced partners would panic.
– if, on the one hand, the training and professional heterogeneity
of the YEs was found to be an added value, on the other hand
it led the more experienced YEs perceiving a sense of overload
when it came to coordination. Each YE worked alongside another YE in each workshop. Some pairs were made up of YEs with
different levels of experience in the project; this imbalance made
managing critical moments hard;
– the YEs who joined the project come from diverse contexts and
have difference work experiences which many not necessarily be
inherent to education;
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– The relationship with teachers not well managed. Some teachers
were completely uninterested and unsupportive. Need for better
communication between trainers and teachers in order to support the YE’s activities.
2. With regard to the training course and the subsequent work with the student
groups, do you have any operational suggestions for the future?
[…] it would be advisable to hire people who are willing to commit to the whole
3 years of the project; the same applies to the YEs.
The YEs interviewed made excellent observations and provided many ideas to deal with the problems encountered:
— effectively manage organizational/admin paying better attention
to the scheduling of the workshops in relation to the material and
emotional difficulty of the YEs in managing several workshops in a
row on the same day or on several consecutive days;
— maintain the non–formal education framework of action and enhance it by providing a greater number of activities to be carried
out in the classroom; correctly redistribute the workload over the 4
meetings. Create clear result–oriented anchoring guidelines (as for
the first year of the project);
— reduce the disparity in the workload between the most experienced
YEs, by managing and redistributing the workshops fairly and not
based on individual availability;
— try to ensure continuity in the YEs group through a more effective
and targeted selection (e.g. select university students at the beginning of their degree);
— greater punctuality and precision in scheduling training and ongoing meetings in order to meet the real needs of the YEs;
— identify specific reference figures who provide all YEs couples with
guidance following each workshop, thus allowing for a greater perception of professional support;
— make communication with the YE group effective and structured,
planning and recalibrating future projects based on the needs encountered during these three years, avoiding last–minute reports
and unsupportive meetings;
E.P.E. Focus # 2. The Italian Research on the Young Educator Experience
75
— use ongoing meetings as workshops to brainstorm: exchange ideas
relying on the creativity of the YEs and try the activities before putting them into practice;
— give clear information and basic definitions with regard to the topics
covered so that the YEs, keeping in mind the principles of non–formal education, can be supported in the conduct of communication
exchanges, even in the case of unexpected events (e.g. provocations
and aggression towards classmates). Strengthen training on processes starting with basic contents.
3. Would you recommend this project to others? Why and why not?
[…] Yes, I would definitely recommend it, because it is a truly enriching experience for both Young Educators and students, and it gives you the opportunity to
try your hand at working within a context that you might not always have the
chance to experience [… ].
[…] And also for the international aspect to it; it’s nice to see how certain issues
can develop in different ways in different countries.
It is important to stress that all 14 YEs interviewed showed a particular interest and emotional attachment to the project. All 14 would recommend
taking part into the project to:
— people who want to share and exchange something with others. It
helps those who are introverted to experiment in group relationships;
— people outside the education sector, who are interested in becoming aware of themes that are current and of social interest;
— people who wish to reach out to adolescents or who fear contact
with them;
— people who truly believe in the values of the project and in its potential for multiple recipients.
They also recommend it because:
— it is enriching, it reduces the distance between generations and facilitates interpersonal exchanges;
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— it tests the creativity of the YEs and allows for the acquisition of psychological and pedagogical skills;
— it enriches personal relationship and friendship networks with people
from completely different contexts;
— it is an international project and can create professional opportunities.
The reasons why they would not recommend participation are mainly
related to the aspects already identified as negative:
— organizational/administrative disharmony, which prevents Yes from
reconciling the project with their personal life, thus compromising
the success of a project with so much intrinsic potential;
— failure to check and to regularly check in on the requirements of the educational and motivational YEs and the teachers of the classes involved.
3) Awareness and internalization of the experience (formative and personal/relational).
4. Thinking back on the experience, what will you take home from a formative point
of view?
[…] the professional interaction with the adult teacher, the organization and the
ability to re–elaborate what has been done, understanding critical issues, errors […].
— the inclusive attitude towards others. The usefulness of working in
a team to understand and contextualize one’s mistakes and address
them in a solution–oriented way;
— work on your own soft skills and those of others (i.e., empathy and
listening skills);
— the non–formal education method and design;
— the ability to manage groups in the design, implementation and self–
assessment of the project itself through the analysis of criticalities and
strengths (SWOT analysis). Development of problem–solving skills;
— greater confidence in working with teenagers;
— creation and maintenance of a collaborative team;
— professional interaction with the adult teacher;
— experiencing communication with adolescents in a safe environment;
E.P.E. Focus # 2. The Italian Research on the Young Educator Experience
77
— curiosity and interest in the educational field;
— different perspectives on the school environment and high school in
general;
— the creation of equal, empathic, judgment–free spaces;
— collaborating with people from a different cultural background to
your own;
— communicative effectiveness.
5. From a personal/relational point of view?
[…] It put me in contact with people who are similar but different from me.
— greater awareness and ease in sharing what I think and feel;
— a new enriching group of friends;
— patience and listening skills;
— social networking and coming into contact with Turin’s cultural association landscape;
— self–awareness in building intimate and meaningful emotional relationships;
— trust in adolescents viewed as curious human being, eager to learn
and looking for a constructive exchange;
— observing one’s own personal traits in a younger version of oneself
(i.e. reflected in the teens);
— embracing intense emotions: experiencing the new and the unexpected;
— overcoming one’s difficulties and connecting with others.
4) Relations with the context and with the educational figures: investigate
the degree of collaboration and acceptance.
6. Turning now to the context in which the activities took place: did you find the
educational institution to be supportive?
6.1. What kind of relationship did you have with the school?
[…] In some schools the institution was present; other times, it was quite absent.
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The collaboration with the educational institution mainly focused on the
relationship with the teachers. The YEs were put in direct contact with the
reference teachers. In answering this question, it was possible to witness
a polarized response with regard to the teachers’ involvement: on the one
hand, total disinterest; and on the other, active participation. This polarity
is not dependent on the type of school (it occurred in all settings: high
schools, vocational colleges and middle schools). The most collaborative
teachers proposed ongoing activities in between meetings on the content
that emerged in the group discussions. This favoured the exchange and
internalization of that content. Some YEs were able to meet ‘tutors’, people chosen by the school to monitor and facilitate intergroup dynamics. In
some cases, the YEs found greater sensitivity amongst teachers responsible for scientific subjects than those who taught Humanities.
Some teachers said that, as a result of the project, they had changed
their perception of certain students in a positive way. All YEs reflected on
the need for greater control with regard to the selection of the teachers
involved in the implementation of the projects. The lack of interest on behalf of some teachers can undermine the results of the project, devaluing
it in terms of effectiveness.
5) Evaluation of the methodology: to what extent did the methodology
allow for the content (the annual theme) to emerge?
7. With regard to the evaluation of the methodology adopted, how much did it
contributed to bringing out the contents, in the years in which you participated?
7.1. Did you notice any differences between the different years?
[…] We talk about methodology, but we don’t talk about it explicitly, so you are
free to say as much as you want […] In my opinion, this methodology has been
very useful for addressing issues with teenagers, absolutely!
In general, it seems that this methodology has favoured the emergence
of the contents both in the YEs and in the students. It was defined as a
“non–scholastic” training which fostered reflection and framed the definition of the concepts and topics addressed in the three–year course. This
approach is effective amongst the adolescent age group, as it favours the
E.P.E. Focus # 2. The Italian Research on the Young Educator Experience
79
discussion of complex topics through indirect forms of communication,
such as play. By moving away from the classic lecture–style approach, the
YEs were able to observe the students. Self–narration emerged particularly in the presence of possible projections of one’s ideas onto audio, video
and photographic media.
Despite this, it was possible to detect differences in terms of functionality over the years and in various class contexts. In the presence of instances of social marginalization and problems within the groups, the more
experienced YEs perceived emotional and cognitive overload due to the
absence of alternative tools, lack of experience in the field and clearly–defined contents. The first year was highly formative in spite of the difficulty of the topic: identity. During the upstream and ongoing trainings, the
activities were tested in groups before being presented to the classes. This
favoured the YEs in terms of confidence in the methodology. The second
year was very different, as YEs had to bring their creativity into the mix.
Lastly, the third year would have provided for even greater involvement on behalf of the students in the implementation of the activities,
but this was not possible to the closure of schools enforced by the restrictions related to Covid–19. We chose to use social channels to continue the
project, but the experience was not viewed as beneficial, neither by the
YEs nor by the students. It was difficult to communicate with the teachers; therefore, YEs and students clearly perceived the lack of a clear organizational structure within the project.
6) In–depth analysis and Covid–19: Detecting whether the YEs have internalized the need to think about ‘context’ and the fact that each method,
tool and content must be adapted to a context (i.e., class typology, quality of class group dynamics, historical vicissitudes) and not vice–versa.
8. Do you think that the work tools acquired during the training were adaptable
to each class group in the same way?
[…] in terms of the first year, yes. The following years we addressed issues such
as discrimination and violence so […] we had to be a little more delicate in carrying out certain activities. In the first year, the activities were more flexible and
we were less likely to probe wounds, let’s say, less likely to probe the kids’ weak
spots.
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All YEs maintain that the work tools are dynamic in of themselves, and that
they encourage the emergence of contents. At the same time, despite the
methodology’s adaptability to various class groups, it would have been preferable to have direct experience of all the tools in order to be able to grasp
their different features and enhance their potential benefits. The greatest
difficulties in adapting the tools were encountered in vocational schools.
What also emerged was the need for more support in between meetings in order to analyse the content that emerged in class and steer subsequent meetings in a useful way. This is where the individuality and expertise of the YEs, as well as the ability of the two YEs to work together,
makes a difference. Greater difficulty was experienced by those who have
no background experience in the sector and have weak creative skills.
9. Covid–19. As a result of the restrictions brought in due to the pandemic, were
you able to continue your activities with the students? And if so, how and
what were the results?
[…] Personally, I did not create any videos either for my personal needs during
this period […] or because maybe I didn’t believe so much in this approach.
On an international level, the project kept activities going by publishing
photo and video content on the Instagram pages of the YEs and of the
project itself. The content related to specific themes and days of international debate on topics such as the environment, sexuality, and violence.
Almost all YEs encountered difficulties in using this very individual and
personal mode. The emotional sensitivity and privacy of the individual seemed to no longer be protected outside the physical context of the
school. The Covid–19 experience also had an enormous impact on the
daily lives of individuals, and required greater efforts in reconciling study,
work and time to devote to the project; furthermore, the latter was no
longer framed by set times in a classroom; instead, participants were having to find time to focus on it at home.
Final Considerations
Each interview generated frank, verbalizable answers as well as a series
of implicit messages. The YEs involved in the interview gave very sim-
E.P.E. Focus # 2. The Italian Research on the Young Educator Experience
81
ilar responses when detecting both the strengths and criticalities of the
project. Below are the final considerations, organized according to the
sub–sections of the interview. They clearly show the implicit and explicit
requests of the YEs.
2) General evaluation of the experience: detection of the positive and
negative aspects of the experience.
All YEs rated the experience positively and would recommend it to
all those interested in working in adolescent educational contexts as well
as working with social issues which are so important for the life of each
and every individual. The project was defined as a training and professionalizing experience. It allowed them to work on themselves and improve individual aspects of introversion–extroversion. This was favoured
by the non–formal educational approach, which seems to have produced
autonomy and to have fostered experiences of self–efficacy in the planning and implementation of specific interventions with class groups. The
YEs were able to experiment with group work and enhance the effectiveness of teamwork in order to support and control individual dynamics.
Reflecting on the negative aspects, the YEs interviewed highlighted some
criticalities with regard to the organization and training coordination that
led to some cognitive/emotional overload amongst the YEs, especially the
more experienced ones in the cohort. It is important to remember that the
YE sample was selected on the basis of affiliation with the Turin association network, and that no previous educational experience was required.
There was, therefore, heterogeneity in the YE’s application to participate
in the project, in terms of prior experience and exposure to the topics of
the project. This heterogeneity favoured the development of individual
interpersonal bonds and the creation of a rich and enriching YE group.
At the same time, it directed the YEs towards highlighting the need for a
better structure in organizational terms and also in terms of the support
they received. From reading the responses and operational suggestions, it
is clear that there is an important need for external support, both in terms
of support and protection for the YEs; they need a space in which to voice
their concerns and insecurities and any other issues that stem from working with issues which are so impactful and emotionally charged, such as
identity, violence and discrimination.
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Taking into account the aforementioned premises, it is possible to
identify 4 explicit requests on behalf of the YEs with regard to the critical
issues:
1. spread the workshops several days apart and possibly every other
week. This is suggested in order to avoid the emotional overload
connected to carrying out certain activities, to allow for the processing and internalization of said activities, and to facilitate movement
of YEs from one establishment to another;
2. organize a training plan upstream of the ongoing meetings with a
clear scheduling which offers YEs continuous support and guidance;
3. organize the evening training sessions as idea workshops in which
to think about the activities to perform in class and be able to test
them before the real class sessions (this approach was well–structured and successful in the first year of the project);
4. provide entry–level training for YEs who take over the group after
the project has already started. This is in order to ensure an equal
distribution of responsibilities and to avoid the more experienced
YEs feeling overloaded.
With respect to point 4, the YEs were allowed to take part in only some
of the project and abandon it for personal reasons (work, study, etc.) at
the end of the ongoing project year. If this occurred, the YE was replaced
through a new public call for applicants. The newcomers were not offered
any ad hoc training, but they did receive integration and group learning.
The importance of group experimentation and learning was not understood by the more experienced YEs, who reported a perception of overload, especially in emergency situations in the workshops.
3) Awareness and internalization of the experience (formative and personal/relational).
This section examines the level of awareness and internalization of the
experience, which is one of the key aspects for evaluating effectiveness in
psychological terms. Being aware and internalizing an experience of this
magnitude is an integral part of the experience itself and determines the
quality of the mental representations and memories that it can conjure
E.P.E. Focus # 2. The Italian Research on the Young Educator Experience
83
up. The answers gathered support a certain ability for internalization on
behalf of the YEs, thus reaffirming the richness of the formative and relational content of the project.
From a formative point of view, new skills emerge such as working
with one’s own soft skills and those of others (empathy and listening
skills), the creation of an equal and non–judgmental work setting as well
as collaboration with the multiple project participants (teachers, educators, educational institutions, and YE teams). This enrichment was framed
both by the approach of non–formal education (which fostered autonomy, self–evaluation, and planning) and by a three–year project which was
being continuously co–constructed in a dynamic way.
From a personal point of view, however, the intense emotions evoked
by the memories and images of the workshop experiences emerge. The
YE also mentioned that they have enriched their network with meaningful friendships and of having acquired awareness and self–confidence in
the possibility of building intimate emotional relationships, overcoming
their own difficulties through exchanges with the other.
4) Relations with the context and with the educational figures: investigate
the degree of collaboration and acceptance.
The YEs worked in the various schools selected for the implementation of the project. They were present in middle and high schools. Their
presence in the schools was organized according to scheduling that the
YEs and the school teaching staff agreed to. Their workshops took place
only once this was defined and there tended to be little communication
between YEs and schoolteachers prior to the workshops. This is extremely important to keep in mind when reflecting on the responses provided
by the YEs in terms of “context”, as their relationship with the institution
was in actual fact represented by their interactions with the teachers and
the project coordinators. The YEs interviewed highlighted a polarized approach on behalf of the teachers, who were either extremely interested or
extremely disinterested in the project.
1. Establish intra–project reference coordinators who can hold space
for the two YEs at the end of a classroom workshop and allow them
to debrief.
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2. Build an organization chart of the key coordinators of the project,
providing e–mail, mobile phone and specificity of their role as well
as what requests can be addressed to them.
3. With the help of the school management, make a more selective
choice of the classes to be involved in the project, taking into consideration the level of motivation and involvement. Organize an informative event explaining the aims and methods of the project, so
as to inform stakeholders in advance and, as a result, facilitate the
intervention of the YEs in the classes.
If we take the reflections highlighted in section 2 and the suggestions
reported in this section, it is possible to see the criticalities highlighted
by the YEs in terms of defining the context. Point 7 clearly represents
a utopian perspective of the actual possibilities of an exchange with the
institutions as well as an idealized representation of the communicative
background that can exist in the presence of a European project and its
management team. It is interesting to reflect on this, and especially on
what the YEs themselves identify as a reference “context”, rather than as
an implementation “context”.
Perhaps, this says something about the YEs’ perception of their own
role, that is, they see themselves as trainers in training rather than expert
educators. We will touch upon this reflection in the general conclusions.
5) Evaluation of the methodology: to what extent did the methodology
allow for the content (the annual theme) to emerge?
The non–formal education methodology was widely well–received by
the YEs. It presents itself as a “non–scholastic” training approach and has
transformed the way in which the YEs interacted with the students, that
is, it created a non–judgmental space in which everyone can share feelings
and thoughts as equals. This approach does away with the frontal–lecture
style of traditional lessons and instead promotes a more welcoming and
inclusive communicative space which allows the YEs to observe the students. The self–narration is co–constructed through game and through
the projection of the self onto external means (audio, video, and photographs). The YEs support this educational approach, and encourage the
following:
E.P.E. Focus # 2. The Italian Research on the Young Educator Experience
85
1. Continue to use the non–formal education approach and strengthen it by providing the YEs with guides who can provide both basic
training in terms of the contents dealt with (a sort of ‘guidance
compass’), and a range of alternative activities which can be adapted to varied class groups.
2. If the intention is to encourage the creativity and autonomy of YEs
from year to year, it is important to offer spaces and places in which
they can test ideas in the presence of their trainers.
3. Train the YEs on how to communicate with the groups in the event
of difficult exchanges. Brainstorm a series of problematic interactions which may arise with the students and think of ways to restore
and salvage said interactions.
In point 7 specifically, the YEs unanimously call for procedural training.
They need to be equipped with tools they can use in emergency situations
caused by dysfunctional relational dynamics of certain classes. These requests for help can be linked to the implicit requests for the better definition of a “context”, as reported in sub–areas 2 and 3. A certain awareness
of the method and its enhancement as a vehicle for the end goals (raising
awareness amongst adolescents and YEs) has emerged.
6) In–depth analysis and Covid–19: Detecting whether the YEs have internalized the need to think about ‘context’ and the fact that each method,
tool and content must be adapted to a context (i.e., class typology, quality of class group dynamics, historical vicissitudes) and not vice–versa.
Most YEs believe that the tools are flexible, dynamic and, therefore,
adaptable to different class contexts. Nevertheless, some argue that the
YEs’ expertise and creative ability also came into play. All showed a certain awareness of the method and, therefore of the tools, also in terms of
adaptability to the class group and the quality of the internal relations.
The limitations imposed by the health emergency prevented the continuation of in–class interactions, and consequently the use of the same
tools. The European Union welcomed the possibility of converting the
face–to–face activities into online activities, without imposing a specific
structure and allowing all partners full autonomy. In Turin and Collegno,
the decision was made to continue promoting videotaped content (cre-
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ated by both YEs and students) through the official Instagram pages of
the project. This decision was not well–received by the YEs, who were
already overwhelmed by academic and professional commitments online
and dealing with the changes which occurred in their family lives due to
Covid. The perception of individual boundaries was completely distorted
and the feasibility of the project in virtual mode was questioned.
In Conclusion
On the basis of the reflections that emerged in the various sections, it
is clear that YEs need ‘reference figures’, guides they can rely on when
they have queries or doubts. The mean age of the YEs is 24.31 years. It
is important to reflect on the fact that this cohort is at an important developmental stage of their lives: the cohort is predominantly made up of
university students who are still economically and psychologically bound
to their family. Their professional identity is beginning to form through
the experiences they have on the project and their identity is undergoing
a transformation (they are becoming independent adults) and they are
starting to experience a separation (from their context of origin/family).
If, on the one hand, they require and seek trust and autonomy, on the
other hand they need to be able to count on a stable, rooted support network. The answers they have provided in this interview convey negative
feelings of inadequacy and anguish, but also positivity connected to the
perception that they are acquiring more responsibility. The YEs are volunteers and they hide behind this identity when they encounter difficult situations or circumstances where emotions are heightened. Furthermore,
the school and the trainers of the project are seen by the YEs as the ‘container’ in which they can place their emotions, insecurities and difficulties,
and from whom they can obtain support. Sometimes, though, in a project
of this magnitude, what often happens is that neither ‘container’ is truly
supportive.
The interviews collected denounce the lack of structured support on
behalf of the trainers. As reported in the operational suggestions (numbered from 1 to 10 and divided into sub–sections in the interview), the
YEs require the clear structure of an operational chart, in which the roles
of the staff involved are clearly specified and defined. The request is for
a more structured spatial–temporal framework within such a large and
dispersive work group. This request was also sought out in the school
E.P.E. Focus # 2. The Italian Research on the Young Educator Experience
87
context; schools, however, were ambivalent in terms of acceptance and
understanding in this sense.
During a meeting attended by the Municipality of Turin, some of the
YEs interviewed underlined a series of potential discrepancies with regard
to the problems encountered by the YEs and those highlighted by the
organization (SFEP and the Municipality of Turin). In addition, what was
discussed was also the way the YEs and the organizational structure conceived the institutions differently. While YEs tend to refer exclusively to
teachers, the organization takes into consideration the entire institution
(management, administration, Piedmont Region, etc.). If the first is inclined towards a bottom–up analysis, the other is in favour of a top–down
problem analysis.
Underlining the main objective of the European project, which is to
increase awareness among young people aged between 11 and 30 years of
European and extra–European forms of violence and discrimination, we
highlight that the YEs are considered a Target Group too and therefore
recipients of the project itself. Identity is one of the issues addressed in
the annual projects and it is the identity of the YEs that is significantly
transformed by the design experience. This can help us to reflect in terms
of future applicability and in terms of choosing the YE sample itself. The
selection and dissemination criteria of the call defined by the European
Project, is as follows:
Applicants must:
— be between 19 and 29 years of age;
— have carried out social and voluntary work in youth associations
active in their area;
— provide a resume;
— indicate their specific interest in the themes of the project;
— possess relational skills;
— possess language skills.
The European Union asked the partners to disseminate the call publicly, at no cost to the project, together with the selection criteria and the
description of the activities envisaged by the R&C. In order to fulfil the
selection criterion pertaining to previous experience of voluntary work,
Italy disseminated the call through the Turin association network. Despite the specification of a suitable resume, no strict selection criteria was
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applied. Interests and relational and linguistic skills were deemed more
important than professional skills. It was risky to allow for people with
little or not strictly related professional experience to join, and this was
subsequently pointed by in negative terms by those interviewed (e.g. more
experienced YEs felt overwhelmed emotionally, cognitively and socially).
Being able to interview YEs was a meaningful experience. The communicative ability of the YEs and their direct involvement in the project made
it possible to identify implicit and non–verbalizable feedback in the interview. Generally speaking, the interview was considered an opportunity to exchange and internalize the three–year experience that was not
completed the way it had initially been planned due to Covid–19. As described above, according to the YEs, the decision to remove any direct
interactions in the workshops and to replace it solely with the publication
of online content was a questionable choice. They would have liked to
have continued in alternative ways (e.g. the continuation of the workshops
electronically). The overall reflection is the need to take into account the
difficulties through the lens of the YEs rather than through the lens of the
adults (i.e. the institution or organization).
The nature of the many social relations which characterize a project
structured over three years is in of itself changeable and unpredictable.
It is important to take into account the contingent factors of variability by monitoring and implementing a supporting organizational and administrative structure that is also adaptable to any changes in role. The
evaluation of individual experiences highlights the importance of taking
into account the needs of the entire target group (schoolchildren and YE)
involved in a project which touches upon sensitive issues and which has
such high emotional and transformative potential. The evaluation also
highlights the importance of a welcoming and safe space for YEs to discuss vulnerable and unpredictable content.
Part III
THE RESEARCH PROJECT
Introduction
One of the outcomes envisaged by the R&C project entails context analysis Reports drafted during the first and third year of the project. These
Reports were drafted by purposely contracted researchers, or better,
by specialized researchers from universities and research centres of the
different territories involved in the project. The first–year reports (concluded in September 2018) had the goal of analysing the initial situation
of discrimination and violence in the territories involved in the project,
whereas third–year reports (concluded in September 2020) aimed to assess
the results achieved by R&C from the point of view of local policies impact. Focusing on the second round of Reports, this Section is intended to
present 9 research abstracts from the 9 researchers involved in the project
(one per country). These abstracts aim to summarize (in approximately 5
pages per partner) the context analysis reports drafted in the third year of
the project. In this way, each abstract presents how decision–makers have
faced intolerance and inequalities in their territories over the past 3 years,
inter alia by means of legislative reforms, case–law, local interventions and
the development of good practices on behalf of public institutions. Indeed, each abstract assesses the most relevant initiatives (mainly positive
actions)1 implemented both at the national and local level, involving institutions, territorial bodies, citizens, particularly youths, and schools.
The cross–cutting themes are (i) gender and (ii) migration, more precisely
discrimination and violence based on gender and for reasons of migration. Accordingly, the research abstracts are structured in the following
way: firstly, an introduction which generally presents the domestic legal
1. Defined by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) as “all measures to
increase the participation of particular groups in certain spheres of economic, political or social
activity, in which those groups are regarded as underrepresented”, in The Benefits of Positive Action,
Thematic Discussion Paper, Vienna, 2008, available at https://fra.europa.eu/sites/default/files/
fra_uploads/220-FRA_thematicpaper_positiveaction_ICMPD_en.pdf.
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order (including its constitutional system, centralized or decentralized
governance, territorial autonomous powers and supranational — binding
— legal sources protecting and promoting equality); secondly, a specific analysis of gender–based violence and discrimination in the territory
concerned; thirdly, a specific analysis of discrimination and violence for
reasons of migration in the territory concerned. Each abstract gives equal
attention to the two cross–cutting themes, by showing national and (if
possible) local data and statists on gender and migration issues, then, illustrating latest legislative interventions in both fields, and, finally, presenting recent local policies aiming at achieving substantive (de facto) equality.
Lastly, each abstract is followed by a short bibliography. It does not entail
a comprehensive list of references, but it is an indicative bibliography displaying the main relevant sources, websites and databases used to write
the context analysis report.
Research abstracts are followed by a final comparative analysis, which
represents not only an additional research output in the context of the
R&C project, but also an additional commitment of the City of Turin,
as project leader. In fact, in order to draft this final research outcome, the
City has developed further collaboration with the University of Turin and
CIRSDe (the Research Centre for Women’s and Gender Studies). The final comparative analysis is intended to (critically) present different public
policies and territorial interventions against discrimination and violence.
It ultimately aims to share best practices and inspire future positive actions for the promotion of social inclusion and citizen participation.
Building the “Recognize and Change” Culture
ISBN 979-12-5994-029-2
DOI 10.53136/97912599402928
pp. 93-100 (March 2021)
Tackling Discrimination and Violence in the R&C Territories
The Experience of Fortaleza (Brazil)
Robson Torres Bandeira
in collaboration with Diego Carneiro, Suiany Moraes and Otilia Barros*
Introductory Overview
Brazil is a federal republic, which is based on the principle of decentralized
governance. The State of Cereá represents one of the 27 federal states of
Brazil and the city of Fortaleza is its capital.
In recent years, the amount of news related to hate crimes has grown,
especially as a result of extreme right ideology and the polarization between conservative and liberal views. The main reasons why these crimes
are committed are ethnicity, country of origin, sexual orientation, gender
identity, religion, ideology, and social condition. Normally, these crimes
are based on pre–existing inequalities which are perpetuated for years due
to social and cultural mechanisms.
In this context, the most significant prejudice crimes are linked to race, gender and homophobia; these crimes deserved more attention from society
and the public administration. According to the Hate Map, Brazil registered 12.098 cases of hate crimes in 2018, 70.47% of them motivated by
racial prejudice, 17.9% based on the sexual orientation of the victims, and
9.43% related to gender prejudice. 9.71% of all cases resulted in homicide.
This intentional hateful violence particularly victimizes black men, the
LGBT community and women, according to the Violence Atlas (2019). In
reference to racial prejudice, the Disque 100 service, a channel of the Ministry of Women, Family and Human Rights (MMFDH) for the denouncement of human rights violations, states that discrimination was the most
significant type of violation registered in the 2015–2019 period (97.73% of all
records). Furthermore, in 27.66% of these cases of discrimination, there
was also psychological violence. In most of the cases, discrimination is
Robson Torres Bandeira, coordinator of the Youth Development Unit at the Municipality
of Fortaleza, in collaboration with Diego Carniero, PhD in Policy Evaluation Consultant, Suiany
Moraes, PhD candidate in Sociology at the Federal University of Ceará (UFC) and researcher at the
Laboratory of Studies of Violence (LEV/UFC), Otilia Barros, Administrative Lawyer.
*
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racial or ethnically motivated and results in bullying, humiliation, harassment and persecution. Many of the victims are aged 15 to 30 (31.92%), are
black or brown (72.94%), are female (48.85%).
Despite the abovementioned landscape, the Brazilian Constitution
(1988) enshrines equality as one of its core values. According to Art. 5 “Everybody is equal before the law, without distinction of any kind, with the
inviolable guarantee of the rights of life, freedom, equality, security and
property, for Brazilian and resident foreigners”. And there are many legislative measures in force as to promote equality and to protect victims
from discrimination.
In terms of federal legislation, it is worth mentioning Law no. 12.288/2010,
which instituted the Statute of Racial Equality, and Law no. 11.340/2006,
known as The Maria da Penha Law, which created mechanisms to tackle
domestic and family violence against women. Concerning local legislative
measures, there is Law 9.956/2012, which established the Municipal Plan of
Racial Equality Promotion Polices, in Fortaleza. But there is no local law related to protecting women who are victims of violence (everything is based
on the Maria da Penha Federal Law). These legislative measures support
the victims of racial discrimination and gender violence, while helping to
make equal opportunities a reality. However, what is missing is an adequate
investment in educational activities that can promote a sense of equality
and reduce the differences expressed by discriminatory issues.
Discrimination and Violence Based on Gender
Violence in general, and in particular violence based on gender, is a major
aspect of daily life in the city of Fortaleza, in the state of Ceará and in
Brazil as a whole.
In 2017, the state of Ceará had the highest youth homicide rate among
Brazilian states, at approximately 140 for every 100 thousand inhabitants.
In this context, violence against women has also gained representation.
There was a 176.9% increase in the number of women murdered in Ceará
(about 87% of them were black) from 2007 to 2017. Such data presents the
persistent racial element in the context of violence against women and
makes certain women doubly vulnerable. There was also an increase in
domestic homicides which entailed the use of firearms.
The situation for the LGBT population is even worse because of the absence of legal remedies for victims of violence and discrimination. More
The Experience of Fortaleza (Brazil)
95
precisely, crimes against the LGBT community are often not reported as
homophobic/transphobic offences but as “common” crimes. However,
despite this problem, there is an increase in violence, especially after 2016,
with the following general characteristics: more than 70% of the perpetrators are male, more than 90% of homicides occur in urban areas, 60%
affect single individuals and most victims are female. According to Disque
100, between 2011 and 2019, there were 634 reports of crimes against the
LGBT population in the state of Ceará, of which 34.22% are related to
discrimination, 19.26% physical violence and 37.58% psychological violence. The sexual orientation and gender identity of the victims are the
main reasons for this violence, and they translate to bodily injury, mistreatment, threats, humiliation and homicide. An overview of the victims
appoints that 41.11% are aged 15 to 30, 34.66% are black or brown, and
51.44% are male.
The 2019 Report of the Gays da Bahia Group shows that the North–
East Region accounts for the highest number of LGBT violent deaths in
Brazil (35.56%). The state of Ceará is the 6th in the same ranking, comparatively with other Brazilian states (6.08% of the cases). The main victims of LGBT violence in Brazil are gay people (52.89%) and transvestites
(27.05%). It is important to highlight that, before suffering a violent death,
these people are subjected to many “symbolic deaths” caused by the hateful
discrimination and violence, which makes them more vulnerable to marginalisation.
Due to this dramatic situation, new legal provisions have been created to
protect women and LGBT people on the three governmental levels, namely:
— Federal measures, aimed at exacerbating the punishment for aggressors, as well as promoting their rehabilitation through psychosocial
monitoring (Laws 13.931 / 2019 and 13.984 / 2020); Initiatives to establish specific homophobic criminal offences, both for physical injuries and homicides when they are triggered by the victim’s transsexuality and / or sexual orientation (Project–of–Law 3.453 / 2019).
— State (Ceará) measures, mainly to highlight the fight against gender
and LGBT violence, publicizing the tools to report these crimes and
adding public initiatives and events dedicated to raising awareness
(Laws 16.892/2019, 16.935/2019, 16.962/2019 and 17.062/2019).
— Municipal (Fortaleza) measures as to offer additional rights to the
LGBT population, mainly by guaranteeing symbolic rights, such as
the official use of the chosen name for lesbians, gays, transvestites,
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transsexuals, and intersex people in school records (CME Resolution n. 13/2016).
In addition to these legislative measures, a series of judgements have
been issued in favour of expanding the legal remedies for victims of gender discrimination and violence. For example, the Supreme Court has
recognized that “homotransphobic practices qualify as a form of racism,
insofar as such conduct matters in acts of segregation that lower members
of the LGBTI+ group, due to their sexual orientation or gender identity”
(judgment on ADO no. 26/DF).
Moreover, there are public actions and programs aimed at preventing
violence, expanding reporting tools and providing assistance to victims.
On a national level, the creation of the Observatory of Women against
Violence (OMV) in 2019, and, at the local level, the Municipal Observatory for Mapping Gender Violence, both created with the goal of gathering data and conduct research on domestic violence against women and
LGBT people.
This commitment is particularly relevant in Fortaleza, whose City Hall
has an exclusive secretariat for Human Rights and Social Development
(SDHDS), with three specific delegations dedicated to minority groups: Public
Policies for Women, Racial Equality, and Sexual Diversity. There is also
the Special Coordination of Public Policies for Youth (CEPPJ) and its CUCAs (Urban Centres of Culture, Art, Science and Sports), which carry out
positive actions (empowerment and emancipation) and improve possibilities for young people in circumstances of vulnerability through training
courses, workshops, sports practices, the promotion of health, citizenship, human rights, communication, entrepreneurship, cultural dissemination and creative economy activities.
The CUCA network has promoted events and campaigns that deal
with sexual diversity and the prevention of gender, LGBT and racial–based
violence, such as the Young Action program, the Mente Livre CUCA Crespa
campaign (to promote Afro–Brazilian culture and, especially, equal rights
for black women), the celebration of the Municipal Day for the Visibility
of Transvestites and Transsexuals, and the campaign Mulheres de Todas
as Cores / Women of all colours (which entails public debates, meetings,
activities, scenic and cinematic shows to promote equal rights and to fight
violence against women).
Other relevant local positive actions to promote equality and protect
women victims of violence are: 1) Reference Centre to Assist Women in Sit-
The Experience of Fortaleza (Brazil)
97
uation of Violence – CRM Francisca Clotilde (funded by our local public administration), which offers shelter to women in situations of violence
resulting from domestic and family inequality of gender (psychological,
sexual, physical, moral and patrimonial violence), sexual violence (abuse
and exploitation), institutional violence, moral harassment and women
trafficking; 2) Casa da Mulher Brasileira / House of the Brazilian Woman –
Fortaleza Unit (a Federal program that is managed by the State Government of Ceará in Fortaleza), which is a public space that offers specialized
and multi–professional support services to take care of women who are
victims of violence, by providing psychosocial support, promoting women’s autonomy and empowerment; and, 3) Ceará Women’s Forum (FCM),
a feminist political movement (NGO) that participates in national and local political decisions stimulating the governmental formulation of public
policies for women.
Discrimination and Violence Based on Migration
The Brazilian legal system defines the concept of ‘migrant’, ‘refugee’
and/or ‘asylum seeker’. Federal law 13.445/2017, called “The Law of Migration”, describes the following concepts:
— Immigrant: a person from a foreign country or stateless who works
or lives temporary or permanently in Brazil.
— Emigrant: a Brazilian inhabitant who temporarily or permanently
makes residence in a foreign country.
It also defines visitors (tourists), stateless people (according to Stateless’ Statute from 1954, proclaimed by decree 4.246/2002), and border residents. In the case of specific legislation for refugees and asylum seekers, there
is Law 9.474/1997 which recognizes as a refugee:
— A person without nationality (stateless) or who left his own country
to escape from persecutions based on race, religious, nationality,
social group or politics opinions.
— A person that was forced to leave his own country due to serious
and generalized violations of human rights, and claims refuge in
another country.
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Brazilian legal order respects supranational obligations in the field of migration and asylum law. This can be confirmed by analysing both Law
13.445/2017 (art. 46) and Law 9.474/1997 (arts. 4, 5, 6, 12, 18, 48). Additionally, Brazilian Constitution establishes the right to political asylum
in its 4th article, item X: “The Federative Republic of Brazil governs its
international relations by the following principles: […] X – Concession of
political asylum”. Besides defining the conditions for asylum, such legal
framework intends to guarantee to all immigrants access to fundamental
rights, as well as the possibility of regularization in the country, particularly to those who arrive from countries affected by wars or climate disaster,
or even people persecuted for their political opinions, racial situation, or
religious beliefs in their country of origin.
It can be said that Brazil has a long history in receiving immigrants, whose
descendants even constitute a relevant part of the Brazilian population
itself. An illustration of Brazil’s tolerant approach to immigration is the high
number of foreigners domiciled in Brazil, about 750,000 according to data
from the Federal Police. In terms of refugees, 11,231 people in this situation were recognized by Brazilian government up to December 2018
(mainly from Syria, 51%), and 161,057 requests for the recognition of the
condition of refugee were in process (80,057 requested in 2018 alone,
mainly from people from Venezuela, who account for 77%).
Despite being considered a welcoming country for foreigners, the recent crisis in Venezuela has placed significant stress on our traditional institutes, since, on the one hand, there is a new humanitarian character in
this migratory movement, and, on the other hand, it exerts significant
pressure on the public services, in particular, on the municipalities on the
North–East border, located in the state of Roraima. In order to address
this challenge, the Federal government has restricted the entry of Venezuelans
in Roraima and sought to distribute the incoming migrants among other Brazilian states. 61,681 requests for the recognition of the refugee status were
issued in 2018; among the states with the highest acceptance records we
have: Roraima (49,900 or 81%), Amazonas (9,703 or 15.7%) and São Paulo
(636 or 1.03%). Ceará registered 323 requests, which represents 0.52% of
the total requests made by Venezuelans in 2018.
According to national surveys, carried out by the Brazilian Institute of
Geography and Statistics (IBGE) between 2014 and 2015, 61.8% of residents of Brazilian municipalities are native to these locations, while 38,
2% are not. In this regard, the Central–West region stands out as having the largest number of non–natural individuals in its municipalities. In
The Experience of Fortaleza (Brazil)
99
Ceará, the data shows a greater internal migration, with the displacement
occurring between the municipalities, where 72.1% are natural and another 27.9% are not natural. The migration of individuals from other federal
units is still low, representing only 4.2% of non–natural persons residing
in the state.
In general, discrimination against immigrants in Brazil is closely associated
with economic inequalities, such as unequal access to the labour market,
predominating in the wealthier regions, which are the main destinations
of these migratory flows (both for those who enter the country legally and for illegal immigrants). This process is intensified due to the low
schooling profile of international immigrants, who, accordingly, compete
for less qualified vacancies, accepting lower wages and/or worse working
conditions, when compared to local residents (Brazilians).
Despite receiving a low number of immigrants/refugees every year,
the City of Fortaleza has a strategy: the City welcomes these people to a
public residence called Centro–Dia in order to guarantee minimum life
conditions for all (habitation, food and safety) while collaborating with
other public services (public administration, judiciary system and non–
state associations). Recently, the Ceará State Government’s Secretariat for
Social Protection, Justice, Citizenship, Women and Human Rights (SPS)
has been promoting the social and labour inclusion of immigrants in the
framework of the State Program for Migrant, Refugee and fighting Human
Trafficking. In the first half of 2020 ( January to June), 840 migrants from
Venezuela, Colombia, Cuba, Haiti, Cape Verde, Guiné Bissau and other
nations attended this program. They came to Ceará (Fortaleza, in particular) and are now looking for a job opportunity.
Indicative Bibliography
Amarl Filho J. et. al. (ed.), Ceará 2050’s Report: together thinking about the future,
2018.
Brazilian Ministry of Justice, National Surveys of Penitentiary Information,
http://dados.mj.gov.br/dataset/infopen-levantamento-nacional-de-informa
coes-penitenciarias.
Brazilian Ministry of Women, Family and Human Rights, Casa da Mulher Brasileira arrives in Ceará for support in facing violence, 2018, https://www.gov.br/
mdh/pt-br/assuntos/noticias/2018/dezembro/casa-da-mulher-brasileirachega-ao-ceara-para-apoio-no-enfrentamento-da-violencia.
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Robson Torres Bandeira
Brazilian Ministry of Women, Family and Human Rights, Balanço anual: Ligue
180 recebe mais de 92 mil denúncias de violações contra mulheres, 2019, https://
www.gov.br/mdh/pt-br/assuntos/noticias/2019/agosto/balanco-anualligue-180-recebe-mais-de-92-mil-denuncias-de-violacoes-contra-mulheres.
Centre for the Defence of Children and Adolescents (CEDECA), Ceará,
http://cedecaceara.org.br/site/.
City Hall of Fortaleza, official website, https://www.fortaleza.ce.gov.br/.
Federal University of Rio de Janeiro & National Youth Secretariat, LGBT
Youth Diagnosis: diagnosis of Brazilian youth and propositions of strategic actions,
2018, available at https://social.mg.gov.br/images/Direitos_humanos/coor
denadoria_politica_dos_direitos_da_juventude/Diagn%C3%B3stico%20
da%20Juventude%20LGBT+.pdf.
Institute for Applied Economic Research (IPEA) & Public Security Brazilian
Forum, Atlas of Violence, 2019, available at https://www.ipea.gov.br/atlasvio
lencia/download/19/atlas-da-violencia-2019.
Institute for Research and Economic Strategy of Ceará (IPECE), State Government of Ceará, https://www.ipece.ce.gov.br/.
Legislative Assembly of Ceará & UNICEF, Comitê Cearense pela Prevenção de
Homicídios na Adolescência, 2020, https://cadavidaimporta.com.br/.
Mota G., Cartography of Crime and Violence in Fortaleza, State University of Ceará,
Federal University of Ceará & City Hall of Fortaleza, 2010.
Muggah R. & Pellegrino A.P., Prevention of youth violence in Brazil: an analysis of
what works, Igarapé Institute and United Nations Population Fund UNFPA, 2020,
https://brazil.unfpa.org/pt-br/publications/preven%C3%A7%C3%A3o-da-vi
ol%C3%AAncia-juvenil-no-brasil-uma-an%C3%A1lise-do-que-funciona.
National Youth Secretariat, Imprisonment Map: the youth of Brazil, (2015), available at available at https://nacoesunidas.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/
Mapa_do_Encarceramento_-_Os_jovens_do_brasil.pdf.
National Youth Secretariat, Young Vulnerability to Violence Index, 2017,
https://forumseguranca.org.br.
Presidency of the Brazilian Republic, Law No. 12,852, of 5th August 2013, Youth
Statute, http://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/_Ato2011-2014/2013/Lei/
L12852.htm.
State of Ceará, Committee for Adolescent’s Homicides Prevention & Legislative Assembly of Ceará, Every Life Matters: Final Report of State Committee for
Adolescent’s Homicides Prevention, 2016, available at https://cadavidaimporta.
com.br/publicacoes/relatorio-final-cada-vida-importa/.
Waiselfisz J.J., Map of Violence: the Brazilian youth, 2014.
Building the “Recognize and Change” Culture
ISBN 979-12-5994-029-2
DOI 10.53136/97912599402929
pp. 101-107 (March 2021)
Tackling Discrimination and Violence in the R&C Territories
The Experience of Burgas and Ruse (Bulgaria)
Mihail Fenerov
in collaboration with Apostol Stoichev*
Introductory Overview
The formation process of the contemporary legal system of Bulgaria
starts with the liberation of the country from the political dominion of
the Ottomans in 1878. It is symbolized by the adoption of the first Bulgarian constitution — the Turnovo Constitution — signed on 16 April 1879,
a founding document upholding the most progressive and democratic
principles seen in Europe in the nineteenth century. Today, the modern
Bulgarian legal system is influenced by two very important factors: the
democratization and liberalization of the country’s economy, which started
after the fall of the Communist regime in 1989, on the one hand, and the
accession of Bulgaria to the European Union, on the other. The Bulgarian legal system has evolved through a profound and strictly monitored process
in order to achieve full compliance with the acquis communautaire. In 2007,
Bulgaria acceded to the Union and, today, the country is an EU member
State and EU legislation is an integral part of the Bulgarian legal system.
Bulgaria is a parliamentary democracy in which the prime minister is the
head of government and holds the most powerful executive position. The
political system has three branches — legislative, executive, and judicial
— with universal suffrage for citizens aged 18 and over. The Constitution
also provides possibilities of direct democracy, namely petitions and national referenda.
In the Bulgarian Constitution, Article 6 affirms that each person is equal
before the law. It is forbidden to restrict rights and allow privileges based
on race, nationality, ethnicity, gender, origin, religion, education, disability, political orientation, personal and community state or property
status. However, in Bulgaria there are no specialized national programs
*
Mihail Fenerov, contracted researcher by Delphi Association for strategic management (in
the city of Burgas), in collaboration with Apostol Stoichev.
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for preventing and eradicating discrimination. In this context, the only
operative program is the “Human resource development” (2014–2020),
financed by the European Social Fund. According to Priority Axis 2, the
main investment priority concerns “Integration of marginalized communities as Roma” and implies the “Development of local communities and
overcoming negative stereotypes”, as a preventive approach against discrimination and marginalization.
In 2003, the Parliament approved the first Equality Law as to introduce legal remedies against discrimination. The law is still in force today;
it regulates protection against all forms of discrimination and helps to
prevent it (ex ante). The purpose of this Equality Law is to provide every
person with equal treatment and opportunities as to achieve everyone’s
full empowerment and participation in society, and to provide effective
(legal) protection against discrimination. This law protects all individuals on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria against discrimination, as
well as associations of individuals and legal entities. Any direct or indirect
discrimination based on sex, race, nationality, ethnicity, human genome,
citizenship, origin, religion or belief, education, beliefs, political affiliation, personal or social status, disability, age, sexual orientation, family
position, property status or any other features established by law or in
an international agreement to which the Republic of Bulgaria is a party
is prohibited. Harassment, sexual harassment, incitement to discrimination, persecution and racial segregation, as well as the construction and
maintenance of an architectural environment that hinders the access of
persons with disabilities to public places, shall be considered as discrimination. Nonetheless, the fact that discrimination is not a criminal offence
according to the Bulgarian criminal code makes the means of protection
against it less effective.
Discrimination and Violence Based on Gender
Gender discrimination (also known as sexism) is gender–based manifestation of prejudice, discrimination, and/or hatred towards people. According to sexist ideas and prejudice, there are basic differences between the
sexes, which predetermine different social roles, sexual freedoms and legal
statuses for men and women. An example is the understanding of the
dominant position of men, who are superior to women in all areas of life
except housekeeping, parenting, needlework, etc., as a result of which
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women are denied access to certain professions, and — in some countries
— to education and social expression.
In Bulgaria, the phenomenon of discrimination against women is highly spread. Taking into consideration the Global Gender Gap Index (2020), the
country still does not have a clear policy for encouraging gender equality. The Bulgarian score is 0.727 (where 1 equals parity of genders), which
means that the level of discrimination has not been reduced. In the Bulgarian society, there is a certain harmful gender–based prejudice according to
which a woman is better able to care for dependent family and household
members. The consequences of this social stereotype can be seen in the
statistics of the National Social Security Institute (NSSI), which register serious gender inequality in the use of paid leave to care for dependent family
members. NSSI data show that, in almost 100% of cases, women are expected to take care of sick members of the family and young children, even
when, legally, leave can be used or transferred for use to the man. Another
aspect which highlights the discrimination that women are facing is the
so–called time indicator. This indicator measures the time women and men
spend dedicated their time to unpaid housework and care for children,
the sick and the elderly, as well as the time they dedicate to themselves,
through sports activities, and participation in cultural events or other. For
example, the proportion of women who are daily engaged in cooking or
other domestic duties in Bulgaria is 72.9%, while for men it is only 13%.
At the same time, the percentage of men who spend at least one hour on
entertainment is 60% higher than women. The result of the indicator is
lower wages (by 15.4%) and pensions (by 35%), as well as the higher risk of
poverty and social exclusion for women in Bulgaria compared to men. From
the research conducted, we can also state that — compared with men —
women in the private sector in Bulgaria occupy a disproportionately low
number of managerial positions, and national legislation does not require
a balanced representation of men and women in the composition of company management bodies. The results obtained are based on the total population and show that women earn a lower monthly net wage than men.
In 2006, the Gender Equality Law was introduced. The goal of this
Law was to promote equality between men and women by means of national public policies. The law also established a national body — the National Committee for equality between men and women — tasked with
adopting and implementing a national Action Plan.
According to a national representative survey of the “Partners Bulgaria
Foundation”, 1 in 4 women are subjected to violence. Roma women are
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forcibly subjected to early marriages and early pregnancies by their own
families in order for them to gain material compensation and goods from
their spouse’s family. Some groups of women are particularly vulnerable
to “invisible” domestic violence: women with disabilities, elderly women,
ethnic and religious minority women, and refugee women. Almost one
million Bulgarian women are subjected daily to psychological, physical,
sexual and/or economic harassment on the part of their partners. Women are becoming more often victims of gender–based crimes because of
traditionally stereotypical notions that a woman is (or better, should be)
subordinate to a man. Violence against women is evident in our society.
The country is flooded with cases of domestic violence. In 2017, 1 in 4
Bulgarian women was a victims of domestic gender violence.
In Bulgaria there is a law that protects individuals from domestic violence. This law establishes victims’ rights, protection measures, and the
procedure for their enforcement. Domestic violence is any act of physical,
sexual, mental, emotional or economic violence, as well as the experience
of such violence, the forced restriction of privacy, personal liberty and
personal rights committed against persons who are related, who are or
were in a family relationship or in a de facto cohabitation. In the case of
domestic violence, the victim has the right to apply to the court for protection.
When it comes to the Istanbul Convention, Bulgaria is one of the 21
countries that signed it, but did not ratified it. In 2018, the Bulgarian Constitutional Court ruled that the Council of Europe’s convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence does
not conform with the Bulgarian constitution. The country’s supreme
Court ruled that the Istanbul Convention would be anti–constitutional,
making its adoption by Parliament almost impossible. The 12–member
court ruled by eight to four that the definition of “gender” contained in
the Convention is a social construct which “relativizes the borderline between the two sexes — male and female as biologically determined”. It
added that, if society loses its capacity to distinguish between a man and
a woman, the fight against gender violence would become a formal and
unfeasible commitment. The Istanbul Convention was approved by the
Bulgarian government in January 2018, but the plan to pass it for ratification in parliament stumbled following criticism, especially from one
of the parties of the United Patriots Coalition, VMRO. In December
2018, the party, led by the Minister of Defence, Krasimir Karakachanov,
claimed that, through the convention, “international lobbies are pushing
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Bulgaria to legalize a ‘third gender’ and introduce school programs for
studying homosexuality and transvestitism and creating opportunities for
enforcing same–sex marriages”. The Bulgarian Socialist Party, BSP and
the Orthodox Church, which had previously backed the convention, then
changed their tune and turned against it. VMRO and the BSP welcomed
the decision of the court as a victory against “gender ideology”. Human
rights advocates, however, are dissatisfied. The Bulgarian Helsinki Committee, BHC, a prominent rights watchdog, called it “the worst human
rights decision in the court’s history, and by a large measure”.
Sadly, no national legislative reforms have been registered in the past
three years. However, there are certain strategies and priority areas which
include: increasing the participation of women on the labour market
and providing equal level of economic independence, decreasing the differences by gender in salary and income, promoting equality between
women and men in the decision–making processes, combating gender–
based violence and providing protection and support for victims, changing the existing gender stereotypes in different spheres of society. At this
moment, Bulgaria also lacks national strategies and plans to support the
LGBT community and laws in this sphere.
Discrimination and violence based on gender cannot be measured on a
local level in Bulgaria. All we can do here is speculate that violence against
women is higher in rural areas due to the lack of education, security and
minimized law enforcement. In the territory of Burgas, the NGO “Demetra” is working on the matter. The organization has a shelter for children
and victims of violence and trafficking, which was instituted 10 years ago,
with capacity for 8 people. The centre receives help from the Municipality
of Burgas and the national budget contributes to its activities, too. This
centre is geared towards recovery from mental traumas while promoting
the social and legal protection of its guests.
Discrimination and Violence Based on Migration
Migrants are often the target of racial discrimination and violence due to
the fact that they do not speak the native language and do not know the local culture and traditions. Often, they lack the support of family and friends.
Hate speech and hate crimes are persistent, mainly targeting ethnic minorities, Turks, Roma, asylum seeker citizens and migrants. These groups are
also highly vulnerable to hateful violence. In addition, these people are also
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strongly discriminated against online. Unfortunately, online disinformation
and hateful content represent the only tools by which adolescents and some
adults build their positions towards people from third countries. In recent
years, there have been several aggressive public campaigns in Bulgaria. Migrants and refugees were, and continue to be, attacked by nationalist far–
right movements and they are involved in political clashes.
The total number of applicants for international protection in 2019
for Bulgaria is 2152. In recent years, the number of migrants and refugees arriving in Bulgaria has decreased, but cases of excessive use of force
and robberies on behalf of border guards continue. Illegal border crossing
remains a criminalized act, leading to the detention of migrants and refugees, including unaccompanied children. Human rights organizations
document numerous cases of abuse of refugees and asylum seekers as
also the existence of abnormal conditions in detention facilities.
The Bulgarian legal system offers protection towards migrants, in particular thought its asylum and refugee law. This law determines the terms
and conditions for granting protection to foreigners on the territory of the
Republic of Bulgaria, as well as their rights and obligations. The protection that the Republic of Bulgaria provided to foreigners includes asylum,
international protection, and temporary protection. International protection is granted under the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, signed
in Geneva on 28 July 1951, and the Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees,
1967, both ratified by means of statutory law which enshrined international human rights instruments, the refugee status and the humanitarian
residence permit. Temporary protection is provided in the event of a mass
influx of foreigners who are forced to leave their country of origin due to
armed conflict, civil war, foreign aggression, human rights violations or
large–scale violence in the territory of the country or in a particular area
of said country and who cannot for those reasons return there.
The most recent legislative measures on this topic are the ones from
July 2018 when the government adopted the Ordinance on the Integration of
Refugees, but also it failed to provide its effective implementation. According to UNHCR, the ordinance failed to cope with the permanent problem
of non–working municipalities which do not create favourable conditions
for the integration of migrants in their local communities. The ordinance
also failed in its attempt to overcome the gaps in refugee access to social
housing, to family benefits for children and to language training, all of
which limits use of social and economic benefits. Unfortunately, there are
no relevant local policies which we can discuss.
The Experience of Burgas and Ruse (Bulgaria)
107
Indicative Bibliography
BTV Media Group, Every four Bulgarian woman there is a victim of domestic violence, 2017, https://btvnovinite.bg/bulgaria/vsjaka-chetvarta-balgarka-e-bi
la-zhertva-na-njakakav-vid-domashno-nasilie.html.
Bulgaria National Social Security Institute (NSSI), https://www.nssi.bg.
Bulgarian Asylum and refugees’ law, 2002, https://lex.bg/laws/ldoc/2135453184.
Bulgarian Helsinki Committee, Are Women Discriminated in Bulgaria?, 2016,
https://www.bghelsinki.org/bg/news/diskriminirani-li-sa-zhenite-v-blgariya/.
Bulgarian Law for Protection against Discrimination, 2004, https://www.lex.bg/
laws/ldoc/2135472223.
Bulgarian Law for Protection against Domestic Violence, 2009, https://www.lex.bg/
laws/ldoc/2135501151.
Bulgarian Law for the Equality between Men and Women, updated 2016, https://www.
lex.bg/bg/laws/ldoc/2136803101.
Gatev H., The Istanbul Convention is Intolerant of Individual Countries, 2018,
https://dariknews.bg/novini/bylgariia/istanbulskata-konvenciia-podhozh
da-netolerantno-kym-otdelnite-dyrzhavi-2111737.
Members of the Seventh Grand National Assembly, Constitution of the Republic
of Bulgaria, 1991, https://www.parliament.bg/en/const/.
The Sofia Globe Staff, UNHCR welcomes Bulgaria’s new ordinance on refugee integration but points to gaps, 2017, https://sofiaglobe.com/2017/07/24/unhcr-wel
comes-bulgarias-new-ordinance-on-refugee-integration-but-points-to-gaps/.
World Economic Forum, The Global Gender Gap Report 2020, 2020.
Building the “Recognize and Change” Culture
ISBN 979-12-5994-029-2
DOI 10.53136/979125994029210
pp. 109-116 (March 2021)
Tackling Discrimination and Violence in the R&C Territories
The Experience of Praia (Cape Verde)
Paulino Oliveira Do Canto*
Introductory Overview
Cabo Verde is an archipelagic country, located on the West African Coast,
approximately 500km from Senegal, formed by ten islands, which are divided into two groups, Barlavento (Santo Antão, São Vicente, Santa Luzia,
São Nicolau, Sal and Boa Vista) and Sotavento (Maio, Santiago, Fogo and
Brava). Cabo Verde is a Democratic Republic based on the principles of
popular sovereignty, political pluralism and respect for fundamental rights
and freedoms. The Republic of Cabo Verde recognizes and respects the
unitary nature of the State, its pluralist democracy, the separation and interdependence of powers, the separation between religions and the State,
the independence of the judiciary, and it recognizes the existence and autonomy of local powers and the democratic decentralization of Public
Administration.
Gender equality is a universal human right and a global commitment
recognized in several international legal sources. The Constitution of Cabo
Verde’s Republic in its first article, recognizes the equality of all citizens
before the law, without distinction of social origin or economic situation,
race, sex, religion, political or ideological convictions and social condition, and ensures full exercise of fundamental freedoms by all citizens.
In Cabo Verde, (direct and indirect) discrimination is criminalized; this
includes sexual harassment, racial discrimination, and physical violence or
damage to a person’s moral integrity, in accordance with the Civil Code (article 68), the Penal Code (articles 152 and 270) and the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights to which Cape Verde ascribes. The Cape Verdean Constitution, the Family Code, an integral part of the Civil Code, the Labour Code and
the Criminal Code firmly stress respect towards men and women’s equal
rights and contain provisions that inhibit practices and behaviours that
*
Paulino Oliveira Do Canto, researcher from the University of Cape Verde (Uni–CV).
109
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Paulino Oliveira Do Canto
undermine discrimination. This has transversally led to concrete action
within the Cape Verdean society, from data gathering to awareness campaigns, constituting one of the fundamental pillars of Cabo Verde’s development (9th Legislature Government Program, 2016–2021). The Cape
Verdean legal framework points out that national laws, alone or based on
international and regional agreement, shall remove any obstacles to full
equality of opportunity between men and women in social, cultural and
economic life and promote equal access to all. In this sense, authorities are
encouraged to develop positive actions.
Concerning discrimination for migration reasons, the definitions of
migration policies is centralized on a national level and is regulated by
the former National Directorate of Immigration, which was recently replaced by the High Authority for Immigration and is part of the Ministry of Family and Social Inclusion. However, local governments have the
competence to promote policies for the social integration of migrants and
can be responsible for proposing and coordinating migration policies. For
instance, the Municipality of Praia, capital of Cabo Verde, is part of the
National Immigration Council and has a municipal plan for the integration of immigrants.
Discrimination and Violence Based on Gender
Cabo Verde ranks 52nd out of 153 countries, according to the Global Gender Inequality Index (2020). With the exception of Educational Attainment, which achieves relatively good results (104), the remaining Indicators need deep work and more effective interventions, namely in terms
of economic participation and opportunities (15), health and survival (80)
and political empowerment (89). These results show, on one hand, some
progress, particularly in relation to investments in human capital; on the
other hand, they point out the persisting challenges in achieving women
empowerment in all spheres of society, mainly in the labour market and
participation in decision–making.
Regarding gender–based violence, the National Statistics Institute (2019)
data shows that about 15.7% of women suffered acts of physical violence.
In 2005 the data showed that 19.6% of women reported to have suffered
physical, emotional or sexual violence; more recently, the data registered
an increase to 20.4%, in 2018. The situation is more critical in terms of
emotional violence, which also increased to 15.4% in 2018, against 14% in
The Experience of Praia (Cape Verde)
111
2005. Overall, national data calls attention to intimate domestic violence;
15.2% cases concern married women who suffered physical violence at the
hands of their partner. 89% of victims of GBV are female. Victims aged
22 to 30 years old represent 34.7% of the total, and 31– to 45–year–olds
women represent 31% (INE, 2017). According to a study by the Cape Verdean Institute for Gender Equality and Equity (ICIEG, Portuguese acronym),
in partnership with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the
number of GBV cases in Cabo Verde has decreased by about 52.6% from
2016 to 2019 (ICIEG/UNDP, 2019). It appears that, according to the data
from the State Prosecutor, complaints of GBV have decreased to less than
24%, that is, a decrease of around 154 cases and, equally, the National Police data indicated a decrease of 34.8%. This decrease is largely due to the
awareness raising and information campaigns, which are necessary preconditions for any change. This means that information dissemination,
training and awareness campaigns on gender equality issues are essential.
In addition, in 2019, GBV became a priority prevention crime, according
to Law No. 52/IX/2019, which approves the amendment to the criminal
policy enforcement regime, now classifying GBV as a priority prevention
crime. This means that, today, there is equality in the treatment of judicial
proceedings and recognition of the emergency for the eradication of GBV
within Cape Verdean society. Although there has been a decrease in violence, it is important to note that the Prosecutor’s offices still receive, on
average, 2.500 GBV complaints per year. In 2018 year alone, Cabo Verde
recorded eight cases of femicide, which involved women who were leaving their partners. However, in 2019, due to awareness campaigns and a
strong partnership with the National Police, there were significant gains
in the fight against GBV and femicide, having registered a decrease of
90% (only one case). Lastly, it is important to mention an ongoing study
which is being conducted by ICIEG whose objective is to understand the
phenomenon, identify the aggressor profile and indicate the institutional
responses to the phenomenon. Finally, the most sensitive challenge concerns gender–based stereotypes. These are social stereotypes which, unfortunately, confirm the fact that Cabo Verde remains a country with a
strong patriarchal and sexist tradition, and a very asymmetrical relationship between men and women. Overall, the perception of gender discrimination is relatively higher for the LGBTQI community. Therefore, there
are still some challenges related to reporting sexual harassment cases and
collecting data to better understand better the phenomenon. Similarly, a
lengthy judicial process may lead to negative impacts.
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Recent legislative interventions
Among the most recent positive actions, it is worth mentioning: the II
National Action Plan for Human Rights and Citizenship 2017–2022, which
provides for the creation of an Observatory for the monitoring and rapid
identification of human trafficking situations; the Elaboration of the V
Strategic Plan for Gender Equality, the adoption of the first Inter ministerial
Committee for gender approach, by Resolution No. 103/2018, which aims
to monitor the effectiveness of the mainstreaming of the gender approach
in public policies; the Parity Law approval No. 68/IX/2019, which requires
parity in political representation, to be at least 40% of each sex, in the lists
of candidates for political power bodies, such as National Assembly, City
Council, Municipal Assembly and others political structures; the creation
of the Victim Support Fund; Resolution No. 143/2017, which approves the
National Care Plan, 2017–2019, with the objective of creating the institutional, technical and financial conditions to implement a care network for
the most vulnerable people and transversal policies to promote gender
equality. To this end, the Municipality has implemented specific training
programmes, as to professionally assist individuals who are mostly vulnerable to discrimination.
Recent local policies
The Praia Municipality, as Cabo Verde’s Capital, has been actively involved in programs and policies on gender strategies. In addition, it has
hosted major public meetings and conferences on gender policies, both
nationally and internationally. The 2016–2020 Municipal Governance Program, Gender Equality and Equity, constitute a fundamental pillar for the
achievement of innovative interventions as to develop social solidary and
an educationally evolved City. In this sense, the city has developed a set
of gender policies, among which the following stand out: the Gender and
Empowerment Program, which aims to create opportunities for training,
jobs and economic empowerment of women and adolescents who belong to single parents families and vulnerable families; the establishment
of the Gender Alert Program, which aims to inform communities about the
importance and scope of the GBV Law; the implementation of training
courses for young educators, which has enabled the construction of positive best practices in schools, combating all forms of discrimination based
on gender and homophobia; the participation in the “Recognize & Change
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113
Praia” project; and the elaboration of the Municipal Plan for Gender Equality
and Equity (this is still in progress).
Discrimination and Violence Based on Migration
Although there have been no cases of physical violence motivated by migration, such as xenophobia, and social segregation due to racial or ethnic
issues, ethnic discrimination persists in Cabo Verde, particularly towards
African citizens. They are often discriminated when entering the Cape
Verdean borders, on the grounds of their skin colour. In general, they are
excluded from the ideal profile for the migratory political project provided by the Cabo Verde State/Government. In this sense, complaints have
been increasingly frequent, and include diplomatic interventions on behalf of the immigrants’ countries of origin. Indeed, African immigrants
are more vulnerable in terms of social integration: they usually lack legal
paperwork, which explains the absence of a residence contract or precarious work conditions. This leads to immigrants being discriminated,
exploited, or completely lacking social protection.
Recent legislative interventions
In recent years, Cabo Verde has developed a series of positive actions and
legislative interventions which promote immigrants’ social integration.
Among the main aspects, we highlight the implementation of the II Action
Plan for Immigration and Social Inclusion of Immigrants (2018–2020); the elaboration of the National Plan to combat the trafficking of persons 2018–
2021 by Resolution 40/2018; the project to promote the social integration of
immigrants (PISI, Portuguese acronym), which, by strengthening the capacity of organized civil society (NGOs, associations), seeks to promote
civic participation and integration of immigrants in Cape Verdean communities and society; the Multiculturalism project (Promul, Portuguese acronym), which aims to prepare, systematize and disseminate information,
studies, and awareness–raising activities on immigration and the integration of immigrants. And finally, the project to protect immigrants in at risk
situations. As for the most recent legislative intervention, Decree–Law No.
46/2019 stands out, as it creates and regulates the Support for Voluntary
Return, establishing the procedures of support and social assistance to foreign citizens who wish, voluntarily, to return to their countries of origin.
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Recent local policies
The majority of immigrants reside on the island of Santiago. This accounts for 56.8% of immigrants; 43.5% of them live in the city of Praia.
For this reason, the Praia City Council, in partnership with the General
Immigration Office, drew up a Municipal Plan for the Integration of immigrants from Praia City through Resolution No. 16/2019. Services provided
include training for immigration associations which are pioneering in the field
of gender; public events and parties for foreign communities; information sharing
sessions for immigrants on access to basic services, e.g. education, health,
social security, regularization and convention; the financing of 29 projects
to associations and NGOs from immigrant communities in Cabo Verde,
with approximately 1,000 direct beneficiaries in the field of literacy, small
business management, crafts, language courses and professional training;
the creation of Immigration Service Offices, and the implementation of the
Project to Strengthen immigration management and social integration of immigrants at the Municipal level.
Concluding Remarks
Cabo Verde, although it has a set of legal mechanisms to combat the gender discrimination, in practical terms it seems insufficient, when it comes
to prioritizing the actions that effectively promote gender equality. Generally speaking, actions are limited to GBV problems and focus more on
violence against women. Even though the official data shows a drop in
terms of statistics, the same data must be put into perspective due to fact
that many cases of violence are not reported, especially those that happen
in the family environment. Additionally, Cabo Verde tends to be overly
concerned in projecting the objectives of an imported gender agenda with
a global focus and predefined goals, inserting timidly crucial endogenous
factors in the design of its own gender strategies. It is believed that the
way gender issues are perceived in Cabo Verde is relatively out of step
with the local reality due to the fact that (local) social and cultural dimensions are not taken into account. Furthermore, there is a lack of political
will to effectively implement gender strategies in compliance with legally
binding commitments, which consequently aggravates gender inequalities. Public policies and positive actions in favour of equality are, in most
cases, reactive rather than preventive. Lastly, there’s the colonial heritage
The Experience of Praia (Cape Verde)
115
that formed a society based on sexual and racial violence and the structural machismo that has persisted until today.
As for the migration phenomenon, Cabo Verde has a remarkable legislative framework, at national and international level, protecting immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers looking for admission and integration. Although Cape Verdean law criminalizes racial discrimination, said
discrimination persists, particularly on the migrant African community,
despite such racism being denied. It is necessary to highlight that, in recent
years, the actions of the Cape Verdean Government concerning migration appear to be more of a result of pressure exerted by the international
community due to specific cooperation programs, migration protocols
and border management. As a matter of fact, due to its geostrategic location, Cabo Verde is considered to be a European “buffer zone” which connects the three continents — America, Africa and Europe — and it is also
a gateway to the African continent. This is why migration is perceived as
a supranational (rather than domestic) political agenda. According to the
National Statistics Institute (2018), the country has approximately 14,000
immigrants; however, data on the number of immigrants illegally living
in the country is lacking, making it difficult to know the exact number of
immigrants living in Cabo Verde. The most critical situation is the pressure of rural exodus, which has had direct consequences on the depopulation of some areas, for example, Santo Antão island. The rural exodus
has resulted in the exacerbated concentration of economic resources in
cities which are considered the main country development poles, such
as Praia City (Santiago island), Mindelo (São Vicente island) Santa Maria
(Sal island) and Sal Rei (Boa Vista island). These cities are faced with urban delinquency and criminality of different natures, precarious housing
conditions, poor sanitation conditions and a failed urban environment.
Therefore, we believe that education is a determining factor for an increasingly equitable society. It is essential to create institutions and monitoring mechanisms to supervise the respect for equal rights and evaluate
the implementation of public policies and legal norms; however, education must also feature a preventive character. Likewise, it would be advisable to create an Alert and Rapid Response System as a preventive measure
and awareness teams to disseminate information to communities; lastly,
legal mechanisms that assign responsibilities for those who conceal crimes
based on gender and racial discrimination should also be created.
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Paulino Oliveira Do Canto
Indicative Bibliography
Barros C.M. de, Análise de Género e Plano de Ação de Género (GAP 2016–2020) no
âmbito da cooperação UE – Cabo Verde, União Europeia e Cabo Verde, (2016), available at https://eeas.europa.eu/sites/eeas/files/gapcv_2016-2020_pt_0.pdf.
Instituto Cabo–Verdiano para Igualdade de Equidade de Género, Retrospetiva
2019: 25 anos sob signo da Paridade e de menos VBG, 2019, available at https://
www.icieg.cv/images/phocadownload/retrospetiva2019.pdf.
Instituto Nacional de Estatísticas de Cabo Verde & Ministério da Saúde e da Segurança Social, Principais resultados preliminares do Terceiro Inquérito Demográfico
e de Saúde Reprodutiva (IDSR–III), (2019), available at: http://ine.cv/wp-content/
uploads/2019/02/apresentacao-resultados-preliminares-_idsr_iii.pdf.
Instituto Nacional de Estatísticas de Cabo Verde, Estatísticas do Mercado de
Trabalho 1o semestre de 2019, available at http://ine.cv/wp-content/uploads/
2019/12/imc_2019_2t_estatisticas_mercado_trabalho_nota_imprensa_30_
dez_19.pdf.
Instituto Nacional de Estatísticas de Cabo Verde, Estatísticas das famílias e
condições de vida: Inquérito Multi–Objetivo Continuo 2018, available at: http://ine.
cv/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/imc_condicoes-de-vida_2018-_-site_.pdf.
Instituto Nacional de Estatísticas de Cabo Verde, Mulheres e Homens em Cabo
Verde: Factos e Números, 2017, available at: http://ine.cv/wp-content/uploads/
2018/03/mulheres-e-homens-em-cabo-verde-factos-e-numeros-2017.pdf.
Oliveira P., Mobilidades, fronteiras e integração regional: livre circulação de pessoas na
CEDEAO? o caso de Cabo Verde, Uni–CV, Praia 2020, (Dissertação de mestrado).
República de Cabo Verde, Programa do Governo da IX Legislatura (2016–2020),
available at: https://www.icieg.cv/images/phocadownload/Programa-doGoverno-da-IX-Legislatura-2016-2021.pdf.
World Economic Forum, The Global Gender Gap Report 2020, 2020, available at
http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GGGR_2020.pdf.
Building the “Recognize and Change” Culture
ISBN 979-12-5994-029-2
DOI 10.53136/979125994029211
pp. 117-123 (March 2021)
Tackling Discrimination and Violence in the R&C Territories
The Experience of Dunkirk (France)
Besmira Gurguri*
Introductory Overview
France is a unitary republic and “its organization is decentralized”. This
is stated in the Constitution of the Fifth Republic dated October 4, 1958,
which is the fundamental legal text governing the French legal order.
This decentralized organization is characterized by three–levels of territorial administration: the regions, the departments and the communes,
which benefit from freedom of administration and financial autonomy
(autonomous budget). This organization does not encroach on the legislative power, which remains the exclusive prerogative of the Parliament.
As a matter of fact, the Parliament, composed of two assemblies — the
National Assembly and the Senate — votes all laws, controls government action and evaluates public policies. The local authorities, for their
part, are limited to a regulatory power conferred to them by parliament
(decrees, orders, etc.).
This separation of roles in legislative and regulatory matters reflects
the separation of the three constituent powers of the organization
of France: legislative power, executive power and judiciary power. It
should be noted that, in the context of monitoring compliance with the
law and punishing offenders, which is the exclusive responsibility of the
judiciary power, the latter can enrich the interpretation of legal texts by
means of what is known as jurisprudence.
The principle of equality of citizens is laid down in the 1958 Constitution, which incorporates the principles of the Declaration of the Rights
of Man and of the Citizen of 1789 and the Preamble to the 1946 Constitution. Since 2008, French legislation incorporates international and
European criteria to define the main forms of discrimination:
*
Besmira Gurguri in collaboration with Laura Murphy and the City of Durkirk.
117
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Besmira Gurguri
— “Direct” discrimination is “the situation in which a person is treated less favourably than another in a comparable situation and on
the basis of their origin, sex, family situation, pregnancy, physical
appearance, particular vulnerability resulting from their economic situation, apparent or known to the perpetrator, their surname,
place of residence or bank account, state of health, loss of autonomy, handicap, genetic characteristics, morals, sexual orientation,
gender identity, age, political opinions, union activities, ability to
express himself in a language other than French, membership or
non–membership, real or supposed, of a particular ethnic group,
nation, alleged race or religion.
— “Indirect” discrimination such as “a provision, criterion or practice
which is seemingly neutral, but which is likely to place individuals at
a particular disadvantage compared with other individuals on any of
the grounds mentioned in the first paragraph, unless that provision,
criterion or practice is objectively justified by a legitimate aim”.
With regards to the concept of “violence”, French law defines it either
as criminal offence or aggravating circumstance which violates the individual integrity (Articles 222–7 et seq. of the Criminal Code). Under civil
law, violence is any act, whether deliberate or not, which causes physical
or moral disorder to the victim, with harmful consequences for his or
her person or property. French law makes no distinction in its definition
between gender–based violence, violence linked to a person’s cultural origins and other forms of violence. Nevertheless, the gender identity or
ethnic origin of the victim may be taken into account when evaluating
the aggravating circumstances of the offence. These circumstances are
distinct from, and should not be confused with, the legal, moral and material element of the offence.
Discrimination and Violence Based on Gender
The question of equality of women and men is no longer one of principle but of effectiveness. Indeed, despite the progressive laws adopted, inequalities exist and are reflected in gaps between the two sexes in all areas
of life (education, work, politics, etc.).
Various laws have enabled women to access rights that were prohibited or reserved exclusively for men, including the right to vote (1944), the
The Experience of Dunkirk (France)
119
right to work and open a bank account without their husband’s permission (1965), the right to abortion (1975), the law on equal pay for women
and men (2006). However, the Act of 4 August 2014 is particularly important because of its multidimensional nature, taking into account both
equal treatment and the fight against gender–based violence.
Recent French legislative reforms: the “great national cause”
It is important to note that gender equality is one of the key priorities for
the current Presidency and has been declared a “Great National Cause” of
the five–year term. Since October 2017, many legislative measures have
been taken and have strengthened the legal tools in the fight against discrimination against women:
— Law No.2018–771 of 5 September 2018 “for the freedom to choose
one’s professional future”, to promote substantive equality in the professional world.
— The Grenelle of 25 November 2019 against violence against women. Almost fifty measures have been established around three main
axes: prevention, protection and care, and prosecution.
— The 5th National Plan to combat all forms of violence against women (2017–2019).
— The 1st Inter–ministerial plan for professional equality between men
and women (2016–2020).
The emergence of the question of “intersex”
Intersex persons are individuals whose physical characteristics (hormones,
genitalia) do not correspond to what is usually attributed to the female or
male gender, because they were born with an atypical sexual anatomy.
According to the United Nations, intersex people represent 0.05% to 1.7%
of the world’s population. They are victims of social taboos and surgical
interventions at birth or during childhood, with the aim of “normalizing”
them and assigning them a gender.
In France, the law is far from recognizing the third gender. At present, it
knows and accepts only two genders: male and female, and the child must
be declared to the civil registry office within 5 days after birth. French law
does not allow the indication of a sex other than male or female to appear
in civil status records.
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Besmira Gurguri
Local gender policies
At the level of the City of Dunkirk, the issue of discrimination and gender–based violence is taken into account in the framework of municipal
policies which aim at preventing and fighting against all forms of discrimination. The fight against sexist discrimination has been implemented in
the Anti–Discrimination Plan since 2017, which also includes the Recognize & Change project.
The City is also committed to promoting gender equality through the
implementation of the Act dated August 4, 2014 on true equality between
women and men. This law requires local authorities, particularly municipalities with more than 20,000 inhabitants, to draw up and present an Annual Report on the situation regarding equality between women and men
to the City Council. Since 2018, the City of Dunkirk has been complying
with this legislative obligation. The report presents an assessment of the
policies carried out by the municipality on its territory in favour of gender equality. It includes guidelines and a program of actions to be carried
out in the medium and long term to correct the inequalities observed. In
addition, the city provides financial support to local associations working
in this field.
To conclude this section, we can see that in recent years many institutional measures and plans have been put in place to promote equality
between women and men in all areas. Moreover, the development of the
#MeToo movement has had a significant impact on increasing the condemnation of all forms of violence against women and has strengthened
solidarity and legislative developments. However, gender equality is still
fragile, and many inequalities persist in France. A woman dies every three
days as a result of being beaten by her spouse or ex–spouse; every year,
225,000 women are victims of violence carried out by their partners;
84,000 face an attempted rape or are victims of rape; and eight out of ten
women are afraid to go out alone in the evening.
In addition, since March 17, the Covid–19 pandemic has played a significant role in the increase in domestic violence and it appears that home is
far from being the safest place for many women. In these difficult times,
the issue of domestic violence has become a priority for the government,
as victims have fewer means of alerting or seeking help, being confined
to their houses and under constant surveillance by their abusers. Several
measures have been put in place to protect victims and put an end to dangerous cohabitations.
The Experience of Dunkirk (France)
121
Discrimination and Violence Based on Migration
Since there is no legal definition of the term “migration” and its interpretation may vary from country to country, it should be pointed out that,
in this part of the report, we will use the International Organization for
Migration’s definition of the term “migrant”. A “migrant” is any person
who, leaving his or her place of habitual residence, crosses or has crossed an international border or moves or has moved within a State, irrespective of: (1) the
legal status of the person; (2) whether the movement is voluntary or involuntary;
(3) the causes of the movement; or (4) the duration of the stay.
Currently, immigration figures in France are relatively stable. Each
year, the number of entries into the territory varies between 200,000 and
250,000 persons per year and the number of naturalizations varies between 180,000 and 200,000 per year.
Recent French legislative reforms
The Law of September 10, 2018 is for “controlled immigration”, effective
asylum, and successful integration. According to the government, the
aim of this Law is to simplify procedures and take care of certain types of
immigrants. However, this Law also contains measures to reduce immigration, weaken the fundamental rights and guarantees of migrants and
increase institutional abuses.
On November 6, 2019, the Government presented the 20 measures
that constitute the main lines of its migration policy. They are the conclusions of a debate on the issue of migration that took place in Parliament in October 2019. As far as immigration legislation and policies are
concerned, there is still a great deal of fluctuation between tightening
and opening. Overall, French law, similarly to the law of other European countries, has been tightened in recent years. The issue of illegal
immigrants remains unresolved and is at the centre of France’s restrictive
migration policies.
The migration policies of the City of Dunkirk
In France, so–called “migration” policies fall within the exclusive competence of the State. However, because it is the cities that receive migrants,
municipal policies cannot ignore them. This is why several cities initiate
or support actions to welcome and assist immigrants.
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Besmira Gurguri
The City of Dunkirk integrates this approach into its municipal policies. Thus in 2017, this issue was addressed and integrated into the Anti–
discrimination Plan adopted by the City Council. Financial support has
been provided to associations that support migrant groups in their integration and protection efforts. Lastly, specific actions have been carried
out in conjunction with local associations, such as ensuring the right to
hygiene for refugees in the Grande–Synthe camp, providing free access to
showers.
To conclude this last part, more and more international associations
and agencies are condemning violations of human right against migrants
and are committed to protecting them. Furthermore, they emphasize respect for equal rights and have urged the French government to adopt legislation and practices in line with the UN General Assembly’s Declaration
of Human Rights Defenders.
Although various measures have been taken to address these phenomena of violations against immigrants, and while free information is widely
available, professionals know very little about these rights. As a result, the
rights of immigrants, asylum seekers or refugees may be violated or not
respected.
Indicative Bibliography
First Inter–Ministerial Plan for Professional Equality between Men and Women, (2016–
2020), https://www.egalite-femmes-hommes.gouv.fr/dossiers/egalite-profes
sionnelle/le-1er-plan-interministeriel-en-faveur-de-legalite-professionnelle/.
Government Action Program against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, 2012, http://femmes.gouv.fr/wp-content/uploads/
2012/11/violence_v5+_06-2011.pdf.
Hauchard L., De la Binarité Sexuelle à la Reconnaissance d’un Troisième Sexe Neutre?,
«Le Petit Juriste», 2018, https://www.lepetitjuriste.fr/de-binarite-sexuelle-areconnaissance-dun-troisieme-sexe-neutre/.
La Politique de Lutte contre les Violences Sexistes et Sexuelles Faites aux Femmes,
https://arretonslesviolences.gouv.fr/l-etat-vous-protege/politique-de-luttecontre-les-violences-faites-au-femmes.
Law No. 2018-771 of 5th September 2018, “pour la liberté de choisir son avenir professionnel”, (in French) at https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?
cidTexte=JORFTEXT000037367660&categorieLien=id.
The Experience of Dunkirk (France)
123
Law No. 2018-778 of 10th October 2018 “pour une immigration maîtrisée, un droit
d’asile effectif et une intégration réussie”, https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/jorf/
id/JORFTEXT000037381808/.
Légifrance, Le Service Public de la Diffusion du Droit, https://www.legifrance.
gouv.fr/.
Ministre délégué chargé de l’Égalité entre les femmes et les hommes, de la Diversité et de
l’Égalité des chances, https://www.egalite-femmes-hommes.gouv.fr/.
Ministry of Families, Children and Women’s Rights, Report on Gender Equality, 2016, https://www.egalite-femmes-hommes.gouv.fr/wp-content/up
loads/2016/06/Guide-art-61.pdf.
National Grenelle against Gender (Domestic) Violence, 2019, https://www.egalitefemmes-hommes.gouv.fr/un-grenelle-des-violences-conjugales-pour-luttercontre-les-feminicides/.
Tanca L. & Lepoivre A., La France est–elle un des pays les plus touches par les
féminicides en Europe?, 2019, https://www.bfmtv.com/societe/la-franceest-elle-un-des-pays-les-plus-touches-par-les-feminicides-en-europe_AN201909030002.html.
Building the “Recognize and Change” Culture
ISBN 979-12-5994-029-2
DOI 10.53136/979125994029212
pp. 125-131 (March 2021)
Tackling Discrimination and Violence in the R&C Territories
The Experience of Ermoupolis (Greece)
Dimitrios Paraskevopoulos
in collaboration with Stratos Georgoulas*
Introductory overview
According to the administrative division of Greece, from September 2019,
the country is divided into 7 decentralized administrations, 13 Regions, 332
Municipalities (among them the Municipality of Ermoupolis Syros) and
4783 Communities. Within the Greek territory, the Constitution is the
primary legal source, and it prevails in comparison with statutory laws,
presidential decrees and the administrative acts. At the same time, being a
member of the European Union, Greece must, among other things, be in
line with the EU regulatory framework.
The role of regional and territorial administrations within the Greek
legal order lies, on the one hand, in the transfer of decisions and policies
taken at the central level to the local level and, on the other hand, in their
adaptation to local needs and particularities. In addition, feedback is provided to the decision centre and based on that, it is possible for policies
designed and implemented at regional and local level to be encouraged
and assisted by national governments and supranational organizations.
The principle of equality in the legal order of Greece is included in the
Constitution. According to article 4 par. 1 “Greeks are equal before the law”
and par. 2 “Greeks have equal rights and obligations”, while at the same
time Article 116, par. 2 of the Constitution emphasizes that “it is not discrimination on grounds of gender to take positive measures to promote
equality between men and women. The state takes care of removing the
inequalities that exist in practice, especially to the detriment of women”.
Furthermore, according to Article 5, paragraph 2 of the Constitution “All
Dr. Dimitrios Paraskevopoulos, University Scholar at the University of the Aegean (Department of Sociology), in collaboration with Stratos Georgoulas, Deputy Head of the Department of
Sociology, Professor of Criminology at the University of the Aegean (Department of Sociology),
Director of Post–Grad studies ETKAS, Scientific Director of EKNEXA (Laboratory of Sociology,
Youth, Leisure and Sports).
*
125
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Dimitrios Paraskevopoulos
those who are in the Greek Territory enjoy the absolute protection of
their life, honour and freedom, without distinction of nationality, race,
language and religious or political beliefs. Exceptions are allowed in cases
provided for by international law. It is forbidden to extradite a foreigner
who is being persecuted for her/his action in favour of freedom”. Also,
according to Article 25, paragraph 2, the recognition and protection of
the fundamental and inalienable human rights by the State aims at the
realization of social progress in freedom and justice.
Discrimination and Violence Based on Gender
In Greece, qualitative and quantitative data on the phenomenon of discrimination and gender–based violence continue to raise concerns about
the effectiveness of law enforcement and, consequently, highlight the
shortcomings of the legislative interventions. The Global Gender Gap Reports data of the World Economic Forum show significant differences
between men and women in Greece, according to a number of indicators (labour and economic participation of women, income, women in
managerial positions, women in parliament, women in ministerial positions). The qualitive data concerning the LGBTQI communities highlight
the phenomena of bullying in the field of education, the discrimination
in the healthcare services (lack of trust and fear of exposure), abuse and
humiliation, “psychiatrisation” of gender identity, hate speech by the media, and so on.
In terms of levels of gender–based violence, from 2012 to 2017, almost a
50% increase was recorded. Regarding the reported crimes of sexual violence, regardless of gender, a corresponding growth is recorded, with the
exception of the period 2016–2017, in which there was decrease. Moreover, the Violence Against Women prevention 24h SOS Helpline 15900 and
the network of structures of the General Secretariat for Gender Equality
between 19/11/2016 and 19/11/2017 received an increased number of
calls and e–mails. In 2018, 3,325 women called the SOS Helpline. According to the latest data, April 2020 was the month with the highest recorded
incidents. A worrying increase in calls concerning domestic violence was
reported. Indeed, in the period we live in, where the restriction of individual rights is necessary to face the Covid–19 pandemic, there are serious
concerns both about the increase in reported incidents of violence and the
number of non–reported domestic violence.
The Experience of Ermoupolis (Greece)
127
Recent legislative interventions
Law 4531/2018 (Government Gazette 62/05.04.2018) includes the “Ratification of the Istanbul Convention of the Council of Europe, Convention
on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence”. The content of the convention was added to the Greek legislation, mainly amending the legislation on domestic violence (see Government Gazette 232/A/24–10–2006) and a series of articles of the penal code
(323A – Trafficking in human beings, 315B – Invitation, etc.). The recent
Law 4604/2019 (Government Gazette A’ 50/26.03.2019) constitutes an
independent institutional framework for the purpose of eliminating discrimination against women, consolidating gender equality and combating gender–based violence. The main legislative interventions concern:
a) increasing women’s participation in political and parliamentary office, b)
establishing Equality Plans (integrated and complementary interventions)
and c) involving the gender dimension in the design, implementation and
evaluation of public policies in the areas of health, education, media, public
budgets, the drafting of administrative documents, etc.
Concerning LGBT rights, thanks to research efforts and collective demands, an improvement of the institutional framework at the level of
political initiative and legislation has been recorded. Law 4356/2015 (Government Gazette A’ 181/24–12–2015), has established the possibility of
a cohabitation agreement between two adults, regardless of their gender.
Moreover, it has set up the National Council against Racism and Intolerance, which is competent to: i. designing policies to prevent and combat
racism and intolerance to ensure the protection of individuals and groups
targeted because of race, colour, nationality or ethnic origin, genealogical background, social origin, religious or other identity, disability, sexual
orientation or gender, ii. overseeing the implementation of the legislation
and iii. promoting and coordinating the action of the bodies involved.
Then came Law 4491/2017 (Government Gazette A’ 152/13.10.2017)
which established the right to gender identity.
Recent local policies
The legislation to combat discrimination and the promotion of gender
equality provides for the establishment of a Regional Committee for Gender Equality within each region, and for the establishment of a Municipal
Equality Committee at the local level. According to Article 5 of Law 4604,
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Dimitrios Paraskevopoulos
the main responsibilities of the above committees are “the design, organization, coordination and implementation of programs to promote gender
equality, in accordance with the policies of the GSGE and the National Action Plan for Gender Equality, and initiatives to promote gender equality
within their administrative boundaries, as well as the implementation of
the European Gender Equality Charter tool in Local Societies, by implementing the commitments made in it to promote the principle of gender
equality”. In addition, in this way, “the cooperation of the regional services with GSGE is ensured, in order to facilitate at the regional level, the
development of actions and programs related to GSGE policies as well as
the directions of the National Action Plan for the Equality of Gender, as
they are formed each time”. Therefore, in the formulation of the National Action Plan, local and regional data are taken into account. Non–state
entities are mainly involved in the level of prevention, while in some cases
they provide data through reports that can be taken into account in drafting national legislation/local policies.
In the South Aegean Region, the strategies for prevention and response
to the phenomenon of gender violence are included within the “Regional
Strategy for Social Inclusion, Fight against Poverty and all forms of Discrimination in the South Aegean region”, within the framework of NSRF (National Strategic Reference Framework 2014–2020), providing for “actions
for the benefit of women and to combat violence” (Supporting Women’s
Counselling Centres and shelters for women victims). Within the Regional
Operational Program of the South Aegean 2014–2020 the following actors
are joined and funded: a) Syros Counselling Centre and the Research Centre for
Gender Equality (KETHI), b) Rhodes Counselling Centre and the Women’s
shelter for the Victims of Violence, c) the Advisory Centre of Kos.
Since 2013, on the island of Syros, the Women’s Advisory Centre and
The Research Centre for Gender Equality (KETHI) contributes through
holistic support for women victims of all forms of violence and their children, while informing and raising the awareness of local communities
about domestic violence, as well as strengthening the role of public and
local authorities.
Discrimination and Violence Based on Migration
In 2018, the Network for Recording Incidents of Racist Violence recorded an increase in incidents of racist violence, especially against refugees
The Experience of Ermoupolis (Greece)
129
and immigrants, while in 2019 it found an increasing trend in incidents
of daily racist violence. Specifically, in 2018, 117 cases of racist violence
were recorded, of which 74 concerned the targeting of immigrants and
refugees due to ethnic origin, religion and colour and 5 more cases against
LGBTQI refugees and asylum seekers. In 2019, a total of 100 incidents of
racist violence were recorded, of which 51 were related to the targeting
of immigrants, refugees or asylum seekers, due to ethnic origin, religion
and/or colour.
Recent legislative interventions
The Joint European Union–Turkey statement of March 2016 changed the
landscape of immigration and refugee crisis in Greece. The following
Law 4375/2016 (Government Gazette 51/A/3–4–2016) provided for the
organization of new structures for the management of migration flows
(Reception and Identification Services and Asylum Services).
At the same time, a network of ministerial decisions, mainly in the
areas of health and education, was based on the application of the principle of equal treatment, regardless of race, ethnic origin, religion or other
beliefs. In 2019, Law 4636 (Government Gazette 169/A/1–11–2019) proceeded to harmonize national legislation with the directives of the European Union (2011/95/EU, 2013/33/EU, 2013/32/EU). Numerous organizations for the protection and defence of human rights (see Working
Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) of the Human Rights Council of
the United Nations, National Commission on Human Rights etc.) made
reports or announcements on the content of this text, pointing out the
tightening of the institutional framework through the deprivation of liberty, the possibility of establishing closed Structures for Temporary Reception of third–country nationals or stateless citizens, declassification of
social groups from a position of vulnerability (this happened in the case
of people with post–traumatic stress disorder, especially survivors and relatives of victims of shipwrecks) and [on the condition of mass arrivals of
third–country nationals or stateless persons] assigning the possibility of
interviewing applicants for international protection and Greek Police personnel. In addition, in accordance with the provisions of Law 4636, a joint
ministerial decision (Government Gazette B’ 4907/31.12.2019) proceeded
to the definition of the countries of origin that are characterized as safe,
producing an institutional distinction between them and the countries
that are unsafe.
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Dimitrios Paraskevopoulos
Recent local policies
In the South Aegean Region, the strategies for prevention and response
to the phenomenon of ethnic discrimination are included within the “Regional Strategy for Social Inclusion, Fight against Poverty and all forms
of Discrimination in the South Aegean region”, within the framework
of NSRF (National Strategic Reference Framework 2014–2020), providing
for “Refugee Reception Actions – Social Integration of Immigrants” (supporting employment and social integration through counselling services, legal support and intercultural mediation). In addition, several organizations
are active in the field of dealing with discrimination (see Prevention Centre “THISEAS” of Cyclades, Antiracist Observatory operates University
of the Aegean, Centre for Research and Development of the Holy Metropolis of Syros, Community Centre of the Municipality of Syros–Ermoupolis and Vardakeios School of Ermoupolis).
Indicative Bibliography
Centre for Women’s Research and Studies “Diotima”, Immediate need for emergency measures for victims of domestic violence, https://diotima.org.gr/ektaktametra-gia-endoikogenaiki-via/ (in Greek).
Greek Racist Violence Recording Network & UNHCR, Annual report 2019,
https://www.unhcr.org/gr/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/06/ETH
SIA-EKTHESH-2019-GREEK.pdf.
Liapi M., Giannopoulo C., Tyrovolas T., Kountouri–Tsiami T., Saratsi S., Research on the Combating of Domestic Violence in Refugee and Immigrant Population
(Girls, Boys, Women, Men): Availability, Accessibility and Quality of Services Provided in Greece, Centre for Women’s Research and Studies “Diotima”, 2019,
pp. 71–74 (in Greek).
Moschovakou N., Ntani S.N., Discrimination on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation: Data, institutional framework and quality investigation, «KETHI»,
2018, pp. 146–149 (in Greek).
National Commission on Human Rights, Observations in the Draft Law of the Ministry of Civil Protection “on International Protection”, 2019, http://www.circ.gr/
images/pdf/apofaseis/prosfuges_metanastes/Paratiriseis%20EEDA%20
sto%20nomosxedio%20g ia%20Asylo%2024.10.2019.pdf ?f bclid=I
wAR1z3ZxqxELK_EjNDQMhgf5DbvA1M-CwVDdpaX_rLV0heasoq15kx
PN9sC8 (in Greek).
The Experience of Ermoupolis (Greece)
131
Observatory of the General Secretariat for Family Policy and Gender
Equality, Gender–based violence, 23rd Informational note.
Special Management Office of the South Aegean Region, Strategy for Social
Inclusion, Fight against Poverty and all forms of Discrimination in the South, 2015.
Vougiouka A., Counselling Tool for the Primary Prevention of Violence against Women,
Centre for Women’s Research and Studies “Diotima”, https://diotima.org.
gr/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/ERGALEIO-PROLIPSI-1.pdf (in Greek).
Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD), Preliminary Findings from
the Visit to Greece (2–13 December 2019), https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/
Issues/Detention/EoM_Greece_10122019_GreekVersion.docx (in Greek).
World Economic Forum, Global Gender Gap Report 2020, http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GGGR_2020.pdf.
Building the “Recognize and Change” Culture
ISBN 979-12-5994-029-2
DOI 10.53136/979125994029213
pp. 133-141 (March 2021)
Tackling Discrimination and Violence in the R&C Territories
The Experience of Turin (Italy)
Francesca Finelli*
Introductory Overview
Italy is a decentralized legal order and is composed of 20 Regions (including Piedmont), 14 Metropolitan Cities (including Turin) and 7,903 Municipalities. Our constitutional system recognizes multiple forms of local
governance and it is founded on the principle of subsidiarity. This means
that our Constitution establishes both exclusive (centralized) competencies of the State, concurrent competencies, and exclusive (decentralized)
competencies of the Regions. Metropolitan Cities and Municipalities, on
the other hand, lack legislative autonomy. These territorial units manage
administrative functions and have competence for local affairs only.
Equality is one of the founding values of our constitutional system.
Art. 3 of the Italian Constitution affirms that “All citizens have equal social
dignity and are equal before the law, without distinction of sex, race,
language, religion, political opinion, personal and social conditions”. Art.
3 also enshrines substantial individual guarantees. Indeed, it also recognizes that “it is the duty of the Republic to remove those obstacles of an
economic or social nature which constrain the freedom and equality of
citizens, thereby impeding the full development of the human person
and the effective participation of all workers in the political, economic
and social organization of the country”. Therefore, Italian authorities are
committed to achieving both formal and substantive equality. Concerning gender equality, the Italian Constitution expressively declares that
regional laws shall remove any obstacles to the full equality of men and
women in social, cultural and economic life and promote equal access to
political careers. It follows that Regional authorities are also asked to take
Francesca Finelli, Post–Graduate Research Fellow at the University of Turin, Law Department, in collaboration with Mia Caielli, Associate Professor of (Comparative) Constitutional Law
and member of the board of directors of CIRSDe (the Research Centre for Women’s and Gender
Studies).
*
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Francesca Finelli
positive actions at the local level. With regard to ethnic discrimination in
relation to migration flows, the competence to define migration policies
is centralized at the national level. Regions cannot regulate immigration
and asylum in an autonomous way. Nevertheless, they are competent for
the social integration of migrants and are responsible for the coordination of several assistance measures such as accommodation, healthcare,
education, training and language courses.
Besides these constitutional provisions, it is essential to remember
that Italy is bound by diverse supranational obligations which aim at
combating discrimination and violence, while promoting equality. In
fact, our domestic legal order must comply with several international
and European commitments. At the European level, Italy is bound by EU
law (mainly EU Directives and Regulations) issued by EU bodies and interpreted by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU). Moreover, Italy is a contracting party of the European Convention for the
Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (ECHR), and
it is bound by the judicial activity of the European Court of Human
Rights in Strasbourg. Furthermore, at the international level, Italy has
ratified several UN Conventions, such as the International Convention
on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, and the Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).
Concerning gender violence, Italy is also committed to implementing
the Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women
and Domestic Violence (also known as Istanbul Convention) which was
ratified in 2013. Thus, Italian authorities are not alone in setting standards of human rights protection, but they are guided by several supranational bodies and legal sources.
Discrimination and Violence Based on Gender
Gender discrimination and violence against women are persistent and widespread phenomena in our country. According to the 2020 Global Gender
Index, Italy ranks 76th (out of 153 countries). Italian scores are extremely
low and gender inequalities are particularly pronounced in the domains
of (economic and political) power. In the same way, according to the 2019
EU Gender Equality Index, Italy ranks 14th. Its score is lower than the EU’s
average and the lowest of all EU Member States in the domain of work.
The Experience of Turin (Italy)
135
Widespread discrimination and violence also concern the LGBT community. However, our legal system is still blinded to homophobic discrimination and violence. These conducts remain legally invisible and
non–prosecuted in Italy. Nevertheless, a new legislative proposal is currently
under discussion in the Italian Parliament and legislative reforms are expected.
Focusing on violence against women, the Italian National Statistics Institute (ISTAT) registers that almost 6.8 million women suffer some form
of physical or sexual violence in their lifetime, representing 31.5% of
women in our country. In the workplace, 1.4 million women suffer physical harassment or sexual blackmail, representing 8.9% of female workers.
Concerning femicides, in 2018, 133 women were murdered in Italy. And
finally, the most alarming data concern gender–based stereotypes. These
stereotypes confirm that, regrettably, Italy remains a country with a very
marked patriarchal tradition, where men’s desire to dominate women is
legitimized by a hierarchical and asymmetrical conception of the relationship between men and women. Still a high percentage of the Italian population believes that women who are victims of violence “were asking for
it” or provoked it with their behaviour by not conforming to traditional
female roles. The data are alarming. It proves that gender violence and its
social acceptance are worryingly widespread in this country.
Recent legislative interventions
The latest legislative intervention addressing gender violence in Italy was
approved in July 2019 and is Law No. 69/2019, also known as “the Red Code”.
This intervention has introduced several amendments to the Italian Criminal Code and the Criminal Procedural Code. The ultimate objective was to
speed up criminal proceedings, ensuring a privileged and accelerated procedure for victims of domestic and gender–based violence (in line with the
judgement Talpis v. Italy issued by the Strasbourg Court in 2017, whereby
the ECtHR found that the Italian authorities failed to take prompt action
in a case of domestic violence). The Red Code also introduced 4 new offences in the Italian criminal system: (i) a new crime concerning the violation of restraining orders and the prohibition to approach places usually
frequented by the victim of violence; (ii) the crime of forced marriage; (iii)
the crime of “revenge porn”, defined as illicit dissemination of sexually explicit images or videos; and (iv) the crime of “deformation of one person’s
appearance by permanent facial injury”. Furthermore, the Red Code has
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strengthened the existing criminal sanctions for stalking, sexual violence
and domestic violence and increased the applicable sanctions for aggravated circumstances. Thus, Law No. 69/2019 provides a comprehensive
response to gender violence, by introducing not only faster proceedings
and new criminal offences but also harsher punishments for the already
existing crimes. The Red Code represents a strong legislative intervention
in line with the requirements of the Istanbul Convention.
In 2017, the Italian Parliament has also established the Parliamentary
Commission of Inquiry dedicated to the phenomenon of feminicide and
gender–based violence. The Commission is responsible for conducting
national investigations and inquiries, with the view of better understanding the real dimensions of gender violence in Italy. In addition, the Commission is empowered to investigate possible inconsistencies and shortcomings of the legislation in force, with the purpose of proposing new
legislative and administrative solutions.
The monitoring body GREVIO (the Group of Experts on Action against
Violence against Women and Domestic Violence) praises the Italian efforts
to tackle gender violence. However, it also urges further interventions.
In particular, it calls on Italian authorities to adopt policies and measures
equally addressing prevention, protection, and punishment of violence, in
order to ensure a comprehensive and integrated approach. Criminal law reforms are not enough. Social and cultural justifications of violence against
women cannot be fully combated by means of (harsher) criminal punishments. The legislator needs to further promote education, awareness raising, the training of professionals and, more generally, preventive measures
aiming at combating sexist social and cultural patterns of behaviour that
are based on the idea of inferiority of women. Our legislator is requested
to challenge the widespread patriarchal attitudes and stereotypes which
contribute to the acceptance of violence and tend to blame women for
it. The main concern is that policy makers in Italy have largely privileged
policies aimed at criminalizing acts of violence. In this way, they tend to
consider violence against women restrictively as an issue of criminal (and
procedural) law, failing to fully recognize the structural dimension of the
phenomenon.
Recent local policies
At the regional level, Piedmont is strongly committed to tackle gender
discrimination and violence. According to recent legislative interventions,
The Experience of Turin (Italy)
137
Regional Law No. 5/2016 prohibits all forms of discrimination at the regional level (including on the grounds of gender) and Regional Law No.
4/2016 recognizes that any form of violence against women constitutes
a human rights violation, infringes women’s personal dignity, individual
freedom and security, their physical and mental health and integrity, and
limits their right to full citizenship. Accordingly, the Piedmont region is
asked to proactively engage in several initiatives to combat and prevent
discrimination and violence against women. The Regional Council has
adopted a Three–Year Regional Plan of Interventions against Gender Violence
(2017–2019) and has recently achieved the following goals: (i) the consolidation of a regional network of anti–violence centres and shelters; (ii) the
creation of specific vocational training programs for operators of anti–
violence services; (iii) the introduction of specific measures to monitor
gender violence and support its victims within the healthcare sector (i.e. a
new “Pink Code” in the hospital triage); (iv) specific assistance measures in
the socio–occupational (re)integration of women victims of violence; (v)
a strong and diffuse communication strategy (inter alia by introducing a
new regional application for mobile devices “Erica”); and, lastly, (vi) specific rehabilitation programs dedicated to perpetrators of gender–based violence (which aim at limiting recidivism and preventing future violence).
Furthermore, it is important to note that the City of Turin is strongly
committed to tackling gender violence. Since 2000, the City has established the Coordination Against Violence Against Women (in Italian as “Coordinamento Contro la Violenza sulle Donne”, CCVD). The participants in the
Coordination are either public and private entities which are directly or indirectly involved in combating gender violence, in the field of healthcare,
social, psychological, legal assistance, cultural integration, education and
research. Participants make available their own professional skills, financial resources and monitoring mechanisms. They represent not only an
integrated system of protection for victims of gender violence, but also a
fundamental monitoring tool in the city of Turin. Moreover, in 2018, the
city Council approved an important Action Plan labelled “Turin free from
gender–based violence”. This Plan aims to foster inter–institutional dialogue
between all those actors operating in the field of prevention, protection
and prosecution of male violence against women. Essentially, the Plan is
intended to strengthen institutional coordination, not only by introducing
new (coordinating) local bodies, but also by enhancing the role of the (already existing) CCVD, and promoting specific training courses for public
administration officials. This coordinated approach has already achieved
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Francesca Finelli
important (and innovative) local interventions. Giving a concrete example, in December 2019, the City of Turin has introduced the “fictitious
residence” for women victims of violence who want to keep their residence data secret. In this way, those women are empowered to reside at a
“symbolic” address, which will allow them to no longer be persecuted by
violent men.
Discrimination and Violence Based on Migration
In the last few years, migration has emerged as a sensitive political issue
and societal challenge in Italy, particularly in matters such as integration,
security and border management. Italian citizens have engaged in an intensifying discussion about the arrival of migrants in the country. This
mainly happened as a direct consequence of the migration crisis of 2015
and the unprecedented increase in the numbers of refugees and migrants
entering Europe. Moreover, due to its geographical position in the Mediterranean Sea, Italy has witnessed the concrete effects of the migration
crisis, particularly along the coastline (which has been directly involved in
the management of the Central Mediterranean route). The mass arrivals
of migrants in Italy have generated strong xenophobic fears and anti–immigrant sentiments, characterized by the growing intolerance towards
individuals who are perceived as “others” or “aliens”.
Recent legislative interventions
The latest legislative interventions refused to perceive the double dimension of the current crisis, namely the migration dimension and the humanitarian one. The Italian legislator was mainly focused on a one–dimensional
issue, i.e. the unsustainable numbers of arrivals of unauthorized migrants
in Italy. In this way, the narrow perception of the migration crisis has boosted claims of “invasion” and extremist anti–immigrant positions.
The adoption of two “Security Decrees” marked a significant legislative
change in the field of migration law. Both Decrees were strongly demanded by our former Ministry of Domestic Affairs (Ministero dell’ Interno),
Matteo Salvini, who founded his political commitment on “taking care of
Italians’ security”. His political intentions were clear, affirming a strong link
between migration and security. Accordingly, the Security Decrees were
intended to stop the admission of migrants on the Italian territory, reduc-
The Experience of Turin (Italy)
139
ing the criteria for legal stays and imposing the idea that the huge arrivals
of migrants only jeopardized internal security and stability. In this way,
the Security Decrees have radically reformed the Italian migration system. Essentially, they have restricted previous guarantees, reducing legal
protection for asylum seekers entering Italy. Firstly, Decree Law n. 113/2018
abolished the so–called ‘humanitarian protection’. The humanitarian protection was traditionally granted to asylum seekers in a wide variety of
situations and represented the most common form of protection granted
until 2017. Today, it is replaced by ‘special permits’, namely (new) limited
forms of residence permits that can be granted in restricted ‘special cases’
only. Secondly, Decree Law n. 53/2019 introduced additional restrictions.
This second intervention was mainly aimed at limiting rescue operations
at sea (in line with the “closed–ports–policy” campaigned by our former
Ministry), introducing harsh sanctions for NGO ships that disembark migrants in Italy without prior consent. Essentially, with the introduction of
the Security Decrees, we have witnessed, firstly, the strong restriction of
asylum seekers’ guarantees and, secondly, the “criminalization” of rescue
operations. However, the constitutional legitimacy of these recent reforms
is far from uncontroversial (and the Italian Constitutional Court ruled, in
July 2020, on the partial unconstitutionality of the first Security Decree).
In fact, the Security Decrees clash with several constitutional and supranational guarantees, inter alia the constitutional right to asylum (Art. 10),
EU (binding) provisions concerning international protection, the Dublin
system, international customary law and the principle of non–refoulement.
Choosing to restrict the criteria for legally entering and stay in the Italian
territory is not the solution for a better management of migration flows.
Indeed, “We can’t deter people fleeing for their lives. They will come. The
choice we have is how well we manage their arrival, and how humanely”.
Recent local policies
In 2019, non–nationals residing in the Piedmont region represent 9.8% of
the population (the majority of which are Romanian nationals, followed
by Moroccan and Albanian nationals) while refugees and beneficiaries of
the international protection are 19.500, representing 0.4% of the regional
population (mainly Nigerian, Senegalese and Pakistani nationals). In the
hosting society, migrants, non–national and, more generally, foreigners
are more vulnerable to social exclusion and discrimination. Their inclusion may encounter obstacles deriving from cultural/linguistic/religious
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differences; therefore, in order to prevent and contrast social tension and
exclusion, the Piedmont Region has actively engaged in several integration policies. In 2016, Piedmont was the first Italian Region to introduce
ad hoc legislation concerning equal opportunities and non–discrimination
(Regional Law n. 5/2016). Following this legislative intervention, the Regional Council adopted a Three–year Plan Against Discrimination (2018–
2020) and established a new Regional Network Against Discriminations as
well as a regional Solidarity Fund for the judicial protection of victims of
discrimination. Moreover, regional interventions have supported education, information and several raising awareness initiatives.
Besides these regional initiatives, the City of Turin has promoted diverse
positive actions and integration policies, combating discrimination and ensuring equal opportunities for all. In 2018, it adopted new “Guidelines for
Interculture and Participation”, addressing the difficult challenge of ensuring
equal and full participation of all in the local decision–making process. The
ultimate objective was to create a strong sense of community in the city,
promoting inclusion and participation of all in the definition of local policies. More recently, in June 2020, the Municipality of Turin, firstly, adopted
a new Action Plan against Racist Hate Crimes and, secondly, launched a new
public consultation, according to which citizens are invited to present written proposals aimed at co–drafting the (new) Collaboration Agreement for an
Anti–racist Turin. In this way, the City of Turin has affirmed its commitment
to fight racism and hateful intolerance, while also consolidating its open and
participatory approach in the definition of local public policies.
Indicative Bibliography
Carta S., Beyond closed ports: the new Italian Decree–Law on Immigration and Security, 2018, available at https://eumigrationlawblog.eu/beyond-closed-portsthe-new-italian-decree-law-on-immigration-and-security/.
Corsi C., Evaluating the ‘Salvini Decree’: Doubts of Constitutional Legitimacy, EUI,
2019, at https://cadmus.eui.eu/bitstream/handle/1814/61784/PB_2019_06_
MPC.pdf ?sequence=1&isAllowed=y.
GREVIO’s (Baseline) Evaluation Report on legislative and other measures giving effect
to the provisions of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (Istanbul Convention) – ITALY, GREVIO/Inf(2019)18, available at https://rm.coe.int/grevio-report-italyfirst-baseline-evaluation/168099724e.
The Experience of Turin (Italy)
141
IRES Piemonte, Gender Equality in Piedmont, 2019 Report, chapter 3, p. 45 at
https://www.ires.piemonte.it/pubblicazioni_ires/RAPPORTO%20UGUA
GLIANZE%20DI%20GENERE%202019.pdf.
ISTAT (Italian National Statistics Institute), Integrated Information Framework
on Violence Against Women in Italy (in Italian as “Quadro informativo integrato
sulla violenza contro le donne in Italia”), https://www.istat.it/it/violenza-sul
le-donne.
Meili S., The Constitutional Right to Asylum: The Wave of the Future in International
Refugee Law?, «Fordham International Law Journal», 41(2018), p. 401.
Morandi N., Il permesso di soggiorno per motivi umanitari ai sensi dell’art. 5, comma 6, D.lgs. N. 286/98, June 2017, https://www.asgi.it/wp-content/up
loads/2017/07/2017_Scheda-ASGI-permesso-umanitario_def..pdf.
Piedmont Regional Council, Three–year Plan Against Discrimination (2018–2020),
https://www.regione.piemonte.it/web/sites/default/files/media/docu
menti/2019-01/piano_triennale_2018-2020_0.pdf.
Piedmont Regional Council, Three–Year Regional Plan of Interventions against
Gender Violence (2017–2019), https://www.regione.piemonte.it/web/temi/
diritti-politiche-sociali/diritti/antiviolenza/piano-triennale-contro-violenza.
Sabbadini L., Audizione davanti alla Commissione parlamentare d’inchiesta sul femminicidio, nonché su ogni forma di violenza di genere, 2017, available at https://
www.senato.it/service/PDF/PDFServer/DF/338920.pdf.
The City of Turin, Collaboration Agreement for an Anti–racist Turin (in Italian as
“Patto di Collaborazione per una Torino Antirazzista”), http://www.comune.
torino.it/benicomuni/notizie/patto-di-collaborazione-per-una-torino-anti
razzist.shtml, http://www.comune.torino.it/ucstampa/comunicati/article_
152.shtml.
The City of Turin, Coordination Against Violence Against Women (in Italian as “Coordinamento Contro la Violenza sulle Donne”, CCVD), http://www.comune.to
rino.it/politichedigenere/po/po_reti/po_cccvd/index.shtml.
The City of Turin, Guidelines for Interculture and Participation (in Italian as “Linee
guida per il Coordinamento alle Politiche per l’Interculturalità e alla Partecipazione”),
http://www.integrazionemigranti.gov.it/Attualita/Notizie/Documents/
La%20politica%20interculturale%20della%20Citt%C3%A0%20di%20Tori
no_latest.pdf.
Valsecchi A., Codice Rosso e Diritto Penale Sostanziale: le principali novità, in «Diritto penale e processo», 2(2020), p. 163.
Building the “Recognize and Change” Culture
ISBN 979-12-5994-029-2
DOI 10.53136/979125994029214
pp. 143-154 (March 2021)
Tackling Discrimination and Violence in the R&C Territories
The Experience of Alto Alentejo (Portugal)
Cláudia Múrias*
Introductory Overview
Portugal is committed to respecting and promoting human rights for all,
both at national and international levels. The Assembly of the Republic has
legislative power. The Parliament’s Committee on Constitutional Affairs,
Rights, Freedoms and Guarantees oversees human rights violations, it also
drafts and submits bills and petitions for parliamentary approval. Several
Governments have committed themselves to defend and strengthen the
Welfare State, promoting the effective social inclusion of citizens and the
development of local, regional and national initiatives recognizing the benefits of diversity and the construction of an intercultural society, guided by
the constitutional principle of equality and non–discrimination provided
for in Article 13 of the Constitution of the Portuguese Republic (CRP).
Portugal is a unitary state and respects the principles of subsidiarity, the
autonomy of local authorities and the democratic decentralization of public
administration in its organization and functioning. According to the CRP,
local authorities are territorial legal persons; they elect representative organs and — owning regulatory power — they seek to pursue the interests
of the populations they represent. In order to administer territorial interests, Municipalities may form associations and federations called Inter
Municipal Communities (CIM), to which the law grants specific responsibilities and competences on local affairs, namely to promote citizens’
well–being, quality of life, and real gender equality.
Portugal ratified several international human rights instruments and additional Protocols that constitute what has come to be known as the International Bill of Human Rights, serving as touchstones for interpreting the huCláudia Múrias, psychologist, effective member of the Order of Portuguese Psychologists,
and Gender Expert recognized by CIG (Commission for Citizenship and Gender Equality), in collaboration with Rita Félix Boavida, Social Worker, project consultant of CIMAA (Inter Municipal
Community of Alto Alentejo).
*
143
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Cláudia Múrias
man rights provisions of the UN Charter, as well as International Conventions, such as the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its
1967 Protocol, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, the International Convention on the Elimination
of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and United Nations Security Council
Resolution No. 1325 (2000) on “Women, peace and security”. Regarding
the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP), the CPLP has
established the Action Plan for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment, and announced a set of measures aimed at combating harmful traditional practices, namely female genital mutilation and cutting (FGM/C).
At the European level, Portugal is bound by European Union (EU) law
(mainly EU Directives and Regulations) issued by EU bodies and interpreted by the Court of Justice of the European Union. As a Member State of
the Council of Europe (CoE), Portugal ratified The European Convention
on Human Rights and has to comply with the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights. Portugal ratified CoE agreements and
conventions on Refugees, Migrant Workers, National Minorities, and The
Convention on the Fight against Trafficking in Human Beings. Portugal
was among the first group of countries to ratify the Council of Europe
Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and
Domestic Violence (Istanbul Convention), under which States signatories
have the obligation to prevent violence against women, protect its victims
and prosecute perpetrators.
Discrimination and Violence Based on Gender
According to Social Institutions and the Gender Index 2019, elaborated by
the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD),
Portugal ranks 5th with more equal social laws and norms (11.2%), but
this is not directly reflected in terms of practices and attitudes, which,
nevertheless, have worse results. For example, women and men have the
same rights to free movement, inside and outside the country, but in the
practical dimension, considering the safety of women walking alone at
night, Portugal still has the highest proportion among OECD countries of
women who say they feel insecure in their free movements at night (74%).
It is in the family that the worst results arise (21.8%), largely because
of the imbalance in the distribution of domestic work — women spend
three times more hours per day than men in these activities. In this field,
The Experience of Alto Alentejo (Portugal)
145
Portugal is one of the OECD countries where women dedicate more
hours per day to household chores, although, on average, women work
38 hours per week, and men work 41 hours. According to the European
Gender Equality Index, family responsibilities are reported as a barrier
to engagement in education and training for 41% of women compared
to 22% of men. Most informal carers of older persons and/or persons
with disabilities in Portugal are women (60%) and Portugal has the highest unmet needs for professional home care across the EU (86%). In
2016, 23% of women and 32% of men aged 20–49 (potential parents)
were ineligible to apply for parental leave, and unemployment/inactivity was the main reason for the ineligibility of 84% of women and 52%
of men. Portugal’s gender pay gap has been increasing in recent years:
from 8.5% in 2007 to 17.5% in 2017. Women constitute the majority
of the working poor (54%) and the gender pension gap in Portugal is
31%. Only one third of women occupy managerial positions in business
companies (33%); the percentage of women ministers increased from
14% to 35% between 2005 and 2018; and women represent 36% of all
parliamentarians, but only 10% of all mayors are women. Concerning
intersectional discrimination, Roma girls and women have lower education levels and higher unemployment rates.
Gender–based violence continues to be a major trend. Portugal lacks
specific legislation addressing violence against women. According to the
Annual Internal Security Report (RASI), in 2018 there were 22,423 reports
of domestic violence occurrences and police registered 421 reports of
rape at the national level, whereas in CIM of Alto Alentejo (CIMAA),
there were 285 reports of domestic violence occurrences and 6 reports
of rape. According to the Disability and Human Rights Observatory
(ODDH), one in every two women with disabilities is a victim of gender–based violence, including sexual abuse. A European study estimated that 1,300 girls in Portugal may have been subjected to FGM/C in
2011, and some NGOs report that FGM/C was practiced on young girls
in poor African communities, particularly by Bissau–Guinean immigrants. Two out of three victims of homicide in Portugal are women,
and according to preliminary data from media reports, within the first
10 months of 2019, there were 28 female deaths related to domestic violence. Moreover, 85% of domestic violence complaints are dismissed
without any charges, less than 7% result in convictions and the majority
of the sentences are suspended. In fact, only 10% of convicted domestic
abusers ever see the inside of a jail cell. Within the last 15 years, over a
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thousand children became orphans due to domestic violence (yet children are not considered to be victims). There is a lack of coordination
between Family Courts and Criminal Courts, which leads to contradictory decisions (including visitation rights granted to offending fathers
whose children are in shelters with their mothers under protection).
Recent legislative interventions
Since October 2017, numerous legislative measures have been put in
place and have strengthened the legal framework to promote equality and fight against gender–based discrimination and violence. Law No.
62/2017, of August 1, established the regime of balanced representation
between women and men in the management and supervisory bodies
of public sector entities and listed companies, establishing the minimum
thresholds 33% for persons of each sex assigned to each administrative
and supervisory body, in the state business sector and in companies listed on the stock exchange; Law No. 60/2018, of August 21, approved several measures to promote equal pay for women and men for equal work or
work of equal value, making the first amendment to Law No. 10/2001,
of May 21, which institutes an Annual Report on Progress of Equality between Men and Women at Work, Employment and Training; to
Law No. 105/2009, of September 14, which regulates and amends the
Labor Code; and to Decree–Law No. 76/2012, of March 26, which approves the structure of the Commission for Equality in Work and Employment, extending the competencies to issue a Technical Proposal on
Remuneration Discrimination. Law No. 26/2019, of March 28, established
that the Annual Report on Progress should include information on the
evolution of balanced representation between women and men in positions of management and public administration bodies. Organic Law No.
1/2019, of March 29, established the second amendment to the Parity
Law concerning organs of political power, demanding 40% representation of the underrepresented sex.
On family issues, the civil (de–facto) unions were protected by Law
No. 71/2018, of December 31, which deals, among other things, with the
requisites for recognition, evidence, and equivalence to marriage in labour, tax and pensions law, permanence in the household in the event
of death or a breakdown of the union, adoption and the requisites of a
formal dissolution whenever any of the members intend to receive any
benefits derived from the union. Law No. 90/2019, of September 4, rein-
The Experience of Alto Alentejo (Portugal)
147
forced protection in parenting, extending the rights of parental responsibility and derivatives of adoption to couples of parents of the same
sex, changing the Labor Code (Law No. 7/2009, of 12 February). Decree–Law No. 89/2009, of April 9, regulated protection in parenting, in
the context of the eventuality of maternity, paternity and adoption, of
workers who exercise public functions. Decree–Law 91/2009, of April 9,
established the legal regime of social protection in parenting within the
scope of the social security system and in the solidarity subsystem. Law
No. 100/2019, of September 6, approved the Statute of Informal Caregiver, changing the Code of Contributory Regimes of the Social Security
System and the Law No. 13/2003, of May 21.
A new program cycle was launched by the Resolution of the Council of
Ministers No. 61/2018, on May 21, approving the National Strategy for Equality and Non–Discrimination 2018–2030 – “Portugal + Equal”, supported by
three Action Plans defining strategic objectives and specific provisions on
non–discrimination on grounds of sex and equality between women and
men (PAIMH), prevention and combating all forms of violence against
women, gender–based violence and domestic violence (PAVMVD), and
combating discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation, gender
identity and expression, and sex characteristics (PAOIEC); then, Resolution of the Council of Ministers No. 80/2018, of June 19, approved the IV
Action Plan for the Prevention and Combat of Trafficking in Humans
Beings 2018–2021, and by Resolution of the Council of Ministers No. 33/2019,
of February 15, which approved 3rd National Action Plan on the Implementation of the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (2019–2022).
Decree No. 8/2019, of March 6, declared a one–day national mourning for victims of domestic violence, and several resolutions from the
Parliament recommended the improvement of the prevention and
fight against domestic violence. Resolution of the Council of Ministers No.
139/2019, of August 19, approved the development of an integrated action in the field of primary and secondary prevention to violence against
women and domestic violence (VMVD), to be promoted by the governmental areas of Citizenship and Equality, Internal Administration,
Justice, Education, Labour, Solidarity and Social Security, and Health.
At the Council of Ministers, on April 23, 2020, following the recommendations of the Group of Experts to Combat Violence against Women
and Domestic Violence of the Council of Europe (GREVIO), several
amendments were adopted in the legal framework.
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Relevant local policies
The European Charter for the Equality of Women and Men in Local Life
has been the inspiration of the Municipal and Inter Municipal Plans for
Equality. CIMAA begun its strategy towards Equality with the launch of
both the Intermunicipal Plan for Equality of Alto Alentejo East and the Intermunicipal Plan for Equality of Alto Alentejo West, ensuring the implementation
of the first one, in cooperation with the Portuguese Red Cross Delegation
of Portalegre and its Support Centre for Victims of Domestic Violence.
Since 2010, according to the Resolution of the Council of Ministers
No. 39/2010, of May 25, the Local Councillors for Equality are responsible
for monitoring and promoting the implementation of measures provided for in the local strategies for promoting equality and for preventing
and combating domestic violence and other forms of discrimination. CIMAA’s municipalities have appointed seven councillors so far: Alter do
Chão, Avis, Gavião, Monforte, Ponte de Sor, Portalegre and Sousel.
More recently, the Strategy to Combat Domestic and Gender–based
Violence (2018–2021) aims for the territorialization of responses in the
area of violence, emphasizing the actions of awareness raising towards
the community, training professionals and proposed legislation to improve legal assistance to victims. According to both Protocols for a Strategy
to Combat Domestic and Gender–based Violence of Alto Alentejo East and West,
a group of signatory stakeholders constituted a Network to promote the
necessary conditions for the support and protection of the victims, providing financial, technical and logistical support, looking for the profitability of the resources existing throughout the territory.
On February 5, 2019, a Protocol between the Portuguese Commission
for Citizenship and Gender Equality (CIG) and the National Association
of Portuguese Municipalities (ANMP) was signed, and aimed to establish
institutional cooperation as to achieve autonomy and empowerment for
victims of domestic violence, finding solutions that can respond to victims’ housing needs when they leave the emergency shelter and return to
live in the community (the National Support Network for Victims of Domestic Violence). Five municipalities from CIMAA have signed this Protocol: Arronches, Campo Maior, Castelo de Vide, Monforte and Sousel.
Lastly, in June 2020, CIMAA applied for a call to prepare an Intermunicipal Plan for Equality (2021–2024) in accordance with the new protocols
of the National Strategy for Equality and Non–Discrimination 2018–2030
“Portugal + Equal”.
The Experience of Alto Alentejo (Portugal)
149
Discrimination and Violence Based on Migration
The government considers all the EU Member States to be safe countries
of origin or transit. According to the Dublin system, it returned asylum
seekers to their country of (first) entry in the EU for adjudication of their
applications. Portugal agreed to accept 4,754 refugees through the EU’s
relocation program. In 2018, the government fulfilled its commitment
and received refugees under the EU’s relocation plan for refugees who
entered the EU through Greece and Turkey and offered Portuguese citizenship to refugees residing on Portuguese territory. According to NGOs
and media reports, authorities kept some asylum seekers who submitted
their applications for international protection at border checkpoints in detention. If asylum seekers appealed a negative decision, they could remain
in detention for up to 60 days, without other alternatives.
The government also provided temporary protection to individuals
who may not qualify as refugees and provided subsidiary protection to,
approximately, 136 persons in 2017, according to the NGO Portuguese
Refugee Council (CPR). The reception centre for refugees in Lisbon remains overcrowded.
NGOs report ethnic discrimination in areas such as education, housing
and employment. Intolerance, crimes and hate speech are of concern in
Portugal; what is particularly worrying is the persistence of cases of police violence against migrants (Brazilian, Ukrainian, Romanian and Moldovan) and national minorities (particularly Roma and Afro descendants,
but also Muslims, lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders). The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI), CoE monitoring
body, alerts that far right and neo–Nazi groups spread hate speech on the
Internet and threaten migrants and the organizations working to uphold
their rights, and that sanctions are not a deterrent. According to its Annual
Report, the Commission for Equality and Against Racial Discrimination
(CICDR) received 436 complaints of discrimination in 2019, an increase
of 26%. With regard to the content of the complaints, 44% were based
on nationality (mainly Brazilian, Ukrainian, Romanian and Moldovan);
35% of the complaints submitted refer to discrimination based on ethnic–
racial Afro–descendant (African or black origin); and 17% were based on
Roma ethnic origin.
Portugal is a transit and destination country for men, women and children, subjected to forced labour and sex trafficking. Trafficking victims are
primarily from Africa and Eastern Europe, and, to a lesser extent, Latin
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America and Asia. While most forced labour victims are men, an increase in
the number of female forced labour victims was documented in 2015, and
children are also subjected to forced labour. According to the Portuguese
Observatory on Trafficking in Human Beings, foreign labour trafficking victims
were exploited in agriculture, construction, and domestic service, while
Portuguese victims were exploited in restaurants, agriculture, and domestic
service, primarily in Portugal and Spain. Government efforts to prevent and
eliminate forced labour included a countrywide awareness campaign and a
professional training for security forces to identify, flag, and direct victims
to assistance services. According to NGOs and media, criminal convictions
remain low, and convicted offenders frequently avoid imprisonment, undercutting enforcement efforts and victim protections. In 2017, courts only
convicted and sentenced 11 traffickers for forced labour.
Foreign women and children, mostly from Africa and Eastern Europe,
and low–income Portuguese women and children are subjected to sex
trafficking within the country. Portuguese victims have also been subjected to sex trafficking in other countries, mostly in Europe. Portuguese authorities have reported that traffickers bring women and children, many
from African countries, to Portugal to claim asylum before bringing victims to other European countries to be exploited in trafficking.
Recent legislative interventions
Since October 2017, numerous legislative measures have been put in place
and have strengthened the legal tools in the promotion of equality and in
the fight against migration discrimination.
In the Resolution of the Council of Ministers No. 80/2018, of June 19, the
Government recognizes that the scourge of trafficking human beings takes
on increasingly diverse, complex and sophisticated forms, which implies
the need for a well–defined and coherent strategic orientation, through a
coordinated and effective security policy, responding to the main internal
and external risks and threats, and promoting integrated protection of
victims. The 4th National Plan against the Trafficking in Human Beings
(2018–2021) aims to reinforce knowledge on the subject of trafficking human beings, to ensure that victims have better access to their rights, as
well as to qualify intervention, and to promote the fight against organized
crime networks, namely by dismantling the business model and dismantling the trafficking chain. In addition, Law No. 26/2018, of July 5, amends
the Law for the Protection of Children and Youth in Danger, approved in
The Experience of Alto Alentejo (Portugal)
151
annex to Law No. 147/99, of September 1, and the regime of entry, stay,
exit and removal of foreigners from the national territory, approved by
Law No. 23/2007, of July 4, for an effective regularization of the legal status of children and young people of foreign nationality admitted to State
institutions or equivalents.
In August 2019, Portugal became one of the first countries to approve,
by Resolution of the Council of Ministers no. 141/2019, on August 20, the
National Implementation Plan of the Global Compact for Migration. The
Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration is the first inter–governmentally negotiated agreement, prepared under the auspices
of the United Nations, covering all dimensions of international migration
in a holistic and comprehensive manner.
To eliminate discrimination against national minorities, Resolution of
the Council of Ministers No. 154/2018, of November 8, established the National Roma Communities Integration Strategy (ENICC). The ENICC
intends to improve the well–being and integration of Roma people, encourage mutual understanding and positive interaction, and deconstruct
stereotypes, providing the necessary framework for dialogue between civil servants, Roma people and civil society organizations working for and
with these communities.
Moreover, in order to increase responses for unemployed and uneducated young people, the so–called NEET, the ENICC extended the Escolhas Program, a social inclusion program funded by the High Commissioner for Migration (ACM), up to 30–year–olds.
Lastly, Law No. 83/2019, of September 3, known as the Housing Basis
Law, established the bases of the right to housing and the fundamental
tasks of the State in effectively guaranteeing that right to all citizens, “consecrating that everyone has the right to housing, for themselves and their
family, regardless of ancestry or ethnic origin, sex, language, territory of
origin, nationality, religion, belief, political or ideological convictions, education, economic situation, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability or
health condition”, according to the Constitution.
Relevant local policies
On 21 June 2018, the ACM launched the Local Plans for the Integration of
Roma Communities (PLICC), funded by the European Union Program on
Rights, Equality and Citizenship (2014–2020). These Plans are addressed to
municipalities and local communities as to promote local democratic par-
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ticipation of Roma communities and to create partnerships to design and
implement strategies for bringing Roma communities closer to the majority society. The project resulted in a Guide for the Design of Local Plans
for the Integration of Roma Communities aimed at reinforcing the relevance of the integration of Roma people in the political and public agenda of the various territorial units (Parishes, Municipalities, Intermunicipal
Communities, Districts and Regions), highlighting what was indispensable
to develop cooperative and proximity work. 14 counties were involved in
the creation of the 12 PLICC. The Intermunicipal Community of Alentejo
Central developed two Intermunicipal Plans, one representing the municipalities of Borba and Estremoz, and the other Moura and Mourão.
In this context, the central role of municipalities and other local public
services, civil society entities and people representing Roma communities
stands out in the knowledge of the social situation and the conditions of
existence of the Portuguese Roma population, as well as in the definition
of a strategic intervention plan. In addition, it is important to notice that
the group of schools and training centres of Portalegre and Campo Maior
are already implementing two Escolhas Projects (E6G) toward the integration of Roma communities with the view of promoting their democratic
participation.
CIMAA could promote the foundation of Roma NGOs, which may
represent the Roma community and may interact with local professionals
and decision–makers to make a critical reflection on the main problems
and needs felt in the localities and to outline adjusted practices and solutions to integrate Roma people in Public Life.
The same should be done with foreigners who study and live in CIMAA territory (mostly Brazilian and afro descendants).
Indicative Bibliography
ACM (High Commissioner for Migration), Partnerships, Municipalities, available
at https://www.acm.gov.pt/pt/parceiros/municipios.
CICDR (Commission for Equality and Against Racial Discrimination), Annual Report on the Status of Racial and Ethnic Equality and Non–Discrimination,
available at https://www.cicdr.pt/-/relatorio-anual-sobre-a-situacao-da-igual
dade-e-nao-discriminacao-racial-e-etnica.
CIG (Commission for Citizenship and Gender Equality), Domestic Violence, Law,
available at https://www.cig.gov.pt/portal-violencia-domestica/legislacao/.
The Experience of Alto Alentejo (Portugal)
153
CITE (Commission for Equality in Labour and Employment), National Law,
available at http://cite.gov.pt/pt/acite/legislacaonacion05.html.
ECRI (European Commission against Racism and Intolerance), Report on Portugal (fifth monitoring cycle) CRI(2018)35, 2018, available at https://rm.coe.int/
fifth-report-on-portugal/16808de7da.
EIGE (European Institute for Gender Equality), Gender Equality Index 2019:
Portugal, 2019, available at https://eige.europa.eu/publications/gender-equal
ity-index-2019-portugal.
Human Rights Committee, Concluding observations on the fifth periodic report of Portugal. CCPR/C/PRT/CO/5, 2020, available at https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/
_layouts/15/treatybodyexternal/Download.aspx?symbolno=CCPR/C/
PRT/CO/5&Lang=En.
OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development), Social
Institutions and Gender Index, (2019), available at https://www.genderindex.
org/wp-content/uploads/files/datasheets/2019/PT.pdf.
PpDM (Portuguese Platform for Women’s Rights), 33rd UPR Pre–Session:
Women’s Human Rights in Portugal (2019), available at https://plataforma
mulheres.org.pt/site/wp-content/ficheiros/2019/04/Portuguese_Plat
form_for_Women_s_Rights_1_.pdf.
Public Prosecution Service, Documentation and Comparative Law Office,
Human Rights, 2020, available at http://gddc.ministeriopublico.pt/pagina/
direitos-humanos?menu=direitos-humanos.
RASI, Annual Internal Security Report, (2018), available at https://www.portugal.
gov.pt/download-ficheiros/ficheiro.aspx?v=ad5cfe37-0d52-412e-83f b-7f098
448dba7.
Resolution of Council of Ministers Nº. 154/2018, of 8 November, adopted The National Roma Communities Integration Strategy (ENICC), (2013–2022), available at
https://www.acm.gov.pt/documents/10181/52642/Publicac%CC%A7a
%CC%83o+ENICC_EN_bx.pdf/c129278c-86bc-4647-88e7-f362a61c56f1.
Resolution of the Council of Ministers No. 141/2019, of 20 August, approves the National Implementation Plan of the Global Compact for Migration, (2019–2020),
available at https://www.portaldiplomatico.mne.gov.pt/en/foreign-policy/
multilateral-affairs/the-national-implementation-plan-of-the-global-com
pact-for-migration.
Resolution of the Council of Ministers No. 33/2019, of 15 February, that approved 3rd
National Action Plan on the Implementation of the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (2019–2022), available at https://www.cig.gov.pt/wp-content/up
loads/2019/05/III-Plano-Nacional-de-A%C3%A7%C3%A3o-para-a-Imple
menta%C3%A7%C3%A3o-da-RCSNU-1325-2019-2022.pdf.
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Resolution of the Council of Ministers No. 61/2018, of 21 May, adopted the National
Strategy for Equality and Non–Discrimination – “Portugal + Equal” (2018–2030),
available at https://www.cig.gov.pt/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Resol_
Cons_-Ministros_61_2018.pdf.
Resolution of the Council of Ministers No. 80/2018, of 19 June, adopted the 4th National Plan against Trafficking in Human Beings (2018–2021), available at https://
www.cig.gov.pt/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/0254602552.pdf.
United States Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and
Labour, Portugal 2015 Human Rights Report, available at https://2009-2017.state.
gov/j/drl/rls/hrrpt/humanrightsreport/index.htm?year=2015&dlid=252889.
United States Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and
Labour, Portugal 2018 Human Rights Report, available at https://www.state.
gov/reports/2018-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/portugal/.
Building the “Recognize and Change” Culture
ISBN 979-12-5994-029-2
DOI 10.53136/979125994029215
pp. 155-160 (March 2021)
Tackling Discrimination and Violence in the R&C Territories
The Experience of Bucharest
and Baia Mare (Romania)
Emanuel Adrian Sarbu*
Introductory Overview
Romania is a South–Eastern European country, located between the Black
Sea, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Moldova, Hungary and Serbia. With approximately 20 million resident inhabitants (19.414.458 people on January 1st, 2019,
according to the National Statistics Institute data), Romania joined NATO
in 2004 and the European Union in 2007. There are 42 counties, 103 municipalities, 2861 communes and 12957 villages (Ciuchea et al., 2015, p. 5).
According to Eurostat data, 9.500.450 are men, and 9.914.008 are women;
of the total population, 121.099 are from foreign countries and stateless.
The Romanian partners in the Recognize & Change project are three
bodies from two different Romanian cities: Direcția Generală de Asistență
Socială a Municipiului București (The General Directorate of Social Welfare
– Bucharest Municipality), CARITAS Bucharest and Serviciul Public Asistență
Socială Baia Mare.
Bucharest is the capital and the largest city of Romania, with approximately 2 million inhabitants officially (1.883.425 people according to the
2011 national census and 1.829.897 people in 2019, January 1st, according
to the National Statistics Institute), but with at least one (or even two) additional million transiting for work or educational reasons. It is the main
administrative and political centre.
Baia Mare is the capital city of the Maramureș county, located in the
North–western part of Romania, at approximately 600 km from Bucharest, near the borders with Hungary (70 km) and Ukraine (50 km). According to the 2011 national census, Baia Mare had a total population of
123.738 people. Among them, 58.800 were male (46.27%) and 64.938 female. The largest minorities were Hungarians — 12.750 people, repre*
Emanuel Adrian Sarbu, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Sociology and Social Work,
and at the Faculty of Baptist Theology, University of Bucharest.
155
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Emanuel Adrian Sarbu
senting 12.25% of the population — and 2.76% Roma — 3.107 people.
In 2020, the whole county of Maramures totalled 460.689 people, while
144.925 of them were living in Baia Mare (INSS, 2020).
Violence and discrimination have been on Romania’s public agenda for
decades. The Romanian Constitution states that the country belong to all
of its citizens, disregarding their race, nationality, ethnic origin, language,
religion, gender, opinion, political options, wealth or social origin; furthermore, it states that the “citizens are equals in front of the law and the
public authorities, without any privileges or discrimination”. It must be
also be noted that only 13 European states included “nationality as an explicitly protected ground in anti–discrimination legislation”, and Romania
is one of them.
Discrimination and Violence Based on Gender
A view on the Global Gender Gap Index shows that, in spite of the fact that
the country’s scores are lower than the EU average, Romania is following
the ascendant trend and there is visible progress in almost every single
domain. However, the issue of gender–based violence (and particularly
violence against women) remains significant.
The Romanian Constitution calls for equal opportunities between men
and women; therefore, both genders are, in principle, entitled to achieve
any social status or dignity in public, civil or military areas, they have the
same right to work, and can choose any profession they would like. The
Constitution also explicitly establishes the principle of equal pay for equal
work, for men and women (art. 41 paragraph [4]), being entitled to equal
benefits and social protection. The social protection measures refer to
health and security at the workplace, the work conditions for women and
youth, the minimum wage etc.
Most of the legal codes (the Labour Code, Criminal Code, Family Code)
have rules and regulations which specifically prohibit discrimination and
impose equal treatment to all residents, disregarding their gender, age,
religion, race, ethnicity, political option, etc. There are also specific anti–
discrimination laws which mainly reaffirm international norms and recommendations, including the ones referring to professional empowerment of women, to equal pay for equal work, to domestic violence or to
sensitive aspects like permitting abortion to preserve a woman’s physical
health.
The Experience of Bucharest and Baia Mare (Romania)
157
The legislation regarding domestic violence has been constantly amended and improved (especially the dedicated normative act — Law no.
217/2003 for preventing and combating domestic violence), covering all
aspects or types of violence, from physical to cyber or bullying. Also, new
measures have been introduced to ensure immediate protection of the
victims — the temporary protection order, issued by police officers — and
separating them from their aggressors; finally, the law introduced the notion of ‘gender violence’, according to the definition that can be found in
Istanbul Convention, also ratified by the Romanian Parliament.
It must also be emphasized that there is a dedicated normative act addressing the issue of discrimination, which is also the subject of constant
improvement, namely Ordinance no. 137/31.08.2000, regarding prevention and sanctioning all types of discrimination, where discrimination is
being defined as “any difference, exclusion, restriction or preference based
on race, nationality, ethnicity […], gender, sexual orientation […] and any
other criteria which has as purpose or effect of restraining or eliminating
the recognition, use or exercise, in equal conditions, of the human rights
and fundamental freedoms or rights recognized by the law, in public, economic, social or cultural areas or in any other areas of the public life”. The
elimination of all types of discrimination is in three major areas: prevention, mediation and sanctioning discriminatory behaviour.
These measures, laws and initiatives led to the international organization Human Rights Watch mentioning Romania as one of the countries
that have made “exemplary progress in combating rights abuses based on
sexual orientation or gender identity” (Human Rights Watch, 2006). It
is obvious that Romania, as a country, is far from being considered ideal
when it comes to the management of domestic violence or discrimination based on gender, but there is an entire legal system, starting with the
Constitution, which grants rights and liberties in relation to these. Following the national legal framework, local actions and public policies are
coordinated by national strategies like the one adopted in 2015, namely
The National Strategy regarding Social Inclusion and Reducing the Poverty for
the Period 2015–2020. It can be said that these policies opened the way
to the local actions, because local administrations such as Bucharest and
Baia Mare started to adopt their own strategies for social inclusion and
reducing poverty.
In essence, the Romanian legislative system is subjected to constant reforms and transformation. Violence and discrimination based on gender
has been and will continue to be of great attention to the authorities, in
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Emanuel Adrian Sarbu
order to comply with the international legal framework and, especially,
to comply with the international conventions signed and ratified by our
Country, keeping the right to adapt them to our legal system and making
sure that human rights and dignities are being respected and protected.
Discrimination and Violence Based on Migration
Romania has to be considered a country affected rather by emigration than
immigration, being one of the countries with the largest emigrant populations in the region. Romanian emigrants face discrimination based on
their origin or perception of origin; they are paid lower salaries and become victims of human trafficking.
Roma migrant communities in particular continue to be targeted by
hate speech, violence and discrimination. This is true also in Romania,
the country with the largest Roma population among EU member states”
(Crișan, A., 2017, p. 2).
In 2019, Romania hosted 137.619 foreign people, most of them (84.228)
coming from non–EU countries, and 53.331 from EU and SEE countries
(IGI, 2020). Of the 33.634 people who requested a work permit, most of
them were from Vietnam – 6282 (18.7%), Nepal – 4324 (12.9%) and India
– 4100 (12.2%). In 2019, IGI found 820 illegal aliens on Romanian territory,
and 938 foreign people were escorted to the borders (IGI, 2020). Of the
379 foreign citizens taken into public custody, most of them were from
Vietnam – 92 (24.3%) Iraq – 57 (15.0%) and Sri Lanka – 34 (9.0%) (IGI,
2020).
Even though Romania may not be considered a destination country
for most of the potential immigrants, it is a transit country on their way
to other countries in Western and Northern Europe. This fact may have
contributed to a lower number of immigrants and, possibly, to a rather
tolerant attitude towards them. Of course, this does not imply the lack of
incidents such as, for example, problems they face with employers, mainly
in the domestic work sector, who pay lower salaries or exploit their foreign employees.
The Constitution grants the right to keep, develop and express one’s
own identity; foreign citizens and stateless persons who are residents in
Romania are granted broad protection; the asylum seeker’s request will
be processed according to the treaties and international conventions
signed and ratified by our country. National minorities, as well as foreign
The Experience of Bucharest and Baia Mare (Romania)
159
citizens and stateless persons, have the right to address the court in their
language and/or with the help of an interpreter; in the case of foreign
and stateless persons, the right to have an interpreter is provided free of
charge. Actually, Romania has one of the fastest administrative procedures
for processing asylum requests — only 30 days — and, to date, Romania is
the only member state with no complaints filed at the European Court
of Justice regarding the way it applies the Dublin Procedure (IGI, 2020).
Most of the legal codes (Labour Code, Criminal Code, and Family Code)
have specific rules and regulations which forbid ethnic discrimination.
The Penal Code punishes people who expose migrants to inhumane or
degrading treatments, it criminalizes sex trafficking and labour trafficking
(prescribing penalties of 3–10 years imprisonment).
In 2001, Romania approved Law no. 678/2001 to prevent and combat
human trafficking; since 2006, Law no. 122/ 04.05.2006 has been in force
regarding asylum in Romania. Other normative acts have been adopted
to set up the legal frame on the matter: Governmental Ordinance no. 44/
29.01.2004 regarding the social integration of foreign citizens with international protection or residence permit in Romania, and of citizens from EU
and SEE member states; Governmental Decision no. 1295/ 2004 which
approves the National action plan for the preventing and combating child
trafficking; Governmental Decision no. 1769/2004 which approves the National action plan for the elimination of the exploitation of children labour;
Governmental Emergency Ordinance no. 102/14.07.2005 regarding the
free circulation on Romanian territory of citizens from EU, SEE and Swiss
Confederation; Governmental Ordinance no. 25/26.08.2014 regarding labour integration, the detachment of foreign citizens in Romania, and the
modification and completion of certain normative documents regarding
the presence of foreign citizens in Romania. Also, it is worth mentioning
the National Strategy for Immigration and the Action Plan for implementing
the National Strategy for Immigration, both approved by Governmental
Decision no. 780/2015; in 2019 a proposal to update the strategy for the
period 2019–2022 was submitted.
To conclude, the legal frame is comprehensive and covers most relevant aspects; it is also subject of constant change and transformation, in
order to be harmonized with the European legal frame and with the international conventions and ratified treaties, aiming to ensure huma right
protection and equal disgnity for migrants.
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Emanuel Adrian Sarbu
Indicative Bibliography
ANES (Agenția Națională pentru Egalitate de Șanse), Monitoring report on the
state of implementation of the Operational Plan for the implementation of the National Strategy on the promotion of equal opportunities and treatment between women and men and the prevention and combating of domestic violence, 2019, https://
anes.gov.ro/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Raport-monitorizare.pdf.
ANITP (Agentia Naţională Împotriva Traficului de Persoane), https://anitp.
mai.gov.ro/analiza-succinta-privind-cncdl-de-persoane-in-2019/.
CNCD (Consiliul Național pentru Combaterea Discriminării), https://cncd.ro/.
EIGE (European Institute for Gender Equality), Intersecting inequalities: Gender Equality Index, 2019, available at: https://eige.europa.eu/publications/
intersecting-inequalities-gender-equality-index.
ENAR, Racist crime & institutional racism in Europe, Shadow Report 2014-2018,
2019, https://www.enar-eu.org/IMG/pdf/shadowreport2018_final.pdf.
Eurostat, People on the Move, 2019, https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/prod
ucts-digital-publications/-/KS-04-19-470.
Eurostat, Statistici privind migrația și populația migrantă, 2020, available at
https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Migra
tion_and_migrant_population_statistics/ro.
FRA (European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights), Roma survey – Data
in focus, Poverty and employment: the situation of Roma in 11 EU Member States,
2014.
IGI (General Inspector for Immigration), Analiza activității Inspectoratului General pentru Imigrări, http://igi.mai.gov.ro/ro/content/analiza-activitatii.
ILGA, Annual Review of the Human Rights Situation of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans
and Intersex People in Europe, 2019.
INSSE, Imigranti definitivi dupa tara de provenienta, 2020, http://statistici.insse.
ro:8077/tempo-online/#/pages/tables/insse-table.
Onet R., Sârbu E., Guðmundsdóttir M.L., Sigfússon J., Sigfúsdóttir I.D., Pálsdóttir H., Kristjánsson A.L., Youth in Europe complete report 2016/2017, Serviciul Public de Asistență Socială Baia Mare, Baia Mare 2017.
US State Department, Trafficking in persons report, 20th Edition, June 2020, https://
www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/2020-TIP-Report-Complete062420-FINAL.pdf.
Building the “Recognize and Change” Culture
ISBN 979-12-5994-029-2
DOI 10.53136/979125994029216
pp. 161-167 (March 2021)
Tackling Discrimination and Violence in the R&C Territories
The Experience of Huelva and Jaen (Spain)
Argelio Gallego Sánchez, Irene Sancho Gustos,
Karen Bibiana Suárez Foronda*
Introductory Overview
The legal instrument governing the Spanish system is the 1978 Constitution, which serves as a basis for the distribution of powers, the organization of the national territory and the allocation of responsibilities. Article
1 of the Constitution defines Spain as a social and democratic State governed by the rule of law, which takes the political form of a parliamentary
monarchy. Powers are separated into three levels: legislative, executive and
judicial.
Andalusia is an autonomous community in Southern Spain that accounts
for about 2% of the European Union territory. Its geostrategic value is
determined by its location on the Southern border of Europe, a few kilometres away from Northern Africa. It acts as a bridge between Europe
and the Maghreb countries and is in a strategic position between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, a crossing between roads and
civilizations.
In matters of discrimination and violence against women, Andalusia
has exclusive powers to promote gender equality in the social, work, economic and political spheres by virtue of its autonomous statute. Regarding violence against women, there are shared competences between the
State and Andalusia.
As for immigration, the other main topic of this report, it falls within the exclusive competence of the State, but Andalusia is competent in
achieving social integration of migrants in accordance with Art. 62 of its
autonomous statute.
*
Argelio Gallego Sánchez, Irene Sancho Gustos and Karen Bibiana Suárez Foronda, Young
Educators in collaboration with the Diputación de Huelva.
161
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Argelio Gallego Sánchez, Irene Sancho Gustos, Karen Bibiana Suárez Foronda
Discrimination and Violence Based on Gender
As established in the Treaty of the European Union, in the EU Charter of
Fundamental Rights and in the Spanish Constitution (Art. 9.2), gender
equality and antidiscrimination policies are the essential building blocks
to change prevailing cultural patterns, attitudes and values. They help to
eliminate stereotypes and promote social development, freedom, equality
and the exercise of women’s fundamental rights, with the view of eliminating any form of violence against women. The only means at our disposal to put an end to violence against women is the development of
equality and antidiscrimination policies, which constitute the basis for
the implementation of specific measures oriented towards achieving the
same goal. Moreover, the Istanbul Convention, which Spain is committed to
implementing, represents one of the legal guidelines for tackling violence
against women.
Spanish legislation on Gender Violence
Following the murder of Ana Orantes, gender violence became a public
issue. Women’s organizations across Spain became involved in the fight
against the scourge of male violence. Thus, their initiatives and demands
were reflected in the changes that we saw in the following years. The current legislation on matters of gender equality and violence against women include:
— Organic Law 1/2004, of 28 December, on integral protection measures against gender violence.
— Organic Law 3/2007, of 22 March, on effective gender equality.
— Organic Law 2/2010, of 3 March, on sexual and reproductive health
and voluntary termination of pregnancy.
In Andalusia, two regional laws were adopted complementing the
above national legislation: Law 13/2007, of 26 November, on integral prevention and protection measures against gender violence in Andalusia;
and Law 12/2007, of 26 November, on the promotion of gender equality
in Andalusia.
The following innovations have been introduced in the last three years:
a situation of gender violence can be now documented by a written report
by social specialized services, not just by the public prosecutor’s office or
The Experience of Huelva and Jaen (Spain)
163
a court decision (Royal Decree–Law 9/2018). Royal Decree Law 6/2019
modifies the elaboration of equality plans in companies as well as the establishment of a body which monitors these Plans; the same Royal Decree
Law modifies the statute of workers for the equalization of parental leaves.
Lastly, Law 3/2019 was drafted to improve the situation of orphans who
are victims of gender violence.
In October 2019, GREVIO’s visit to Spain took place. On the occasion
of this visit, the actions carried out by the Spanish State were analysed
and the publication of a report was announced. This report will include
the analysis of the group of experts, as well as recommendations to continue working on this. A preview of the report is that this international
body defines Spain as a country that has made an enormous effort to fight
against this type of violence that “is very present in public policies as well
as in the role of social agents”. However, the members of GREVIO have
also stressed the need to undertake changes on the level of prevention and
education, to improve communication between the different administrations in order to favour a greater co–responsibility among them and to
empower women in rural areas (a positive measure that is being carried
out by the council). In the field of justice, GREVIO highlights the exemplary support given to women, although it draws attention to the time the
aggressor spends in detention as well as the scarce judicial measures to
avoid contact between the aggressors and the victims’ children.
Data on the Magnitude of the Issue
The data provided here goes back to 2003, which is the date when the
number of female victims of gender violence began to be registered. So
far, during 2020 there have been 25 female victims and the overall total
from 2003 to 2020 amounts to 1058. As a result of the measures adopted
and of increasing public awareness, a downward trend is noticeable. Nonetheless, concerning the 131 female victims registered since 2018, only 31
of them had lodged any kind of complaint against their aggressors.
Considering the intersectional aspect of these data, out of the total number of victims in 2018, 19 were foreign women against 32 who were Spanish
women. This pattern is repeated in the years 2019 and 2020, with 22 foreign
women against 33 Spanish women and 8 foreign women against 17 Spanish
women, respectively. The age of the victims ranges from 21 to 50 years.
Regarding positive measures adopted locally, both Andalusian provinces
resort to similar methods to achieve the goals of equality and elimination
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Argelio Gallego Sánchez, Irene Sancho Gustos, Karen Bibiana Suárez Foronda
of violence against women generally contained in the Equality Plans, drafted for a definite period. These local measures include professional trainings,
preparation of inclusive material, use of inclusive language, regulation
of women’s image, promotion of feminist groups, improvement of communication with the latter, public aids for social entities fighting for gender equality, training of men in equality issues, creation and promotion
of movements on rural women, support and advice to municipalities in
measures oriented towards eliminating gender violence, etc.
Discrimination and Violence Based on Migration
The UN Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
defines racial discrimination as: “Any distinction, exclusion, restriction
or preference based on race, colour, descent, or national or ethnic origin
which has the purpose or effect of nullifying or impairing the recognition, enjoyment or exercise, on an equal footing, of human rights and
fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural or any
other field of public life”. To facilitate the comprehension of the following
paragraphs, the terms migrant, refugee and stateless person will be used in
accordance with the meaning given to them by international organizations such as the United Nations and the Convention on the Status of Stateless
Persons. Spain has experienced evident, sweeping changes concerning migration throughout the last decades, especially during the last ten years.
Its geographic location is essential to any study of the migration phenomenon since only a 14–kilometer stretch of sea separates the Iberian Peninsula from Africa.
Spanish legislation on immigration
Immigration issues, which fall within the exclusive competence of the Spanish
state, are regulated in the following laws:
— The rights of foreigners are regulated in Art. 13.1 of the Spanish Constitution, which grants immigrants the public freedoms enshrined in
the Constitution for Spanish citizens “in the terms established by
the Treaties and the Law”. Article 13.3 provides that: “Extradition
shall only be allowed in compliance with a treaty or with the Law,
taking into account the principle of reciprocity”.
The Experience of Huelva and Jaen (Spain)
165
— Organic Law 4/2000, of 11 January, on the rights and freedoms of
foreigners in Spain and their social integration.
— Concerning asylum–seekers, the legislative instrument regulating
this issue is Law 12/2009, of 30 October, on the right to asylum and
subsidiary protection.
With regard to the innovations that have taken place in recent years,
legislative reforms respond to guidelines for action imposed by the competent administrative body, in this case, the Secretariat of Immigration. In
2020, and as a way of responding to the needs of immigrants during the
current pandemic, the instructions that have been issued on immigration
are intended to facilitate the maintenance of residence permits, work permits and the authorization to work for minors.
Finally, for a few years now, a program called “Holidays in Peace” has
been running in Spain with the Saharawi people. To this end, the relevant
Ministry issued a resolution (the last in 2019) authorizing the temporary
residence of minors and the stay of legal guardians of Saharawi origin, in
Spain.
Data on the magnitude of the issue
With regard to the gender distribution of immigrants in Spain, there are
more women than men. The immigrant population amounts to 6,104,203,
accounting for 12.96% of the Spanish population, of which 3,190,456 are
women (52.26% of the total number of immigrant persons). The nationality of the immigrant persons arriving in Spain has changed over the
years; the largest proportion of them is currently of South American origin, significantly ahead of the second largest continent of origin, which
is Africa. These are followed by Central America. Andalusia has a high inflow of migrants, being the fourth autonomous community with the largest inflow of migrants after Catalonia, Madrid and the region of Valencia.
Concerning the positive measures adopted, the provincial council of
Huelva implements a series of integral best practices, aimed towards integration while safeguarding the culture of the immigrant persons.
Thus, according to the Andalusia Federation of Municipalities and
Provinces in its report “Tratamiento Integral de la Inmigración en Andalucía” (“Integral Treatment of Immigration in Andalusia”), two municipalities
in the province of Huelva are a reference for best practices:
166
Argelio Gallego Sánchez, Irene Sancho Gustos, Karen Bibiana Suárez Foronda
CARTAYA
LEPE
Association for support to seasonal
workers
Interactive Courses of the Town Hall.
Improvement of the Spanish language
and of the integration of migrant children
Services and resources located at the Office for Seasonal Workers
Classes of approach to the Internet and
new information technologies
Table 1. Positive actions carried out in the Cartaya and Lepe municipalities, province of
Huelva.
Concerning the positive measures adopted by the provincial council
of Jaen, in 2008 the Equality and Welfare Department of the council implemented a Program for the Integration and Social Promotion of immigrant persons with the aim of streamlining the criteria allowing the
immigrant persons to enjoy their integration rights as well as to promote
quality services for the reception and complete integration of these persons in the host society.
In addition to the above, a series of Helpdesks for Seasonal Workers were
created to meet the needs of all migrants that come to the Province of
Jaen looking for work in the period of the olive harvest. The establishment of Lodges for Seasonal Workers is also noteworthy; it guarantees
the basic needs of these workers. In this same area, the provincial council
manages the Care Centres for Children of Seasonal Workers (including kindergartens, lodges and day–care centres).
Indicative Bibliography
Aranda R., Civilian action against gender violence in the L.O. 1/2004, «RJUAM»,
17(2008–1), pp. 9–33.
Delegación del Gobierno contra la Violencia de Género, see https://violen
ciagenero.igualdad.gob.es/violenciaEnCifras/observatorio/home.htm.
Diputación de Huelva. Área de Igualdad, http://www.diphuelva.es/igualdad/.
Diputación de Jaén. Área de Igualdad, https://www.dipujaen.es/microsites/
igualdad/.
Instituto Andaluz de la Mujer, https://www.juntadeandalucia.es/institutodelamujer/.
The Experience of Huelva and Jaen (Spain)
167
Law 12/2009, of 30 October, regulating the Right to Asylum and Subsidiary Protection,
“Official State Gazette”, 31 October 2009, no. 263, Madrid, pp. 90860–90884
https://www.boe.es/eli/es/lo/2004/12/28/1.
Observatorio Permanente de la Inmigración, http://extranjeros.inclusion.
gob.es/es/ObservatorioPermanenteInmigracion/index.html.
Observatory of Migration in the Strait and Prevention of unwanted effects, http://web2.famp.es/famp/programas/seminarios_cursos_jornadas/
ARENA/guias/GUIA%20DE%20INMIGRACION%20(OMEPEI%20INTERREG%20III).pdf.
Organic Law 1/2004 of 28 December on Comprehensive Protection Measures against
Gender Violence, “Official State Gazette”, 29 December 2004, no. 313, Madrid,
pp. 42166–42197. https://www.boe.es/eli/es/lo/2004/12/28/1.
Organic Law 2/2009, of 11 December, on the reform of Organic Law 4/2000, of 11 January, on the Rights and Freedoms of Foreigners in Spain and their Social Integration,
“Official State Gazette”, December 12, 2009, no. 299, Madrid, pp. 104986–
105031. https://www.boe.es/buscar/doc.php?id=BOE-A-2009-19949.
Organic Law 2/2010, of March 3, on Sexual and Reproductive Health and the
Voluntary Interruption of Pregnancy. Official State Gazette. Madrid, 4 March
2010, no. 55, pp. 21001–21014. https://www.boe.es/eli/es/lo/2010/03/03/2.
Organic Law 3/2007, of 22 March, for the Effective Equality of Women and Men, “Official State Gazette”, 23 March 2007, no. 71, Madrid, pp. 12611–12645. https://
www.boe.es/eli/es/lo/2007/03/22/3.
Organic Law 4/2000 of 11 January on the Rights and Freedoms of Foreigners in Spain and
their Social Integration, “Official State Gazette”, January 12, 2000, no. 10, Madrid,
pp. 1139–1150. https://www.boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-2000-544.
Resolution of June 18, 2019, of the Secretary of State for Migration, by which The Agreement of the Council of Ministers of June 14, 2019 is published, by which The instructions that determine the procedure for authorize the temporary residence of minors and the stay of the monitors, Saharawi origin, in Spain within the framework
of the “Holidays in Peace 2019” Program, “State official newsletter”, 18 June
2019, no. 146, Madrid, pp. 65082–65086. https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/
txt.php?id=BOE-A-2019-9217.
Spanish Constitution, “Official State Gazette”, 29 December 1978, no. 311, Madrid, pp. 29313–29424. https://www.boe.es/eli/es/c/1978/12/27/(1).
Building the “Recognize and Change” Culture
ISBN 979-12-5994-029-2
DOI 10.53136/979125994029217
pp. 169-207 (March 2021)
The Comparative Analysis
Francesca Finelli*
Introduction
This final comparative analysis is a complex output. Several legislative interventions and local policies are going to be presented with the view of
evaluating how national legislators and local decision–makers have faced
intolerance and discrimination in their territories (focusing on the changes which occurred over the past 3 years). The ultimate objective is to share
best practices and inspire future positive actions against discrimination
and violence. In other words, this comparative analysis intends to present
different proposals for the improvement of (local) public policies and the
promotion of social inclusion and citizen participation.
The comparative reading concerns 15 partners from 9 countries around the
world, more precisely 15 (public and private) entities located in 9 different
territories characterized by diverse legal systems, forms of government,
historical backgrounds, traditions, languages and cultures. Brazil, Bulgaria, Cape Verde, France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Romania and Spain represent
the 9 countries involved. The Municipality of Fortaleza (Brazil), Caritas
Ruse (Bulgaria), Delphi Association for Strategic Management (Bulgaria),
the Municipality of Praia (Cape Verde), the City of Dunkirk (France), the
Vardakeios School for Indigent Children – Ermoupoli (Greece), the City
of Collegno (Italy), the City of Turin (Italy), ISCOS Piemonte (Italy), the
Inter–Municipal Community of Alto Alentejo (CIMAA) (Portugal), the
Directorate of Social Assistance in Baia Mare (Romania), the General Directorate of Social Welfare at the Municipality of Bucharest (Romania),
Caritas Bucharest (Romania), the Provincial Council of Huelva (Spain),
and the Provincial Council of Jaén (Spain) are the official partners involved
*
Francesca Finelli, Post–Graduate Research Fellow at the University of Turin, Law Department,
in collaboration with Mia Caielli, Associate Professor of (Comparative) Constitutional Law and member of the board of directors of CIRSDe (the Research Centre for Women’s and Gender Studies).
169
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Francesca Finelli
in the Recognize and Change (R&C) project,1 thus creating a peculiar fil
rouge across Europe, Africa and South America.
Figure 1. R&C partners on the map.
This analysis concerns the above–mentioned territorial partners. It does
not compare 9 sovereign countries, as it is intended to compare local policies and interventions tackling discrimination and violence in specific territories. Nevertheless, in order to compare local positive actions, it is essential
to present the national contexts where these territorial entities are located.
Firstly, the 9 countries involved in the R&C project have different territorial and demographic characteristics. At the extremes, there is Brazil,
which represents the largest territory of this project, with a total area of 8.5
million square kilometres, and a population of 211 million. At the opposite
end, there is Cape Verde, an archipelagic country (of 4,030 sq. km), which is
the smallest country involved.
STATE
Surface
(sq. Km)
Brazil
REGION
Population
8,515,770 211 million
State of
Ceará
CITY
Surface
Population
148,894
9 million
Fortaleza
Surface
Population
313.8
2.6 million
111,000
7 million
n/a
n/a
n/a
Burgas
Ruse
253
127
202,434
142,902
Cape
Verde
4,030
549,935
n/a
n/a
n/a
Praia
102
159,050
France
549,087
67 million
31,813
6 million
Dunkirk
43.8
88,667
Bulgaria
Hauts–
de–France
Region
1. See https://recognizeandchange.eu/partners.
The Comparative Analysis
STATE
REGION
Greece
131,960
South
10.7 million Aegean
Region
Italy
301,340
60.3 million
Portugal
92,226
Romania
238,400
Spain
505,935
CITY
Ermoupolis
(Syros)
11.2
13,737
4.3 million
Turin
Collegno
130
18.1
870,952
49,615
6,080
105,479
Portalegre
448
22,359
n/a
n/a
Baia Mare
Bucharest
233.5
228
123,738
1.8 million
Huelva
(Province)
8.4 million
Jaén
(Province)
10,128
13,484
519,932
638,099
5,286
309,015
25,387
Alto
10.2 million Alentejo
Region
19.3 million n/a
47 million
Piedmont
Region
Andalusia
Region
171
87,268
TOTAL
25,520 7.2 million
Table 2. Territories and populations involved in the R&C project.
Secondly, the 9 countries involved represent different forms of government, including a presidential republic (i.e. Brazil), a parliamentary monarchy (i.e. Spain), semi–presidential republics (i.e. France, Portugal, Cape Verde
and Romania) and parliamentary republics (i.e. Italy, Greece and Bulgaria).
Moreover, these countries are characterised by strong and weak forms
of decentralization. It follows that their legislative acts and local policies
depend on different forms of coordination between the federal, regional
and local level. Brazil is a federal state, characterised by a strong local decentralisation; the Republic of Cape Verde recognises only the administrative autonomy of local bodies; similarly, the European states involved in the
project are either regional or centralised states which recognise local autonomies. Their territorial bodies (inter alia Regions, Departments, Provinces, Districts, Metropolitan Cities and Municipalities) have autonomous
(decentralised) regulatory powers for the organisation and implementation of their functions. Moreover, Italian and Spanish regional bodies also
have (exclusive) legislative power with regard to any matters not expressly
attributed to the State or to the concurrent legislation.2
Thirdly and importantly, it is worth noticing that these 9 countries are
bound by different supranational obligations, which protect human rights,
combat discrimination and promote equality. At the international level,
2. See Art. 149 Spanish Constitution and Art. 117 Italian Constitution. See also https://portal.
cor.europa.eu/divisionpowers/Pages/default.aspx.
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Francesca Finelli
these countries are all bound by customary law (such as international human rights and the principle of non–refoulment). In addition, they are committed to respecting the international treaties which they have ratified
(mainly UN Conventions), inter alia the International Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the 1951 Convention
relating to the Status of Refugees, and the Convention on the Elimination
of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. Besides these international commitments, all the countries involved in the project are bound
by regional legal sources. Brazil is part of the Inter–American human rights
system;3 Cape Verde is bound by the African human rights system;4 Brazil, Cape Verde and Portugal are also members of the Community of
Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP);5 European States (i.e. Bulgaria,
France Greece, Italy, Portugal, Romania and Spain) are bound by two main
sets of regional norms: firstly, they are all contracting parties of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental
Freedoms (ECHR), and they fall within the jurisdiction of the European
Court of Human Rights; secondly, they are member states of the European Union, consequently, they are committed to respecting EU law (i.e. EU
treaties, EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, EU Regulations, Decisions
and Directives) as interpreted by the Court of Justice of the European
Union (CJEU) based in Luxembourg. It follows that their legislative reforms, public policies and positive actions are strongly influenced by European bodies, as they are committed to uphold both European human
rights and EU values.
In conclusion, it is essential to keep in mind that the 15 partners involved
correspond to 9 different constitutional systems, which are influenced by
different supranational legal sources. The protection of equality and non–
discrimination is guaranteed by different sets of norms, both international and regional, as well as by Constitutional provisions. This means that
the protection of equality is ‘disaggregated’, namely it is shared by different institutions and enshrined in different — overlapping — legal sources.
Within this multi–layered system, where different legal sources coexist,
equality represents a core value. Yet intolerance and inequalities are still
3. For more details concerning (regional) obligations and legal sources in the inter–American
system see http://www.oas.org/en/iachr/mandate/basic_documents.asp.
4. For more details see https://www.corteidh.or.cr/tablas/31712.pdf.
5. See https://www.cplp.org.
The Comparative Analysis
173
(regrettably) a reality in every society involved. Therefore, the effective
implementation of equal rights and equal opportunities for all is far from
achieved.
Figure 2. The multi–level protection of equality.
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Francesca Finelli
Table 3. Formal and substantive equality in the 9 constitutional systems involved.
FORMAL equality
(non–discrimination clause)
SUBSTANTIVE equality
BRAZIL
Brazilian Constitution,
Art. 5
Brazilian Constitution,
Art. 3
“The fundamental objectives of
the Federative Republic of Brazil
are: IV – to promote the well–
being of all, without prejudice as
to origin, race, sex, colour, age
and any other forms of discrimination”.
BULGARIA
Bulgarian Constitution,
Art. 6
CAPE
VERDE
Cape Verdean Constitution,
Art. 1(2)
6
Cape Verdean Constitution,
Art. 1(4)
“The Republic of Cape Verde
shall gradually create the conditions indispensable for the removal of all the obstacles that
impede the full development of
the human person and limit the
equality of its citizens, as well
as their effective participation
in the political, economic, social
and cultural organization of the
State and in the Cape Verdean
society”.
Art. 85(2)
“The State shall also have the
duty to undertake the elimination
of the conditions which are conducive to discrimination against
women and to ensure the protection of their rights”.
FRANCE
French Constitution,
Art. 1
French Constitution, Art. 1
6. Substantive (de facto) equality recognises that positive actions must take place in order to
fully eliminate discrimination, marginalisation and unequal opportunities. This principle is result–
oriented, based on the insight that formal equality may not be enough, and it is also referred to as
“equality of results” or “equality of outcome”.
The Comparative Analysis
175
Table 3. Formal and substantive equality in the 9 constitutional systems involved.
GREECE
ITALY
ITALY
PORTUGAL
FORMAL equality
(non–discrimination clause)
SUBSTANTIVE equality
Greek Constitution,
Art. 4(1) and (2)
Greek Constitution,
Art. 116(2)
“Adoption of positive measures
for promoting equality between
men and women does not constitute discrimination on grounds of
sex. The State shall take measures
for the elimination of inequalities
actually existing, in particular to
the detriment of women”.
Italian Constitution,
Art. 3(1)
Italian Constitution,
Art. 3(2)
“It is the duty of the Republic to
remove those obstacles of an economic or social nature which constrain the freedom and equality of
citizens, thereby impeding the full
development of the human person and the effective participation
of all workers in the political, economic and social organisation of
the country”.
Italian Constitution,
Art. 3(1)
Art. 117
“Regional laws shall remove any
hindrances to the full equality of
men and women in social, cultural and economic life and promote
equal access to elected offices for
men and women”.
Portuguese Constitution,
Art. 13
Portuguese Constitution, Art. 9
letter (d) and (h)
“The fundamental tasks of the
state are:
d) To promote the people’s well–
being and quality of life and
real equality […]7
h) To promote equality between
men and women”.
7. See the recent Law No. 83/2019, of 3rd September 2019, Housing Basis Law, which establishes the State commitment to guarantee the right to housing for all, without discrimination.
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Francesca Finelli
Table 3. Formal and substantive equality in the 9 constitutional systems involved.
ROMANIA
SPAIN
FORMAL equality
(non–discrimination clause)
SUBSTANTIVE equality
Romanian Constitution,
Art. 4(2) and 16(1)
Romanian Constitution,
Art. 16(3)
(Equal opportunities for men and
women)
Spanish Constitution,
Art. 1(1) and 14
Spanish Constitution,
Art. 9(2)
“It is incumbent upon the public
authorities to promote conditions
which ensure that the freedom
and equality of individuals and of
the groups to which they belong
may be real and effective, to remove the obstacles which prevent
or hinder their full enjoyment,
and to facilitate the participation
of all citizens in political, economic, cultural and social life”.
Art. 35
(Equal professional opportunities)
Discrimination and Violence Based on Gender
Gender discrimination and violence against women and girls are widespread phenomena. Globally, they represent systematic, persistent, and
pervasive human rights violations. Firstly, gender–based barriers prevent
women and girls from exercising their fundamental rights and freedoms,
from accessing education, healthcare, services, from achieving economic and political empowerment and, more generally, from enjoying equal
opportunities. These barriers create the so–called gender “gaps”. Secondly, gender inequalities increase the risks of experiencing gender violence.
In other words, gender stereotypes, inequalities and discrimination are
strongly linked to violence.
The international community recognises that the achievement of (de facto) gender equality and the full empowerment of women and girls are
unsolved and open challenges. According to the World Economic Forum, in
The Comparative Analysis
177
2020, there is still a 31.4% average gender gap that remains to be closed
globally (considering four key dimensions, namely Economic Participation and Opportunity, Educational Attainment, Health and Survival, and
Political Empowerment)8. The largest gender disparity is the Political Empowerment gap. In fact, in terms of global parliamentary representation,
women have secured just 25% of available positions, a figure that slips to
21% at a ministerial level. Furthermore, in the past 50 years, 85 (out of
153) States have had no female head of state. The second–largest gap is on
Economic Participation and Opportunity. Globally, women’s participation
in the labour market is low (on average, only 55% of adult women are in
the labour market, versus 78% of men) and financial disparities persist.
Conversely, the global progress towards equal Educational Attainment
and Health is more advanced.
Figure 3. Gender gaps in 2020.
Focusing on gender violence against women, the United Nations (UN)
defines it as a pandemic affecting all countries9. More precisely, UN Women declares that “violence against women and girls is a human rights violation of pandemic proportions that takes place in public and private
spaces”. Such violence manifests itself in physical, sexual and psychological forms. It negatively affects women’s general well–being and prevents
women from fully participating in society. Presenting some fast facts regarding gender violence against women, it is estimates that 35% of women worldwide have experienced either physical and/or sexual violence
(not including sexual harassment) at some point in their lives10. More than
half of women killed worldwide were killed by intimate partners or other
8. Global Gender Gap Report 2020, available at http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_
GGGR_2020.pdf.
9. https://www.un.org/en/sections/issues-depth/gender-equality/.
10. According to UN Women, https://www.unwomen.org/en/what-we-do/ending-vio
lence-against-women/facts-andfigures#notes.
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family members11. Approximately 15 million adolescent girls (aged 15 to
19) worldwide have experienced forced sex at some point in their life12. It
is reported that 72% of all trafficking victims worldwide are women and
girls — and 4 out of 5 of them are trafficked for sexual exploitation13. Globally, around 21% of young women got married before their 18th birthday14.
Thus, the impact of gender violence ranges from immediate to long–term
physical, sexual and mental health consequences for women and girls, including death. Violence against women represents the cruellest form of
gender discrimination which is rooted in social (patriarchal) structures
rather than individual and random acts15. Accordingly, the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has explicitly included ‘Gender Equality’ in
its 17 Goals16, targeting not only the need to end discrimination against
women, but also the urgency to eliminate all forms of violence against
women and girls in the public and private spheres (see Goal 5)17.
Each regional legal system involved in the R&C project is committed to
combating violence against women and promote gender equality.
In the inter–American system, the Convention of Belém do Pará is devoted to the prevention, punishment and eradication of violence against
women18. It strongly affirms that every woman has the right to be free
from gender violence, which includes the right to be free from all forms
of discrimination and the right to be valued and educated free of stereotyped patterns of behaviour and social and cultural practices based on
concepts of inferiority or subordination19.
11. UNODC, Global Study on Homicide 2019 (Vienna, 2019), Booklet 5: Gender–related killing of women and girls, available at https://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/gsh/
Booklet_5.pdf.
12. UNICEF, A Familiar Face: Violence in the lives of children and adolescents, 2017.
13. UNODC, Global Report on Trafficking in Persons (2018).
14. UNICEF, Child marriage around the world, Infographic (latest data as of March 2020), at
https://www.unicef.org/stories/child-marriage-around-world.
15. See https://www.endvawnow.org/en/articles/295-defining-violence-against-women-andgirls.html.
16. See https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdg5 and https://www.unwomen.org/en/
digitallibrary/multimedia/2017/7/infographic-spotlight-on-sdg-5.
17. See Goal 5, “Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls”, at https://sus
tainabledevelopment.un.org/sdg5.
18. The Inter–American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment, and Eradication of Violence against Women, also known as the Convention of Belém do Pará (where it was adopted
in 1994).
19. Art. 6 Inter–American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment, and Eradication of
Violence against Women, also known as the Convention of Belém do Pará.
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179
The African human rights system is bound by the so–called Maputo
Protocol which complements the African Charter on Human and Peoples’
Rights (Banjul Charter). This Protocol requires African States to take positive actions in order to effectively tackle gender inequalities between women and men. It explicitly protects several women’s rights and freedoms,
inter alia the right to dignity, to integrity and security, the right to access
to justice and equal protection of the law, the right to participate in political and decision–making processes. Moreover, the Protocol includes the
specific provisions on gender violence against women (Art. 4). Portugal,
Brazil and Cape Verde are also members of the Community of Portuguese
Speaking Countries (CPLP). In 2010, the II Meeting of Ministers Responsible
for Gender Equality of the CPLP approved the so–called Lisbon Resolution,
which acknowledged that all forms of violence against women are a serious violation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of women, and
an obstacle to the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment
of women. Following the Lisbon Resolution, the CPLP also announced
Strategic Plans of Intervention with the view of combating gender discrimination and violence in the Community.
Lastly, the European human right system is greatly devoted to gender
equality. On the one hand, the European Union is considered a global leader in combating (gender) discrimination. Gender equality represents a key
principle of EU law20. Accordingly, EU law strongly prohibits four types
of discrimination: (i) direct discrimination (defined as the situation where
one person is treated less favourably than another is, has been or would be
treated in a comparable situation), (ii) indirect discrimination (defined as
the situation where an apparently neutral provision, criterion or practice
would put certain persons at a particular disadvantage), (iii) harassment
and sexual harassment (defined as unwanted conduct occurring with the
purpose or effect of violating the dignity of a person, and of creating an
intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment),
and (iv) instruction to discriminate21. Concerning discrimination in matters
of employment and occupation, EU law also prohibits any less favourable
treatment of a woman related to pregnancy or maternity leave22. In the
field of criminal law, the EU has no legislative competence. It follows that
20. See Art. 21 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and Art. 157 TFEU. In addition,
since the 1970s, the EU has adopted 13 Directives regarding gender equality. See MEMO/07/426
at https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/MEMO_07_426.
21. Art. 2 Directive 2006/54/EC, as well as Directive 2000/78/EC and Directive 2004/113/EC.
22. See Directive 92/85/EEC.
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it cannot harmonise criminal law provisions concerning violence against
women. Nevertheless, Directive 2012/29/EU, also called Victims’ Rights
Directive, includes many provisions directly or indirectly referring to victims of gender–based violence. On the other hand, gender equality also
represents one of the top priorities of the Council of Europe (CoE), which
is fully committed to removing barriers impeding the full empowerment
of women and their substantive equality in the society. The Council of
Europe plays a major role in the protection and promotion of gender
equality, shaping its development in Europe. It has produced solid legal
standards and policy guidelines23. The European Court in Strasbourg
(ECtHR) also contributes to the advancement of gender equality. Several
rulings have stressed the interconnection between violence against women and violation of the right to life (Art. 2 ECHR), prohibition of inhuman
or degrading treatment (Art. 3 ECHR) and prohibition of discrimination
(Art. 14 ECHR)24. Moreover, in 2011, the Council of Europe adopted the
landmark Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women
and Domestic Violence (also known as Istanbul Convention), which represents
the most far–reaching international treaty to tackle violence against women in all its forms.
The role of the Istanbul convention in Europe
The Istanbul Convention is the most–advanced legal document concerning gender violence against women. With its eighty–one articles, the
Convention is impressive. It aims at zero tolerance for violence against
women and provides strong guidelines for European States. The Istanbul
Convention essentially builds on four (equally important) components
(the “4Ps”), namely Prevention, Protection, Prosecution and integrated
Policies25.
23. For an overview on the Council of Europe Standards and the Recommendations adopted
by the Committee of Ministers addressing gender equality issues see https://rm.coe.int/CoERM
PublicCommonSearchServices/DisplayDCTMContent?documentId=090000168058feef.
24. See Opuz v. Turkey (application no. 33401/02), A. v. Croatia (application no. 55164/08),
Eremia and Others v. the Republic of Moldova (application no. 3564/11), Rumor v. Italy (application no. 72964/10), M.G. v. Turkey (application no. 646/10), Halime Kılıç v. Turkey (application no.
63034/11), Bălșan v. Romania (application no. 49645/09).
25. See the Explanatory Report (CETS 210) to the Council of European Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, para. 63, at https://rm.coe.int/
CoERMPublicCommonSearchServices/DisplayDCTMContent?documentId=09000016800d383a.
See also https://rm.coe.int/coe-istanbulconvention-infografic-r02-v07/16809ea7f b.
The Comparative Analysis
Figure 4. The 4 pillars of the Istanbul Convention.
Figure 5. Substantive law in the Istanbul Convention.
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Francesca Finelli
By ratifying the Istanbul Convention, States are bound by several commitments. They are not only committed to prohibiting, punishing and
remedying violence in individual cases, but should also prevent violence
through systemic measures. Their governments are obliged to change their
laws, abolish practices which discriminate women, introduce gender–
sensitive measures and allocate resources to effectively prevent violence
against women. Accordingly, if a State wants to tackle violence against
women in an effective way, imposing criminal punishments and civil remedies is necessary but not sufficient. Positive (preventive) actions are also
demanded. Preventive measures, which aim at precluding violence from
occurring in the first place (ex ante)26, shall go hand in hand with prosecution and criminal (protective) instruments. Thus, it is undoubted that the
Istanbul Convention is the most advanced (European) legal instrument to
tackle violence against women. It also sets up a monitoring mechanism to
assess the level of implementation by its State Parties. In this framework,
the role of the Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and
Domestic Violence (GREVIO) is particularly relevant as it is competent in
terms of drawing up and publishing reports, evaluating the legislative interventions and other measures taken by the Contracting Parties, initiating special inquiry procedures and adopting recommendations on themes
and concepts of the Convention27.
Due to the extensive commitment required, several European States have
not ratified the Istanbul Convention28. Today, only 34 European countries
have ratified it29. In Bulgaria, the Constitutional Court even ruled that the
Convention does not conform with the Bulgarian Constitution — making
its ratification almost impossible30. According to the Court’s ruling, the
term “gender”, as used in the Convention, is misleading and introduces
a concept that is incompatible with the Bulgarian constitutional system.
The Court declares that the acceptance of the “gender ideology” would
26. Grans L., The Istanbul Convention and the Positive Obligation to Prevent Violence, «Human
Rights Law Review», 18(2018), pp. 133–155.
27. See the official website https://www.coe.int/en/web/istanbul-convention/grevio.
28. Chart of signatures and ratifications, status as of August 2020, available at https://www.coe.
int/en/web/conventions/fulllist/-/conventions/treaty/210/signatures.
29. See https://www.coe.int/en/web/conventions/full-list/-/conventions/treaty/210/signatures.
30. Decision No 13 of 27.07.2018 on constitutional case No 3/2018. available (in Bulgarian)
at http://constcourt.bg/bg/Acts/GetHtmlContent/f278a156-9d25-412d-a064-6ffd6f997310. See
also https://balkaninsight.com/2018/07/27/bulgaria-s-constitutional-court-says-istanbul-conven
tion-not-in-line-with-basiclaw-07-27-2018/.
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183
blur the binary understanding of “sex”, which is intended as two rigidly
fixed options — male or female — determined at birth31. In addition, the
Court affirmed that, if the Bulgarian legal order loses the ability to distinguish between a woman and a man, combating violence against women
would be an unenforceable commitment32. This ruling has been defined
as “the worst human rights decision in the court’s history”. The Court’s
reasoning reflects a misconception of the Istanbul Convention which, in
Art. 3, makes a distinction between ‘sex’ and ‘gender’ just for the sake of
clarity. It defines gender as “socially constructed roles, behaviours, activities and attributes that a given society considers appropriate for women
and men” and it aims at raising awareness on how these roles are often defined by outdated (patriarchal) stereotypes that can make violence against
women, intimidation and fear more “acceptable”.
The Bulgarian Constitutional Court failed to understand the ultimate
goal of the Convention and, consequently, to urgently prioritise national
interventions facing gender–based violence. Accordingly, it is not surprising that Bulgaria still struggles to ensure an adequate and comprehensive
criminal law protection against all types of violence against women. In
addition, Bulgaria encounters difficulties in addressing sexism, misogyny,
and gender–based stereotypes.
While the Bulgarian Constitutional Court strongly opposed the ratification of the Istanbul Convention, other European states have been developing advanced gender policies (in accordance with ECtHR’s rulings
and GREVIO recommendations). In France, there has been a true national
mobilisation in the fight against violence towards women, which, since
2010, has been designated as a “great national cause” by the French Government33. Several legislative interventions have gradually addressed the
various forms of violence against women, strengthening the legal framework for preventing and punishing gender violence. Legislative efforts have
been accompanied by a succession of five consecutive mobilisation Plans
to combat violence against women. Furthermore, several measures have
31. Bulgarian Helsinki Committee, Human Rights in Bulgaria in 2018, chapter 14, Women’s
Rights, 2019, available at https://www.bghelsinki.org/web/files/reports/127/files/BHC-Human-Rights-in-Bulgaria-in-2018-en-issn-2367-6930.pdf.
32. Vassileva R., Bulgaria’s Constitutional Troubles with the Istanbul Convention, Verfassungsblog,
August 2018, available at https://verfassungsblog.de/bulgarias-constitutional-troubles-with-theistanbul-convention/.
33. See (in French) http://archives.gouvernement.fr/fillon_version2/premier-ministre/la-luttecontre-les-violences-faitesaux-femmes-grande-cause-nationale-2010.html.
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been implemented to promote de facto gender equality. These measures include the first inter–ministerial Plan for professional equality between men
and women, which aims to mobilise all ministries around gender–sensitive
measures and policies34. In the same way, Spain has a consolidated tradition
in combating violence against women and in setting high legal standards
with respect of gender equality. Anticipating the entry into force of the
Istanbul Convention, in 2004, Spain adopted the Organic Law 1/2004 on
Integrated Protection Measures against Gender Violence, which has been
defined as “one of the most advanced laws on intimate partner violence
against women in Europe”35. In the last few years, several national strategies have been adopted to combat gender violence (e.g. the National Strategy for the Eradication of Violence against Women 2013–2016, the State
Pact against Gender–based Violence 2018–2022, the second National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security 2017–2023, the Comprehensive
Plan to Fight against Trafficking in Women and Girls for the Purpose of
Sexual Exploitation 2015–2018)36. In addition, concerning gender equality, Spain is one of the most–progressive countries in the world in closing
gender gaps. According to the Global Gender Gap Index, Spain ranks 8th
in 2020 and, in contrast with the global trend, Political Empowerment is
the area where the most substantial improvements have been achieved.
Spain represents the world’s most female–centric government, with 65%
of female ministers. It is one of the only 10 governments in the world with
a share of 50% or more37. The EU Gender Equality Index confirms that
Spain is progressing towards gender equality at a faster pace than other
EU Member States38. Portugal, which is the first EU country to have ratified
the Istanbul Convention (in February 2013), has demonstrated a significant
commitment to tackling gender violence and discrimination. It is import34. See (in French) https://www.egalite-femmes-hommes.gouv.fr/dossiers/egalite-profession
nelle/le-1er-planinterministeriel-en-faveur-de-legalite-professionnelle/.
35. The Law received an honourable mention in 2014 in the Future Policy Award (given by
the World Future Council) as one of the best pieces of legislation on violence against women. See
https://www.worldfuturecouncil.org/wpcontent/uploads/2016/01/WFC_2014_Future_Poli
cy_Award_En.pdf.
36. See https://violenciagenero.igualdad.gob.es/planActuacion/estrategiaNacional/docs/Estra
tegia_Nacional_Ingles.pdf, http://www.exteriores.gob.es/Portal/en/PoliticaExteriorCooperacion/
DerechosHumanos/Documents/2017_II%20PLAN%20NACIONAL%20version%20web%20ENG.
PDF, http://www.violenciagenero.msssi.gob.es/otrasFormas/trata/normativaProtocolo/planIntegral/DOC/Plan_Integral_Trata_2015-2018_ENG_DEF.pdf.
37. Global Gender Gap Report 2020, p. 25, available at http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_
GGGR_2020.pdf.
38. Index score for Spain for 2019 at https://eige.europa.eu/gender-equality-index/2019/ES.
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185
ant to highlight that the ratification of the Istanbul Convention was unanimously agreed upon at the Portuguese Parliament and it involved all political parties since the beginning. Portugal has been at the forefront of European Countries that call for the full implementation of the Convention.
Moreover, in the last few years, continuous efforts have been undertaken
to implement the National Strategy for Equality and Non–Discrimination
(2018–2030), also called “Portugal + Equal”39, and several action plans to
prevent and combat violence against women. Accordingly, Portugal has
been developing comprehensive long–term national strategies to promote
(de facto) gender equality40. At a later date, Greece, Italy and Romania ratified
the Istanbul Convention, in 2018, 2014 and 2016 respectively. As a result,
today, 6 European countries involved in the R&C project are committed
to the full implementation of the Convention, introducing specific legislations and policies to comply with it (as binding — supranational — legal
source). Bulgaria represents the only exception in the project.
Recent legislative interventions
In the last few years, we have witnessed increasing attention towards gender issues and violence against women, and a growing commitment in national agendas. Recent legislative interventions in the 9 countries involved
in the R&C project have focused on the following areas.
Firstly, several countries involved in the R&C project have adopted substantive and procedural criminal law reforms in order to tackle violence against
women more effectively. In 2018, Brazil amended its Code of Criminal Procedure and established that crimes concerning domestic violence against
women, children, teenagers, the elderly and disabled people must be given priority in criminal tribunals41. Likewise, Romania introduced criminal
law reforms addressing the length of the criminal proceeding. In order to
promptly protect women victims of domestic violence, Romania has empowered police officers to issue temporary protection orders. More precisely, if police officers notice a situation of imminent risk deriving from an act
39. “Portugal Mais Igual”, see details at https://www.cig.gov.pt/documentacao-de-referen
cia/doc/portugal-mais-igual/.
40. See UNCE, Beijing+25 National Reports, National–level reviews – Portugal, May 2019, available at https://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/Gender/Beijing_20/Portugal.pdf.
41. Law No. 13,721 of 2nd October 2018, http://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/_ato20152018/2018/lei/L13721.htm.
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of domestic violence, they can now ensure immediate protection for the
victims, separating them from the aggressors42. In July 2019, Italy adopted
the “Red Code”43, with the aim to speed up criminal proceedings, ensuring
a privileged and accelerated procedure for victims of domestic and gender–based violence (in line with the judgement Talpis v. Italy issued by the
Strasbourg Court in 2017, where the ECtHR found that the Italian authorities failed to take prompt action in a case of domestic violence). The term
“Red Code” derives from the medical field, where, in case of hospital emergency, the red code identifies urgent patients who need to be treated with
absolute priority. In the same way, the criminal “red code” has introduced
an absolute presumption of urgency for criminal proceedings concerning
gender violence. Besides criminal procedural reforms, these countries have
introduced new criminal offences in their legal orders and, consequently,
have amended their Criminal Codes. In 2018, Brazil introduced the crime
of “unauthorized registration of sexual intimacy”44. In Italy, the Red Code
criminalised so–called “revenge porn”, which is now classified in the Criminal Code as a new criminal offence regarding the dissemination of sexually
explicit images or videos of a person without that person’s consent. Similarly, the need to protect women from cyber violence has recently emerged
in Romania. In July 2020, cyber violence was introduced as a new criminal
offence. This crime has been recognised as a specific form of domestic violence, defined as “online harassment, online hate–speech based on gender,
online stalking, threats, non–consensual publication of intimate information and content, illegal access to private communications and data and
any other type of abusive use of IT&C, aiming at embarrassing, shaming,
humiliating, scaring, threatening the victim”45. Greece introduced several reforms after the ratification of the Istanbul Convention in 201846. More precisely, it amended domestic provisions concerning domestic violence and
42. Order No. 146/2578/2018 regarding the management of domestic violence cases by police. Available (in Romanian) at http://legislatie.just.ro/Public/DetaliiDocumentAfis/209455. See
also Romanian Government First Report on the Implementation of the Istanbul Convention (received by GREVIO in February 2020) at https://rm.coe.int/state-report-onromania/16809b9faf.
43. Law No. 69/2019, “Modifiche al codice penale, al codice di procedura penale e altre disposizioni in materia di tutela delle vittime di violenza domestica e di genere”, available (in Italian) at
https://www.gazzettaufficiale.it/atto/stampa/serie_generale/originario.
44. Law No. 13,772 of 19th December 2018, http://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/_ato20152018/2018/lei/L13772.htm.
45. Law No. 106/2020 following the ECtHR judgement in the case Buturugă v. Romania (application no. 56867/15). See https://balkaninsight.com/2020/07/07/romania-recognises-cyberharassment-as-form-of-domestic-violence/.
46. See Law 4531/2018 on the Ratification of the Istanbul Convention.
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187
human trafficking. In France, the latest criminal reforms were elaborated
during the national Grenelle47, launched by the Government from September to November 2019, on domestic violence. This three–month Forum
represented the first national consultation concerning gender violence, a
key moment of openness and dialogue between French authorities, specialised associations and a large number of stakeholders. In this way, the
national Forum increased both the political and the societal awareness of
the phenomenon of gender violence. Concluded on the International Day
against Violence against Women (25 November 2019), the French Grenelle
announced new specific measures intended to protect victims of domestic
violence, their children and to tackle the high number of feminicides in
the country48. In Spain, a pioneering reform has been recently introduced
with the view of strengthening access for victims of gender violence to
social security benefits. Indeed, a situation of gender violence can now be
documented by a written report issued by social specialised services — including public shelters — without a court order or prosecutor’s report49.
Secondly, some of the countries involved in the R&C project have introduced new institutional bodies which are intended to monitor the phenomenon of gender violence as well as to ensure the implementation of
effective gender policies. In March 2019, Portugal established the Multidisciplinary Technical Commission for the Improvement of the Prevention
and Combat of Domestic Violence. Similarly, Greece institutionalised the
Pan–Hellenic gender–based violence Network (including the General Secretariat for Family Policy and Gender Equality (GSFPGE), the municipalities, counselling centres, shelters, and the 24/7 SOS helpline). In January
2017, Italy established a Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry dedicated
to the phenomenon of feminicide, and more generally of gender–based
violence. The Italian Commission is not only responsible for conducting
national inquiries, but it is also empowered to investigate possible inconsistencies and shortcomings of the legislation in force, with the purpose
47. See (in French) https://www.egalite-femmes-hommes.gouv.fr/un-grenelle-des-violencesconjugales-pour-lutter-contreles-feminicides/.
48. See Law No. 2019–1480 of December 28, 2019 aiming to tackling domestic violence (in
French) at https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000039684243&
dateTexte=&categorieLien=id.
49. Royal Decree 9/2018 on emergency measures for the development of the State Pact on
Gender–Based Violence (Real Decreto 9/2018), Press release available (in Spanish) at https://
www.boe.es/boe/dias/2018/08/04/pdfs/BOE-A-2018-11135.pdf.
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Francesca Finelli
of presenting new legislative proposals and administrative solutions. In
October 2018, Cape Verde set out the Inter–Ministerial Commission for
Gender Mainstreaming, which is empowered to present public policy proposals and reporting annually on the state of incorporation of the gender
perspective50.
Thirdly and importantly, most of the countries involved have developed
gender mainstreaming strategies. The implementation of these strategies requires the systematic integration of gender perspectives in all political, economic and societal spheres, so that women and men benefit equally, and
inequality is not perpetuated51. Greece has adopted remarkable reforms in
this direction. For the first time, Greece has included the notion of gender
mainstreaming and gender budgeting into a legislative text52. It has also established specific provisions concerning gender equality in the education
sector and the mass media/advertisement business (to eliminate stereotypes) as well as in the fields of health and social solidarity (e.g. special attention to the status and the needs of vulnerable groups of women). It has
set up the use of gender–neutral language in official documents. Moreover,
it has adopted specific provisions concerning gender equality at the workplace (e.g. encouraging public and private enterprises to implement “Equality Plans”, by introducing awards for their engagement in favour of equal
treatment and equal opportunities for their male and female employees.).
France has introduced measures promoting the economic empowerment
of women. In 2018, it established new guarantees dedicated to “women’s
freedom to choose their professional future”53. More precisely, France introduced a new Index of professional equality between women and men
for all national companies with more than 50 employees. These companies
are now required to annually publish their gender Index relating to gender
pay gap, equal opportunities, internal promotions, etc. Companies that do
not publish their Index, or do not implement (equal) gender plans for their
50. Resolution No. 103/2018. See also OHCHR, Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination
against Women reviews the situation of women in Cabo Verde, July 2019, available at https://www.
ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=24824&LangID=E.
51. UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), Resolution 1997/2, Agreed Conclusions of
18 July 1997, available at https://www.refworld.org/docid/4652c9fc2.html.
52. Law No. 4604/2019 on substantive equality entered into force on 26 March 2019 (initiated
by the General Secretariat for Family Policy and Gender Equality).
53. Law No. 2018–771 of 5th September 2018, “pour la liberté de choisir son avenir professionnel”,
(in French) at https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000037367660&
categorieLien=id.
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189
employees, are exposed to financial penalties. Furthermore, new vocational
training has been carried out for labour inspectors in order to prevent situations of violence. Spain has also established binding equality plans for companies with more than 50 employees54. In addition, Spain has introduced
new transparent measures to control the gender pay gap. Portugal has promoted balanced representation of women and men in decision–making —
both in the economic and the political sector. It has defined a minimum 33%
threshold of women and men in boards of public and listed companies, a
minimum 40% threshold for civil servants in public administrations, public
higher education institutions, and public foundations and associations, and a
minimum 40% threshold for electoral lists (for both national and European
parliaments, and for territorial bodies)55. In the same way, Greece has adopted
a 40% quota system in favour of women for the lists of candidates in both
parliamentary and local elections. In Brazil, according to the Constitutional
reform in 2017, political parties must be composed of a minimum of 30%
of women candidates56. Lastly, Cape Verde has also introduced the “Parity
law”57, which sets out the principle of parity between men and women in
political representation (both in national electoral processes and local ones).
Recent (local) policies
Gender equality is protected by a multi–level system of legal sources, inter
alia by supranational obligations, constitutional rights and non–discrimination legislation; nevertheless, the effective implementation of gender
mainstreaming policies is often in the hands of territorial entities. Similarly, even if gender–based violence is addressed by international, regional
and domestic laws, only territorial bodies can truly prevent such violence
and protect its victims. For these reasons, each constitutional system involved in the R&C project empowers local competent authorities to adopt
positive actions, in order to effectively tackle gender violence and achieve
de facto equality between men and women.
54. See Royal Decree–Law 6/2019, of 1 March 2019 on urgent measures to guarantee equal
treatment and opportunities for women and men in employment and occupation.
55. See Law No. 62/2017 (https://dre.pt/home/-/dre/107791612/details/maximized), Law No.
1/2019 (https://dre.pt/web/guest/pesquisa/-/search/121712770/details/normal?q=Lei+Org%C3
%A2nica+n.%C2%BA%201%2F2019) and Law No. 26/2019 (https://dre.pt/home/-/dre/121665
677/details/maximized).
56. Presidency of the Brazilian Republic, Constitutional Amendment No. 97 of October 4th,
2017, http://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/Constituicao/Emendas/Emc/emc97.htm.
57. Parity Law No. 68/IX/2019.
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Most of the countries involved in the project adopt regional Plans of Interventions against gender discrimination and violence, establishing specific
measures to be implemented at the local level. Moreover, French municipalities (including the City of Dunkirk) go a step further. They are also committed to implementing municipal Plans of interventions in order to achieve
“true” gender equality (pour l’égalité réelle entre les femmes et les hommes)58.
As a matter of fact, since 2014, the French legislator has established that
every municipality with more than 20,000 inhabitants is bound to submit an annual report on the territorial situation regarding gender equality,
covering the policies pursued in the community and the guidelines for
future–needed interventions to be carried out in the medium and long
term to correct the inequalities observed. These local reports represent
an important monitoring tool, but they also guarantee constant local engagement in gender policies.
Brazil, Cape Verde, Greece, Italy and Portugal have promoted the territorialisation of responses against violence towards women. In Brazil, both the
State Government of Ceará and the Municipality of Fortaleza offer specific
services to women who are victims of gender violence, inter alia shelters
for victims and their children, psychosocial support, professional training
courses with the aim of promoting the economic autonomy and empowerment of women. Furthermore, since 2019, the Reference and Care Centre
for Women in Situations of Violence Francisca Clotilde (CRM Francisca Clotilde)
has been located inside the Brazilian Women’s House (Casa da Mulher Brasileira) which also houses other important institutions: the Police Station
for the Defence of Women (which offers in–person assistance 24/7)59, the
Court of Domestic and Family Violence against Women, the Public Ministry and the Public Defender’s Office. In Greece, the South Aegean Region
and the island of Syros have proactively engaged in the “Regional Strategy
for Social Inclusion, Fight against Poverty and all forms of Discrimination
(2014–2020)”. In this framework, Syros has supported the operation of
counselling centres and shelters for victims of gender violence, as well
as research centres on gender studies. In Italy, the Piedmont Region has
consolidated the regional network of anti–violence centres and shelters.
58. Law No. 2018–873 of 4th August 2018, https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cid
Texte=JORFTEXT000029330832&categorieLien=id.
59. See https://www.ceara.gov.br/2020/09/08/casa-da-mulher-brasileira-retoma-atendimentospresenciais/.
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In addition, it has established specific vocational training programmes
for operators of anti–violence services and specific measures to monitor
gender violence and support its victims within the healthcare sector (i.e.
a new “Pink Code” in the hospital triage)60. Since 2000, the City of Turin has constantly supported the Coordination Against Violence Against
Women61, a territorial body which combines diverse professional actors.
The participants are either public or private entities, directly or indirectly involved in combating gender violence, such as in the field of health
care, social–welfare, psychological and legal assistance, cultural integration, education, and research. They make available their own professional
skills, financial resources, and monitoring mechanisms. The Coordination represents a comprehensive system of protection for victims of gender violence, as well as a fundamental monitoring tool in the city of Turin. Since 2018, the City has strengthened the inter–institutional dialogue
between all those actors operating in the field of prevention, protection
and prosecution of male violence against women, fostering the local coordination against gender violence62. Likewise, in the last few years, the
Inter Municipal Community of Alto Alentejo (CIMAA) has promoted a strong
institutional coordination between local bodies supporting and protecting victims of gender violence63. This territorial network is committed
to provide financial support, medical, psychological and legal assistance
to women victims of violence and their children. It ultimately aims to assist victims in exiting violence and achieving their socio–occupational (re)
integration and empowerment. The City of Turin and the Inter Municipal
Community of Alto Alentejo (CIMAA) represent important good practices.
Their territorial networks and coordination mechanisms between several
professional entities do not only represent a holistic system of protection
for women victims of gender violence, but they also cooperate in the
monitoring activity of the phenomenon at the local level, which is an
extremely complex task since it is usually a “submerged” phenomenon,
60. See https://www.regione.piemonte.it/web/temi/diritti-politiche-sociali/diritti/antiviolen
za/codice-rosa.
61. In Italian as “Coordinamento Contro la Violenza sulle Donne” (CCVD), http://www.
comune.torino.it/politichedigenere/po/po_reti/po_cccvd/.
62. In 2018, the city Council approved an important Action Plan labelled “Turin free from
gender–based violence”, “Piano d’azione contro la violenza di genere”. See http://www.comune.
torino.it/ucstampa/2018/article_868.shtml.
63. Protocol for a Strategy to Combat Domestic and Gender Violence Alto Alentejo Est and
West (2018–2021), see http://comarca-portalegre.ministeriopublico.pt/protocolos-nacionais.
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widely under–reported64. Consequently, following the above–analysed local models, it is essential to involve as many monitoring entities as possible and to consider all the available sources of information.
In Brazil, the Municipality of Fortaleza has implemented several positive
actions in the field of education and raising awareness, focusing on youth.
These local interventions have been supervised by the Special Coordination of Public Policies for Youth (CEPPJ) and its CUCAs (Urban Centres
of Culture, Art, Science and Sports). These actions aim to sensitise young
people on gender issues, diversity and tolerance, by means of workshops,
sports, vocational training, public events and campaigns. Moreover, the
Municipality of Fortaleza has promoted innovative positive actions, inter
alia raising awareness initiatives on Afro–Brazilian culture, public campaigns on black women rights (facing intersectional discrimination), and
preventive actions regarding the LGBT community (such as introducing
a Municipal Day for Visibility of Transvestite and Transsexual people). In
the same way, Cape Verde and the City of Praia have implemented several
education initiatives, workshops and vocational training as well as campaigns defending sexual diversity and LGBT rights and freedoms.
In Andalusia, the Provinces of Huelva and Jaén are strongly committed to
equality. In Huelva, recent local policies have focused on the creation of
the so–called “Space of equality” (in Spanish as “Espacio de igualdad”)
where men and women enjoy equal rights and social participation65. The
ultimate goal of this local initiative is to raise awareness on gender issues
by means of different techniques, such as public debates, concerts, workshops, exhibitions, conferences, etc. Similarly, the Province of Jaén has introduced the Film Festival against Gender Violence, promoting not only audio–visual creativity and production on this phenomenon, but also paying
special attention to gender violence prevention and social awareness66. In
addition, both Spanish Provinces have introduced specific training courses on gender equality. In Huelva, the “School of Equality” provides local
64. Sabbadini L., Audizione davanti alla Commissione parlamentare d’inchiesta sul femminicidio,
nonché su ogni forma di violenza di genere, 2017, available at https://www.senato.it/service/PDF/
PDFServer/DF/338920.pdf.
65. See http://www.diphuelva.es/igualdad/contenidos/ESPACIO-DE-IGUALDAD/.
66. Diputación Provincial de Jaén, Festival de Cortometrajes contra la Violencia de Género,
https://www.dipujaen.es/microsites/igualdad/festival-de-cortometrajes-contra-la-violen
cia-de-genero/.
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193
politicians with the knowledge required for the implementation and development of public policies on gender equality and its inclusion in local
agendas67. In 2019, the Provincial Council of Huelva also introduced the
‘Guide for an equal use of language and image’, with the view of tackling sexist language in local public administrations68. In Jaén, the “School
of feminism and empowerment” is open to anyone who is interested in
attending trainings on gender issues, with the view of tackling patriarchal
stereotypes and machismo69.
Lastly, the Province of Huelva and the Metropolitan City of Turin have developed peculiar positive actions dedicated to men. More specifically, Huelva
has introduced the ‘Men who dream of equality’ project, which aims to promote the involvement of men in the achievement of equality, focusing on
their co–responsibility in housework70. Turin has supported (experimental) initiatives dedicated to perpetrators of gender–based violence aiming at limiting recidivism and preventing future violence against women.
While aimed at limiting recidivism and preventing further violence, these
programmes are also intended to teach perpetrators of gender violence to
adopt non–violent behaviour in interpersonal relationships (in line with
Art. 16 of the Istanbul Convention)71.
Gender violence and the LGBT community
Several partners have observed that gender violence and discrimination
strongly affect the LGBT community. Brazil, Cape Verde, France, Greece,
Italy, and Portugal have reported that LGBT people are frequently victims
of hate crimes and hate speech. They represent a particularly vulnerable group in those societies, a community which “is living in fear”72, sub67. Diputación Provincial de Huelva, Escuela de Igualdad, http://www.diphuelva.es/igual
dad/contenidos/ESCUELA-DEIGUALDAD-00001/.
68. For more details see http://www.diphuelva.es/igualdad/contenidos/Uso-igualitario-dellenguaje-y-de-la-imagen/.
69. See https://www.dipujaen.es/microsites/igualdad/escuela-feminismo-empoderamiento/.
70. See (in Spanish), http://www.diphuelva.es/igualdad/contenidos/HOMBRES-QUE-SUE
NAN-CON-IGUALDAD/.
71. Art. 20 Regional Law No. 4/2016, (in Italian) at http://arianna.consiglioregionale.piemon
te.it/iterlegcoordweb/dettaglioLegge.do?urnLegge=urn:nir:regione.piemonte:leg ge:2016;5@20193-1. See also http://www.cittametropolitana.torino.it/speciali/2018/maltrattanti/.
72. Giuffridi A., ‘We’re living in fear’: LGBT people in Italy pin hopes on new law, “The Guardian”,
26 July 2020, available at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/26/italy-lgbt-new-lawdebate.
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ject to widespread discrimination and violence. In many countries these
forms of discrimination and violence remain (regrettably) invisible and,
therefore, non–prosecuted. Hence, the LGBT community risks not only
being targeted by hateful discrimination and violence, but also being left
without effective legal remedies, protection and compensation. In Bulgaria, anti–LGBT hate crimes remain unrecognised and, if recorded, they
are usually treated by the police as acts of hooliganism73. In Italy, LGBT
people are protected by neither criminal nor civil provisions74. The Italian
legal system is still blind to homophobia. Yet, this legal vacuum contrasts
with the reality. According to national surveys75, more than 50% of the
LGBT community in Italy has been subject to discrimination — at school
and university, in the workplace, in access to work, housing, healthcare
and public services. A new legislative proposal is currently under discussion in the Italian Parliament76. The proposal aims to include sex, gender,
sexual orientation, and gender identity within the current legal framework on hate crimes and hate speech, amending the Criminal Code. If
approved, it will be an extension of an existing criminal law framework
which punishes “propaganda and incitement to crime on the grounds of
racial, ethnic and religious discrimination”. In the same way, legislative
reforms are expected in Brazil, where homophobia is still not criminalised.
In June 2019, the Brazilian Supreme Court addressed the current lack of
legal remedies protecting the LGBT community. It ruled that homophobia and transphobia should be framed within the racism criminal law, until the federal congress approves legislation specifically dealing with LGBT
discrimination77. Undoubtedly, the Court’s decision puts strong pressure
on the Brazilian Parliament. At the same time, the ruling represents a
severe blow to the conservative and homo–transphobic President Jair Bolsonaro.
73. Godzisz P. & Viggiani G. (eds.), Running through Hurdles: Obstacles in the Access to Justice
for Victims of Anti–LGBTI Hate Crimes, Lambda Warsaw Association, 2018, available at https://iris.
unibs.it/retrieve/handle/11379/509062/88384/2018%20Running%20through%20hurdles.pdf.
74. Italian legislation only protects LGBT people when discriminated at the workplace, for
reasons related to sexual orientation: see Legislative Decree no. 216 of 9 July 2003, implementing
Directive 2000/78/EC for equal treatment in matters of employment and working conditions
(https://www.camera.it/parlam/leggi/deleghe/03216dl.htm).
75. Data referred to 2011, see details (in Italian) here https://www.istat.it/it/archivio/62168.
76. See draft proposals (in Italian) at https://www.camera.it/leg18/126?tab=1&leg=18&id
Documento=569&sede=&tipo=.
77. See the judgement (ADO 26 / DF) in Portuguese at http://www.stf.jus.br/arquivo/cms/
noticiaNoticiaStf/anexo/ADO26votoMAM.pdf.
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195
Greece and Portugal are the only countries involved in the R&C project
which have recently introduced the right to gender identity. More precisely, the Greek legal order has recently recognised that “gender identity
means the internal and personal way in which a person experiences his
or her own gender, regardless of the gender that was registered at birth,
based on his or her biological characteristics”78. In this way, the law has removed the need for transgender people in Greece to undergo sterilisation
to have their gender legally recognised — an oppressive practice that violates individuals’ bodily integrity. Similarly, Portugal has introduced the
right to “self–determination” of gender identity and gender expression and
the protection of sexual characteristics79. Moreover, Portugal has amended
its Criminal Code as to appropriately punish hate crimes on the grounds
of sexual orientation and gender identity80. In the last few years, France
has also witnessed the emergence of the question of “intersex”. The legal
recognition of a neutral (third) gender has been discussed before French
courts. Nevertheless, in May 2017, the Cour de Cassation found that French
Law does not allow the recognition of a neutral gender81. Such recognition
(by the judiciary body) would have profound repercussions on the French
legal system and would bypass numerous legislative changes. Thus, to this
day, the French legal system recognises the binary classification of gender
— male and female.
Discrimination and Violence Based on Migration
The difficult definition of ‘migrant’
First of all, it is essential to analyse the concept of ‘migrant’. It is worth
noting that, at the international level, no universally accepted definition
exists. The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN
DESA) defines a ‘migrant’ as a person who moves away from his or her
78. See Law 4491/2017 (Government Gazette A’ 152/13–10–2017). See also https://www.ilga
europe.org/resources/news/latest-news/greece-gender-recognition-law-oct2017.
79. See Law No. 38/2018, https://dre.pt/pesquisa/-/search/115933863/details/maximized.
80. See Law No. 94/2017. See also Resolution of the Council of Ministers No. 61/2018, of
21 May and the National Strategy for Equality and Non–Discrimination 2018–2030 “Portugal +
Equal”.
81. French Court of Cassation, N° 16–17189 (4th May 2017), available at https://www.legi
france.gouv.fr/juri/id/JURITEXT000034653561/.
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place of usual residence, temporality or permanently, for a variety of reasons82. However, it is controversial whether the term ‘migrant’ can be all–
embracing, an umbrella concept, referring to every person who moves.
The fundamental disagreement concerns whether or not ‘migrant’ is an
inclusive label that also includes refugees83. On the one hand, the inclusivist
view holds that migrants are people who have moved regardless of their
legal status and their motivations (consequently, including refugees)84.
On the other hand, the residualist view sees migrants as people who have
moved from their usual place of residence for every reason other than fleeing war or persecution85. Following the latter point of view, a migrant is
someone who chooses to move and, unlike refugees, a migrant does not
fear persecution or serious harm in his or her home country of origin.
According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), blurring
the terms ‘refugees’ and ‘migrants’ takes attention away from the specific
legal protection that only refugees require. Thus, in order to protect the
peculiar status of refugees, the UNCHR is the primary supporter of the
residualist viewpoint.
Despite such different views, it is undoubted that the reasons to move
are diverse. For instance, the movement of a person or a group of persons
may be motivated by economic opportunities. These individuals are often
called ‘economic migrants’ and defined as someone who leaves his or her
country of origin in order to find a better life86. This is a clear example of
‘voluntary migration’ according to which people leave their home because
of the so–called ‘pull factors’ (such as better career opportunities, education or family reunion). On the contrary, when migration is the result of
‘push factors’ (inter alia persecution, war, violations of human rights and
abuses), it may be defined as forced migration. The cruellest and harshest push factors lead individuals to seek international protection. People
82. See the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), Recommendations on Statistics of International Migration, 1998, p. 9.
83. Carling J., What is the meaning of migrant?, available at www.meaningofmigrants.org (lastly accessed in July 2020).
84. For example, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) favours the inclusive
approach (see https://www.iom.int/who-is-a-migrant).
85. The primary proponent of the residualist view of migrants is the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). See https://meaningofmigrants.files.wordpress.com/2016/09/definitions-compared.png for
a visual explanation and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), ‘Refugees’ and ‘Migrants’ – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), 31 August 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.
org/docid/56e81c0d4.html.
86. https://www.amnesty.org.au/refugee-and-an-asylum-seeker-difference/.
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197
seeking this protection are not fleeing poverty (they are not seeking better opportunities), they are fleeing danger87. This generally happens when a
society ceases to provide security for its people and, consequently, it falls
into disorder. In many cases, individuals are fleeing in terror from abuses
perpetrated by their own State. In other instances, they are escaping from
oppression that the State is powerless to prevent because it has lost control
of territory or otherwise ceased to function in an effective way88.
Individuals who seek international protection are called ‘asylum seekers’. More precisely, an asylum seeker is someone whose claim for international protection has not yet been finally decided on by the country
in which he or she has submitted an asylum petition89. The concept of
‘asylum’ refers to a process, and it differs from the concept of ‘refugee
status’. Indeed, not every asylum seeker will ultimately be recognised as a
‘refugee’, but every recognised refugee is initially an asylum seeker. ‘Refugees’ are a specific category of individuals crossing international borders. According to the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, a
‘refugee’ is defined as any person who “owing to well–founded fear of
being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of
a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his
nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country; or who, not having a nationality
and being outside the country of his former habitual residence as a result
of such events, is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to return to
it”90. International law provides the universal definition of refugee, and it
also sets forth core principles for the protection of these individuals91. The
non–refoulement principle (meaning no forced returns) is the most relevant
obligation. Today, it is considered a norm of customary law92, meaning
87. Betts A. & Collier P., Refuge: Rethinking Refugee Policy in a Changing World, Oxford University Press, 2017, p. 16.
88. UNHCR, The State of The World’s Refugees 1993, Introduction: The Challenge of Protection,
see https://www.unhcr.org/publications/sowr/4a4c6da96/state-worlds-refugees-1993-challenge
protection. html#:~:text=The%20State%20of%20The%20World's%20Refugees%201993%3A%20
The%20Challenge%20of%20Protection,-By%20United%20Nations&text=It%20is%20also%20
an%20eloquent,to%20their%20homes%20once%20again.
89. International Organization for Migration (IOM), Glossary on Migration, 2019, available
at https://publications.iom.int/system/files/pdf/iml_34_glossary.pdf.
90. The 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, Art. 1.
91. See the 1951 Refugee Convention, Art. 3 (non–discrimination), Art. 31 (non–penalisation)
and Art. 33 (non–refoulment).
92. UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), The Principle of Non–Refoulement as a
Norm of Customary International Law. Response to the Questions Posed to UNHCR by the Federal Constitu-
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that it has absolute nature and represents a clear limit to the discretion of
sovereign States in regulating migration. It asserts that a refugee should
not be returned to a country where he or she would face serious threats
to their life or freedom. Accordingly, this principle prohibits the State to
extradite, deport, expel, or otherwise return (refouler) a refugee. It also
implies that asylum seekers cannot be rejected, cannot be prevented from
requesting protection (exante). In fact, every asylum seeker could potentially be recognised as refugee. Thus, the non–refoulement principle not
only covers recognised refugees, but also asylum seekers awaiting status
determination93. Non–admission, rejections at the frontiers, pushbacks of
boats are violations of the non–refoulement principle.
On the one hand, it is undoubted that the management of migration
flows and the adequate protection of refugees are intertwined goals. The
UNHCR itself recognises that its general interest in the field of migration stems from the fact that there is a link between forced displacement
and migratory movements94. In 2016, the UN General Assembly explicitly
recognised the strong link between migrants and refugees, and adopted
the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrant95. Despite recognising the
difference between legal standards protecting those individuals, the Declaration affirms the urgent need for a comprehensive approach to human mobility. It declares that, even if the management of refugees and migrants
is governed by different sets of rules, they both have the same human
rights and fundamental freedoms. In other words, although many people
on the move fall outside the refugee status, they are nonetheless in need
of (the same) human rights protection. In addition, both refugees and
migrants may face common challenges and have similar vulnerabilities96.
tional Court of the Federal Republic of Germany in Cases 2 BvR 1938/93, 2 BvR 1953/93, 2 BvR 1954/93,
1994, https://www.refworld.org/docid/437b6db64.html.
93. European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, ‘Scope of the principle of non–refoulement in contemporary border management: evolving areas of law’, (2016), p. 14, https://fra.eu
ropa.eu/sites/default/files/fra_uploads/fra-2016-scopenon-refoulement-0_en.pdf.
94. UNHCR, Memorandum of Understanding between the United Nations High Commissioner
for Refugees and the International Organization for Migration, 15 May 1997, Para. 10, available at
https://www.unhcr.org/4aa7a3ed9.pdf.
95. UN General Assembly, New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants : Resolution adopted
by the General Assembly, 3 October 2016, A/RES/71/1, available at https://www.refworld.org/do
cid/57ceb74a4.html.
96. Within the migration context, ‘vulnerability’ represents the limited capacity to avoid, resist, cope with, or recover from harm, and ‘migrants in vulnerable situations’ are those individuals
who are unable to effectively enjoy their human rights, are at increased risk of violations and
abuse and who, accordingly, are entitled to call on a duty bearer’s heightened duty of care. See
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199
Vulnerable migrants include women at risk, children, especially unaccompanied migrant children or children separated from their families, members of ethnic and religious minorities, victims of violence, older persons,
persons with disabilities, persons who are discriminated against on any
basis, indigenous peoples, victims of human trafficking and victims of
exploitation and abuses in the context of the smuggling of migrants97.
These individuals are at higher risk of suffering harm during their migration process. Their vulnerability to human rights violations is the result
of multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination, inequality and societal dynamics that lead to diminished and unequal levels of power and
enjoyment of rights98. It is important to highlight that these vulnerable
migrants may fall outside the specific legal category of ‘refugees’. Nonetheless, they need special protection (mainly because of personal characteristics such as their age, gender identity, disability, or health status, or
because they have been victims of abuse). Therefore, even when migrants
do not qualify as refugees, they may be subjected to other kinds of protection99. As a result, in the framework of international migration, there
is not a clear–cut distinction between migrants in need of protection and
migrants who are not entitled to it. This confusion is particularly true in
the context of ‘large movements’100. Large migratory movements are also
called ‘mixed’ migratory flows, and, in these flows, the refugee dimension varies. In some cases (for example, the surge in arrivals in Europe by
boat in the Eastern Mediterranean in 2015), the vast majority are refugees. In others, the composition is more mixed101. Yet, the risks to which
IOM, Glossary on Migration, (2019), available at https://publications.iom.int/system/files/pdf/
iml_34_glossary.pdf.
97. Human Rights Council Resolution 35/17, Protection of the human rights of migrants:
the global compact for safe, orderly and regular migration, p. 3, available at https://www.un.org/
en/development/desa/population/migration/generalassembly/docs/globalcompact/A_HRC_
RES_35_17.pdf.
98. Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, UN Document A/
HRC/37/34, Principles and practical guidance on the protection of the human rights of migrants
in vulnerable situations, Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights,
2018, p. 5, https://undocs.org/A/HRC/37/34.
99. See, for example, the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons,
Especially Women and Children, Supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime; the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families; the Convention relating to the Status of Stateless
Persons; and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
100. New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants, Para. 6.
101. Grandi F., Refugee and Migration, in J. Knolle & J. Poskett (eds.), Migration, Cambridge
University Press, 2020, pp. 79–95.
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Francesca Finelli
refugees and migrants are exposed are often the same. For these reasons,
according to the New York Declaration, the international community
has to guarantee a comprehensive migration policy support, assistance
and protection consistent with international law obligations (both human
rights law and refugee protection standards). Unsafe and disorderly movements of migrants must be avoided — or at least combated102. Essentially,
the international community shall be committed to “making migration
work for all”103. Indeed, according to the UN Secretary–General António
Guterres, “Without seeking to create new legal categories or to expand
on the unique forms of international protection provided in the refugee
framework, we must design an adequate response to the needs of migrants in large movements”104.
On the other hand, despite the common dangers to which many people on the move are exposed, no one should ever blur the line between
refugees and migrants. As a matter of fact, only refugees move (or better, flee) because of conflicts or persecutions, or, more generally, a failure
of protection in their own countries. Therefore, only certain individuals
need specific protection because of the situations they left behind. Treating them as “simple” migrants risks obscuring their distinct status and
rights in international law105. In fact, refugees are a specifically defined and
protected group under international law, because of the situation in their
country of origin, making it impossible for them to go home (i.e. feared
persecution, conflict, violence, or other circumstances have seriously disturbed public order)106. They are so recognised precisely because it is too
dangerous for them to return home, and therefore they need protection
elsewhere. According to the UNHCR, the predicament of refugees is a
common concern of humankind107. Therefore, minimising the reasons
why refugees move risks to undermine their legal status and, consequently, their need for protection.
102. See UNGA Resolution 73/195, Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration,
2019, available at https://www.un.org/en/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/RES/73/195.
103. Report of the Secretary–General, UN Document A/72/643, Making migration work for
all, 2017, available at https://refugeesmigrants.un.org/sites/default/files/sg_report_en.pdf.
104. Ibidem, para. 50.
105. Grandi F., Refugee and Migration, supra cit.
106. UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), ‘Refugees’ and ‘Migrants’ – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), 31 August 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/
56e81c0d4.html.
107. Report of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), UN Document A/73/12
(Part II), Global compact on refugees, available at https://www.unhcr.org/gcr/GCR_English.pdf.
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201
Recent legislative interventions
In the last few years, migration has emerged as a critical political and societal challenge, particularly in matters such as integration, security and
border management108. Globally, we are witnessing growing intolerance
towards those individuals who are perceived as “others” or “aliens”. The
values of inclusiveness, tolerance and non–discrimination have been significantly undermined. They have been challenged by new strong fears
that, essentially, perceive the “other” as a threat for the hosting society.
These concerns have triggered the growing consensus of nationalist, far–
right parties and anti–immigrant sentiments.
Several countries have engaged in an intensifying discussion about the
“unsustainable arrivals” of migrants in their territories. Brazil has been facing the massive influx of asylum seekers from Venezuela across its northern
border (particularly in the State of Roraima). The European Union has been
extremely exposed to the waves of migrants and refugees. The unprecedented number of arrivals peaked in 2015, when first–time applications for
international protection almost reached 1.3 million109. The impact of the
migration crisis was particularly severe in Greece, Italy and Spain, as their
coastlines were directly involved in the management of the Mediterranean
migration routes and the Western African one110. More precisely, Greece has
been engaged in the Eastern Mediterranean route, which has seen the biggest migratory wave111. In 2015, the Greek asylum system almost collapsed.
Then, the joint EU–Turkey statement (signed on 18 March 2016) represented a turning point in the management of the migration crisis in Greece112.
However, its legitimacy is strongly debated113. Italy faced the unprecedented
108. International Organization for Migration (OIM), World Migration Report 2018, chapter 2, p. 13, available at https://publications.iom.int/system/files/pdf/wmr_2018_en.pdf.
109. According to Eurostat, see https://appsso.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/nui/show.do?dataset=
migr_asyappctza&lang=en.
110. See http://data2.unhcr.org/en/situations/mediterranean?page=1&view=grid&Type%
255B%255D=3&Search=%2523monthly%2523.
111. According to Frontex, 885,000 migrants used it to reach the EU in 2015 — 17 times the
number in 2014.
112. Council of the European Union, ‘EU–Turkey statement, 18 March 2016’, Press Release
144/16, 18.03.2016, at https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2016/03/18/
eu-turkey-statement/.
113. See Duhaâ M., The EU Migration Crisis and the Human Rights Implications of the Externalisation of Border Control, in C. Strohal & S. Kieber (authors) & W. Benedek, P. Czech, L. Heschl,
K. Lukas, & M. Nowak (eds.), European Yearbook on Human Rights, 2018, p. 135–166. See also Haferlach L. & Kurban D., Lessons Learnt from the EU–Turkey Refugee Agreement in Guiding EU Migration
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Francesca Finelli
arrival of migrants from the Central Mediterranean route. The mass arrivals of asylum seekers from the Mediterranean Sea has triggered strong
xenophobic positions and claims of “invasion”114. Accordingly, the Italian
legislator has introduced two “Security Decrees”115, which are founded on
the idea that immigration and insecurity are strongly intertwined phenomena. The Security Decrees were intended to stop the large admission of
migrants in the Italian territory, reducing the criteria for humanitarian residence permit, “criminalising” sea rescue operations, and imposing the idea
that the masses of migrants from the Mediterranean can only jeopardise internal security and stability. However, reading the migratory phenomenon
(only) in terms of security concerns is far from uncontroversial116. In fact,
the Italian Constitutional Court has recently ruled on the partial unconstitutionality of the first Security Decree117. Similarly, in France, there have
been many contradictions in migration policies. In the last few years, the
main concern of the French legislator has been taking control of immigration flows. In 2018, the “Controlled immigration Act” was adopted with the
view of simplifying and speeding up the reception procedure118. At the same
time, this Act contains several measures which tend to reduce immigration,
weaken fundamental rights and individual guarantees. Thus, Greece, Italy
and France have recently implemented controversial migration policies,
which risk being in conflict not only with their constitutional principles119,
but also with international customary law (which prohibits the collective
expulsion of aliens and states the principle of non–refoulement).
Partnerships with Origin and Transit Countries, Global Policy, 2017, available at https://onlinelibrary.
wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1758-5899.12432.
114. H. de Haas, The Myth of Invasion, 2015, available at http://heindehaas.blogspot.com/
2015/05/the-myth-of-invasion.html.
115. Decree Law n. 113/2018, first “Security Decree” also known as “Salvini Decree” and Decree Law n. 53/2019, second “Security Decree” also known as “Security Decree bis”.
116. Corsi C., Evaluating the ‘Salvini Decree’: Doubts of Constitutional Legitimacy, EUI 2019, at
https://cadmus.eui.eu/bitstream/handle/1814/61784/PB_2019_06_MPC.pdf ?sequence=1&is
Allowed=y. and S. Carta, Beyond closed ports: the new Italian Decree–Law on Immigration and Security,
2018, available at https://eumigrationlawblog.eu/beyond-closed-ports-the-new-italian-decree-lawon-immigration-and-security/.
117. Italian Constitutional Court, Judgement 186/2020, 9th July 2020, ECLI:IT:COST:2020:186,
https://www.cortecostituzionale.it/actionSchedaPronuncia.do?param_ecli=ECLI:I
T:COST:2020:186.
118. Loi No. 2018–778 of 10th October 2018 pour une immigration maîtrisée, un droit d’asile
effectif et une intégration réussie.
119. See Art. 10(3) of the Italian Constitution (“A foreigner who, in his home country, is denied the actual exercise of the democratic freedoms guaranteed by the Italian constitution shall be
entitled to the right of asylum under the conditions established by law”).
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203
Bulgaria and Portugal registered that migrants and ethnic minorities
are highly vulnerable to intolerance, aggressive public campaigns, and
nationalist far–right movements. Both countries have also reported widespread hate speech on the Internet and online threats against migrants.
In many cases, the steps taken to combat hate speech online are inadequate and the sanctions are not a deterrent120. In addition, Portugal has reported the persistence of cases of police violence against migrants (Brazilian, Ukrainian, Romanian and Moldovan) and minorities (in particular
Roma and Afro–descendants, but also Muslims, lesbians, gays, bisexuals
and transgenders).
Recent (local) policies
The definition of migration policies is usually centralised at the national level. National governments normally have exclusive decision–making
power over the regulation of migration flows and the admission of foreigners within domestic borders. Territorial authorities, Regions and Municipalities cannot regulate immigration and asylum in an autonomous
way. Nevertheless, these territorial entities are competent for the social
integration of migrants and are responsible for the coordination of several assistance measures such as accommodation, healthcare, education and
training. It follows that integration policies and positive actions (against
exclusion and discrimination of migrants) are usually in the hands of local authorities. Those territorial entities, with the support of civil society
organisations, are directly involved in the design and implementation of
specific measures ensuring to the socio–economic inclusion of migrants
in the hosting society. It is important to notice that integration process
deals with several human rights and fundamental freedoms, inter alia social dignity, non–discrimination, full development of each human person,
effective participation in the political, economic, and social organisation
of the country121. These fundamental values are enshrined both in international law instruments (in particular in the International Convention on
120. See European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) Report on Portugal,
2018, p. 9.
121. Certain partners (such as the City of Turin) favour the concept of ‘interculture participation’ rather than ‘integration’, where the former has a specific focus on intercultural engagement,
an inclusive and participatory approach in the management of different cultures, communities,
and people, promoting their understanding and interaction in the public sphere.
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Francesca Finelli
the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination)122, domestic laws and
constitutional provisions. Accordingly, most of the partners involved in
the R&C project have been involved in the implementation of national,
regional, and local interventions aimed at combating migration–based
discrimination and ethnic segregation.
The City of Fortaleza (Brazil), Praia (Cape Verde), Dunkirk (France), Turin (Italy), Huelva and Jaén (Spain) have adopted municipal plans of interventions against migration–based and ethnic discrimination. More precisely, they have introduced positive actions with the view of promoting
the social inclusion of migrants at the municipal level. The City of Fortaleza has financed a local strategy to welcome migrants and refugees by
offering them a public residence, named Centro–Dia, where minimum life
conditions are guaranteed for all (inter alia habitation, food and security, as
well as legal assistance). The City of Dunkirk has financed specific actions in
order to guarantee the right to hygiene for refugees in the Grande–Synthe
humanitarian camp. The South Aegean Region (Greece), including the island of Syros, has developed worth–mentioning positive actions concerning the social inclusion of immigrants and refugees123. Local interventions
have mainly focused on the social integration and economic empowerment of immigrants, through the provision of counselling services, legal
support and intercultural mediation. In addition, several organisations
and research centres have been actively monitoring the phenomenon of
racial discrimination (inter alia the Prevention Centre “THISEAS” of Cyclades, the Antiracist Observatory of University of the Aegean, the Centre for Research and Development of the Holy Metropolis of Syros, Community Centre of the Municipality of Syros–Ermoupolis and Vardakeios
School of Ermoupolis). Likewise, the Piedmont Region (Italy) has activated
a strong Regional Network Against Discrimination124, a Solidarity Fund
for the judicial protection of victims of discrimination125, several raising
awareness initiatives and training activities for ‘anti–discrimination officers’126. In Andalusia (Spain), the Provinces of Huelva and Jaén have adopt122. See Art. 5, 6 and 7 International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial
Discrimination adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1965.
123. In the framework of the regional Strategy for Social Inclusion, Fight against Poverty and
all forms of Discrimination, within the NSRF (National Strategic Reference Framework 2014–2020).
124. See http://www.piemontecontrolediscriminazioni.it/rete-regionale.
125. In Italian as “Fondo per il patrocinio legale delle vittime di discriminazioni”, http://
www.regione.piemonte.it/governo/bollettino/abbonati/2017/07/attach/re201704_polsoc.pdf.
126. In the framework of the Three–year Regional Plan Against Discrimination (2018–2020),
https://www.regione.piemonte.it/web/sites/default/files/media/documenti/2019-01/piano_
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205
ed specific local measures for the social integration of migrants. Recent
interventions have mainly focused on education initiatives and training,
more precisely on Spanish language courses and IT&C classes. Moreover,
due to the seasonal olive harvest, the Province of Jaen has created a series
of Helpdesks for seasonal workers, as well as accommodation services
and care centres for children of seasonal workers. Similarly, the City of
Praia has financed several information initiatives for migrants who need
access to basic services (inter alia education, healthcare, social security and
regularisation) as well as language courses and professional trainings.
The City of Turin has developed advanced intercultural policies and it
represents an outstanding model127. In 2018, it established new “Guidelines for Interculture and Participation”128, with the view of promoting
full and equal engagement of all in the adoption of local policies. More
recently, in June 2020, the City of Turin launched a public consultation,
according to which citizens are invited to present written proposals
aimed at co–drafting the (new) Collaboration Agreement for an Anti–
racist Turin129.
In this way, the City of Turin has affirmed its commitment to fighting
racism and hateful intolerance, while also consolidating its open and participatory approach in the definition of local public policies.
Conclusions
This research confirms that inequalities and violence persist in every society, in every culture, in every country and territory, from a small island
(as Syros) to a huge metropolis (as Fortaleza). Since intolerance and disparities exist everywhere, each national legislator and local entity shall feel
the urgent need to tackle these issues with the view of achieving de facto
equality for all. Both state and local decision–makers shall commit themselves to promoting equality by all means, inter alia through legislative
triennale_2018-2020_0.pdf. See also https://www.regione.piemonte.it/web/temi/diritti-politi
che-sociali/diritti/antidiscriminazioni/rete-regionalecontro-discriminazioni.
127. See https://www.coe.int/en/web/interculturalcities/torino.
128. In Italian as “Linee guida per il Coordinamento alle Politiche per l’Interculturalita e alla
Partecipazione”, http://www.integrazionemigranti.gov.it/Attualita/Notizie/Documents/La%20
politica%20interculturale%20della%20Città%20di%20Torino_latest.pdf.
129. In Italian as “Patto di Collaborazione per una Torino Antirazzista”, http://www.comune.
torino.it/benicomuni/bm~doc/avviso-per-la-presentazione-di-proposte-di-collaborazione.pdf.
See also http://www.comune.torino.it/ucstampa/comunicati/article_152.shtml.
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reforms, implementation of social policies, national strategies, positive
actions as well as local plans of interventions.
Concerning gender inequalities, it is important to recall that gender–
based violence is the most de–humanising form of gender oppression. For
this reason, national and local competent authorities shall adopt policies
and measures equally addressing prevention, protection, and punishment
of violence, in order to ensure a comprehensive and integrated approach
against gender violence (as suggested — in Europe — by the Istanbul
Convention and its 4–pillar structure). In the framework of the R&C project, several legislators have largely privileged national reforms aimed at
criminalising acts of violence against women and tackling the inadequacies of criminal (procedural) law provisions. In this way, they have failed
to fully recognise the structural dimension of the phenomenon. Indeed,
criminal reforms are not enough to tackle the social and cultural reasons
of violence against women. The widespread patriarchal attitudes and stereotypes should be addressed by systematic interventions, including education initiatives, awareness raising, training of professionals and, more generally, preventive measures aiming at combating sexist social and cultural
patterns of behaviour that are based on the idea of inferiority of women.
In order to achieve this goal, regional and urban actors play an essential
role. While not having competences on criminal law matters, they are the
true protagonists of the effective implementation of equality legislation
and social policies. For this reason, territorial actors should guarantee a
holistic system of prevention and protection for victims of gender violence, as well as cooperate in the monitoring activity of the phenomenon
at the local level.
Gender–based violence has been frequently registered not only as a
widespread phenomenon affecting women, but also the LGBT community. Indeed, most partners involved in the R&C project reported that LGBT
people are frequently victims of intolerance, hate crimes and hate speech.
Regrettably, in many countries these forms of discrimination and violence
remain invisible and non–prosecuted. Accordingly, this research intends
to highlight that discrimination and violence concerning the LGBT community should deserve more attention both at national and local levels.
Migration–based discrimination and violence represent a more complex phenomenon. Firstly, no universally accepted definition of ‘migrant’
exists. Secondly, migration policies are usually influenced by territorial
needs. Similarly, integration (or “intercultural”) policies are affected by
local sensitivities. For instance, some territories are traditionally consid-
The Comparative Analysis
207
ered as transit zones due to their geostrategic location (such as Cape Verde
which connects America, Europe and Africa), and, consequently, have a
consolidated tradition in dealing with migration. Other countries have
been exposed to the “unsustainable” arrival of asylum seekers and migrants only in the last few years. Moreover, certain territories are characterised by emigration rather than immigration (such as Romania which
is one of the European countries with the largest emigrant population).
Despite these territorial differences, claims of nationalism and anti–immigrant (xenophobic) sentiments represent a common trend. Indeed, recent interventions have mainly given priority to the necessity to (re)gain
control on national territories and, accordingly, to implement pushbacks
at borders and other obstacles for migrants. In this way, national legislators have failed to appropriately reconcile the need to face migration
issues while understanding their humanitarian dimension. Accordingly,
they have not only undermined the status of asylum seeker and refugees,
but also contravened the non–refoulment principle as well as international
human rights law and domestic constitutional principles. Furthermore,
they have negatively affected the implementation of anti–discrimination
rules and inclusive policies at the national level. On the contrary, local
bodies played an essential role in designing local positive actions and social
inclusion strategies.
Building the “Recognize and Change” Culture
ISBN 979-12-5994-029-2
DOI 10.53136/979125994029218
pp. 209-212 (March 2021)
Afterword
Norma De Piccoli, Mia Caielli
It is difficult to draw conclusions from such a rich and layered project. This
project was innovative both in terms of the issues it wanted to address,
but also for having combined the development of knowledge and sensitivity on extremely relevant ethical aspects through an active and participatory methodology. What makes this project so original is its ‘ecological’
and ‘systemic’ approach; these aspects featured the construction and implementation of the method and the development of the contents. This
project is ‘ecological’ in the sense that each group and partner country
involved has adapted the project to its subjects, its culture, its institutional
and legislative contexts, while maintaining the same macro themes and
objectives as all partners. It is ‘systemic’ because it relies on a methodology referred to as learning by doing. This approach allowed Young Peer
Educators (referred to as YEs, i.e. Young Educators) to acquire knowledge and skills on the topics covered during the training and then take
that knowledge to the young students in the schools and share it with the
young students through a horizontal relational approach, which facilitated exchanges and communication.
Feedback on the project highlighted that it was not always possible to
create a perfect synergy between all participants involved. This being said,
the overall perception of the project on behalf of the students was a positive one, as they deemed the experience to be participatory and engaging.
Another limitation proved to be the Covid–19 pandemic, which inevitably imposed some changes on the project execution and the way in
which the project could be delivered. Some partners were unable to complete all the in–class activities prior to the lockdown; as a consequence,
they were unable to achieve the objectives that had initially been set out
for the 3rd year in the way which had been planned. Nevertheless, the European Union allowed each partner to achieve the final project outcomes
(even in an innovative way), safeguarding the possibility of carrying out a
complete qualitative assessment (see chapter 2 par 3).
209
210
Norma De Piccoli, Mia Caielli
The themes around which the three years are structured (Relationships; Diversity; Violence) — referring specifically to immigration as regards the theme of prejudice, and gender as regards violence (focusing
on violence against women and discrimination towards the LGBT community) — presuppose an idea of inclusive citizenship, in which everyone
and anyone — regardless of ethnicity, religious belief, and gender — have
the same rights and duties. Sharing and fully accepting this belief means
sharing belonging to the local community itself, while respecting the specificities of individuals, groups, and cultures.
Legislation is, or can be, an expression of this tension which goes towards welcoming or excluding the other. An example could be ius soli,
which is present in some states, but not in others. The idea of citizenship
should therefore also include the sense of respect and recognition of the
other, as mentioned by German philosopher Axel Honneth (for further
information on the subject, see Gattino, Miglietta)1. Honneth writes that
social life reproduces itself “under the imperative of mutual recognition,
since subjects can only come to a practical relationship with themselves if
they learn to conceive themselves from the normative perspective of their
partners in interaction […] Therefore the process of identification that
takes place in the history of the species is linked to a simultaneous amplification of the relationships of mutual recognition”2 (Honneth, 2002, pp
114–115).
Honneth identifies three forms of recognition: love, law and social esteem.
Here it seems interesting to focus, albeit briefly, on legal recognition.
As Gattino and Miglietta point out (page 37), the law does not admit gradients when it comes to human rights; that is, rights either exist or they
do not. It is through judicial recognition that a person achieves self–respect, because it is through legal recognition that rights are legitimized
and rights “raise (in the subject) the awareness of being able to respect
himself because he has obtained the respect of all the others” (Honneth,
p. 144).
Therefore, the other assumes a social identity starting from the judicial
recognition of his existence and presence within a given local community;
1. S. Gattino, A. Miglietta, National citizenships and cultural affiliations, Liguori publisher,
Naples 2010.
2. A. Honneth, Fight for recognition. Proposals for an ethics of conflict, Il Saggiatore, Milan 2002
(or. Kampf un Anerkennung Grammatik Sozialer Konflikte, Suhrkamp, Frankfurt amMain 1992).
Afterword
211
failure to have judicial recognition means he is mis–known, is invisible to
the law, and, therefore, also to the social context.
Citizenship is seen as an expression of rights and duties that involve
everyone; it is the full acceptance of these rights and duties that guarantees forms of coexistence based on mutual respect.
As is well known, legislation is not enough to change stereotypical attitudes and prejudices. It is a question of intertwining different levels of
responsibility. The presence or absence of legislation that goes in the direction of guaranteeing full citizenship to everyone does not exempt one
from social and cultural responsibility on the one hand, and subjective and
personal on the other: how does each of us behave and what does each of
us do to oppose violent and discriminatory behaviour? In terms of social
and political responsibility, what are the institutions doing to develop a
culture of respect, even at the local level? What legislative instruments —
local, national, and international — are available in order to promote a
civic sense of civil life based on respect and trust?
It is unquestionable that the analysis of international, domestic, and
local legislations and policies aimed at combating discrimination and
violence plays a crucial role. However, the diversity of the socio–legal
contexts of the partners involved needs to be taken into consideration:
accordingly, the three years of work entailed more than just putting together a huge amount of data, statistics, and pieces of legislation. The real
challenge of the project was to unveil false analogies, to appreciate the
resulting divergences, and to understand what divergences and similarities
bring to light. This was, among other things, a comparative legal study; it
pushed us to look beneath the law as written formally in text, and to study
the underlying structure of the law and explore the substructural forces
that influence it, such as, for instance, religion, history, and geography.
Therefore, the dialogue between partners played a crucial role: all local
and international workshops, meetings with the policymakers, coordination with youth associations (even when dealing with the difficulties of
the Covid–19 pandemic during the third year of the project), proved extremely useful for the process of understanding each other and avoid the
most common mistakes of legal comparison. The famous comparative
law methodological caveats3 were, indeed, implicitly considered by each
participant in the project: they were all well aware of the possible different
3. R. Schlesinger, Comparative Law: Cases–Texts–Materials, The Foundation Press, Brooklyn
1950.
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Norma De Piccoli, Mia Caielli
meanings attached to the same legal term or concept (see, for example,
the complex understanding of “migrant”), depending on the many factors. One of the aims of the project was to assess the results in order to
share best practices and inspire future positive actions for the promotion
of social inclusion and citizen participation.
The process of evaluation and assessment could have run the risk of
seeking and stressing similarities at all costs and, consequently, suggesting uniform solutions or useless “transplants”. This, however, was not the
case: this project paid attention to diversity yet its pluralistic nature did
not make it impossible to start from a common, crucial, premise.
As pointed out above, the problem of recognition as a “vital human
need”4 represented the heart of this research project, together with an idea
of citizenship based on how both women and national/ethnic minority
groups can enter the realm of the public sphere. This has little to do with
citizenship as a legal status and with the rules of naturalization that vary
from country to country; instead, it focuses on the concept of citizenship
based on the acknowledgment of difference in gender, ethnicity, and religion and also entailed that the quest for equal respect may justify special
measures for minority groups or for women. This means searching for
“institutionalized” means for the explicit recognition and representation
of oppressed groups5 and addressing gender–based violence from the perspective of valuing all people equally irrespective gender, and redefining
the distinction of public and private to accommodate for the recognition
of citizenship practices in the private realm.
4. C. Taylor, Multiculturalism and the Politics of Recognition, 1992, p. 26.
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APPENDICES
Appendix I
The Campaigns, the Contests,
and the “Choose and Change” Game
1. The Campaigns
Posters distributed on the public transport network. The images and claims
were translated and made available to the partner countries in their respective
languages and distributed and shared in the high–traffic areas of every city.
First Year Campaign: ‘Discrimination does not exist’.
233
234
Appendices
i. The Campaigns, the Contests, and the “Choose and Change” Game
235
236
Appendices
Second Year Campaign: ‘I am not a monster’.
i. The Campaigns, the Contests, and the “Choose and Change” Game
[1] ‘Even if you don’t intervene, you are
still involved’.
[2] ‘Violence is never acceptable’.
[3] ‘If I see violence, I can stop violence’.
Third Year Campaign.
237
238
Appendices
Promo Year I
i. The Campaigns, the Contests, and the “Choose and Change” Game
Promo Year II
239
240
Appendices
Promo Year III
i. The Campaigns, the Contests, and the “Choose and Change” Game
241
Examples of posts published on Instagram in Year III
‘ABC’ series with descriptions pertaining to the difference types of violence that exist and
how to combat or prevent them.
242
Appendices
2. The ‘Recognize and Change’ Contests
https://recognizeandchange.eu/contest
i. The Campaigns, the Contests, and the “Choose and Change” Game
243
244
Appendices
3. Choose and Change
https://game.recandchange.eu/
i. The Campaigns, the Contests, and the “Choose and Change” Game
Website homepage: https://recognizeandchange.eu/.
245
Appendix II
The “Recognize and Change” Formative Model
Training Project: Year I
The educational project detailed here is the in–depth programming of
action 2.1. of the project “Recognize and change”, which aims to build
awareness and train Young Educators [YEs] (aged approximately between
19 and 26) in their communities and in local associations, who will then go
on to facilitate interactions between high school students (aged approximately between 15 and 19), middle school students (aged approximately
between 11 and 14), and adults (parents and teachers). This project takes
place over three years; each year is dedicated to one of the three themes
of the project: relationships; identity and inequality; and discrimination
and violence.
As planned, during the three phases, the training courses for the YEs
will be designed and coordinated by SFEP (the School of Continuing Education Training), which is the training agency of the City of Turin.
The aim of the courses is to train YEs in order to develop and increase
their ability to involve high school students in conversations pertaining to the
issues that the project will focus on every year, foster exchanges within the
class groups, and co–construct awareness–raising tools. In interacting with
the students, the YEs will have to assume the role of ‘process facilitators’;
their success in facilitating the process lies first and foremost in their ability to create a safe, positive space disciplined by few yet clear shared rules.
The in–class sessions will be pursued once the YEs have completed their
training; then, the methodology they have learned and tested in the training sessions will be implemented in the sessions with the students. The approach of the training is not oriented towards ‘knowledge’, but ‘knowing
how to’ and ‘knowing how to be’; the YEs will replicate this approach within the sessions they will facilitate in the schools (the classes of the educational institutions may be extremely diverse and respond very differently to this
approach). The content of the YE training will therefore inform the ‘in–class
247
248
Appendices
workshops’ taking place in high schools, and the students will be involved in
the discussion, design and implementation of awareness campaigns targeted at young people in lower secondary schools (‘middle schools’).
The topics of the project
Three main themes in three separate phases1:
1st year: focus on “identity and relationships”, to recognize the right / duty
to be recognized and respected, and to recognize and respect others.
The training will deal with topics related to:
— building own’s ego;
— integrating into the world;
— roles and relationships;
— the group;
— risks and good practices.
2nd year: focus on “diversity and discrimination” to highlight similarities
and differences between one’s own identity (with a relative wealth of resources) and that of others (learning how to enhance their wealth). The
topics will be:
— analysis and deconstruction of stereotypes (starting from gender
and ethnic/cultural stereotypes);
— analysis of types of discrimination;
— individual and collective responsibility in discriminatory acts.
3rd year: focus on “violence” as one of the possible consequences of discrimination. Among the possible topics:
— forms of violence;
— the predator and the victim;
— positive reactions;
— culture of respect.
1. The themes concerning gender equality and migration are cross-cutting issues that will
feature in the entire project experience.
ii. The “Recognize and Change” Formative Model
249
In addition, in the 3rd year, special attention will be paid to violence
against women and immigrants.
The model and the participants
The proposal provides the basis for the definition of a local training model, edited by the MLAE, with the support of the Training Consultant and
the Social Media Manager.
The Local Training model comprises:
— presenting the topic and its adaptation to the local context;
— applying the methodology to the specific context;
— integrating the basic bibliography with studies carried out in the
relevant country;
— organizing the scheduling;
— identifying trainers
— implementing training through:
– a residential internship – 16 hours;
– training meetings – 10 hours;
– exchanges / discussion meetings (during the workshops in the
classes) – 6 hours;
– ongoing assessment and final assessment – 6 hours;
– possible meetings with witnesses – 2 hours.
— defining the assessment and evaluation steps, in relation to the
scheduling;
— monitoring and collecting documentation;
— continuously sharing resources with the team lead.
Once again, it is important to stress that the YE training model of the
1st year defines the methodological constants of the subsequent two years;
the entire project adopts the Empowered Education (E.P.E.) approach.
This is an educational model that moves away significantly from traditional approaches to education, which aims to improve and develop the
central role of young people, who will be directly involved not only in
the implementation of the awareness project itself, but also in its design,
planning and rating.
The E.P.E. approach is rooted in the following theoretical framework:
250
Appendices
1. social Psychology which establishes a connection between the individual,
society and politics. It bridges gaps thanks to concepts such as empowerment, self and mutual aid, and social support;
2. research–Action according to which the people involved in the project
can actively comment and analyse the processes based on their needs,
choose the problems to be treated, plan the research–action, rework
the data obtained, and assess the outcomes;
3. social and Cultural Engagement is focused on aspects such as the person in
relation to himself, others and the environment; learning from experiences; and creating areas of communication (which is not the same are
simply exchanging experiences);
4. action Learning which identifies strategies on how to learn from the re–
elaboration of the action, in order to encourage processes of internalization and stimulate exchanges among the participants.
If the E.P.E. can be described as a set of advocacy2 and empowerment3
processes within the adolescent community, the training course that the YEs
undergo can be seen as an experimentation that models the interventions that
will take place in the classes. The YE training will reflect the characteristics of
a circular research–action path — to know, to recognize and to redesign —
which will be replicated in the classrooms with the students.
At the end of this process, the YEs will not acquire skills as ‘trainers’, but as ‘facilitators’ whose role is to identify spontaneous resources within the class groups
and encourage significant interactions for the purposes of the R&C project.
It is important to add that E.P.E. pays particular attention to personal, community and environmental relationships as these connections are key to developing a healthy individual and social identity.
Through this open, communicative approach, young people can play
a central part in developing ways to address factors that affect their health,
while garnering a wide range of diverse skills related to the dimensions of
‘know–how’ and ‘knowing how to be’, but also ‘knowing how to become’
and ‘knowing how to hope’.
2. Advocacy: a political process aimed by an individual or group of people at influencing public policies and the allocation of resources within political, economic and social systems and related
institutions. Advocacy can include many activities that a person or organization can perform, including press campaigns, public meetings, commissioning and publication of research or surveys,
and gathering favorable documentation.
3. Empowerment: here understood as the conquest of self-awareness and control over one's
choices, decisions and actions, both in personal relationships and in the political and social life.
ii. The “Recognize and Change” Formative Model
251
252
Appendices
Methodology addendum: the R&C project
The YE training intends to be an experimentation over a three–year period. The purpose of the experimentation is defined in the project, but
it will be constantly re–elaborated within and by the group. In other
words, the project outcomes are not determined a priori; instead, they
will be collectively constructed by the YEs, who are primary actors,
alongside the MLAE and with the support of the Training Consultant
and the Social Media Manager.
The first–year project (Identity and Relationships) lays out the
methodological framework that will characterize the three–year training course, orienting the work that the YEs will perform in the high
schools without rigidly defining it.
The choice for this experimentation–based approach is informed by
an extensively well–researched field of education, and is referred to as
Empowered Education (E.P.E.). The guiding principle of E.P.E. is to
value young people and place their opinions and thoughts at the centre
of the stage; this translates to involving them — right from the beginning — in the planning, realization and evaluation of initiatives aimed
at promoting their wellbeing in real life.
The E.P.E. — a design model that is considered particularly suitable
for the pursuit of the general objectives of the R & C project — at
the theoretical and methodological level is referred to as community
psychology and makes use of the theoretical and practical contributions of action research, socio–cultural engagement and community
engagement. This approach is based on the active involvement of all
the subjects involved in the process and considers the group to be a
privileged working resource. From an operational point of view, the
model consists of circular and continuous research–action processes.
The working perspective is that of action learning (learning from the
re–elaboration of actions).
The E.P.E. recognizes the fundamental role of individual–group–
community interactions as a way to promote healthy behaviours and
reduce dangerous ones, to distance oneself from purely individualistic
views, and favour views that focus on the theme of empowerment as
a resource for the promotion of one’s well–being. This is done so that
young people can become, and be recognized, as primary actors in the
promotion of their own health factors, and can develop — at a cooperative and transversal level — multiple skills, relevant not only to the
ii. The “Recognize and Change” Formative Model
253
dimensions of ‘being’ and ‘knowing–how’, but also ‘knowing how to
become’ and ‘knowing how to hope’. This approach is seen as a way to
open up new horizons.
Nowadays, the pedagogical need to abandon the transmissive mode
of imparting knowledge and skills — whether cognitive or emotional–
relational — is increasingly shared. In the current socio–cultural context, access to multiple realms of knowledge is much easier and, apparently, more ‘democratic’: thanks to the internet, knowledge appears
to be immediately accessible. Even traditional evolutionary stages in
the development of skills are undergoing a change: children as young
as toddlers can have access to a huge baggage of information and images every single day. This being said, this ever–faster access to knowledge has its downside, as the information young people receive is often
contradictory, and it undergoes continuous fragmentation and simplification. In the age of the internet and media communication, there is
therefore an even greater risk of the deterioration of critical thinking:
adolescents and children seem to have more difficulty building their
own reasoning autonomy and interpreting the myriad of content and
information they are exposed. with which they come.
Is it therefore necessary for training bodies to take a new stance and
encourage the development of learning which stimulates active forms
of thought, promotes the overall growth of the individual, and supports the transformation of one’s cognitive, emotional and relational character. A first fundamental step in this different approach is the
recognition of the group as a primary resource in the development of
processes of self–construction.
It is important to view young people as active subjects, as resources
in place and in power, and not only as subjects at risk who must be taken care of. Schools must be directly and responsibly involved in changing the pedagogical optics and E.P.E. intends to provide the stimulus
for the construction of a socio–pedagogical system which is multidimensional and integrates active resources.
What emerges is the need for a participatory network, in which
young people are, firstly, primary actors of the student community
and, subsequently, primary actors in their territory.
In conclusion, once the individual–centred approach has been left
aside, it is possible to define the E.P.E. as a set of processes to be activated or strengthened “between” and “with” adolescents within a relationship, and no longer as a set of pre–built processes “for”, dropped “on”,
254
Appendices
or circulated “among” adolescents, viewed as individuals or a generic
category.
Given the methodological choice, the YE’s training path will be a
co–constructed experimentation4, which will then be replicated with
the high school students immediately after the YE training experience
is complete. Therefore, the students will experiment techniques and
approaches according to the circular recursive structure of the ‘know,
recognize and redesign’, which is typical of research–action processes.
The general objectives of the YE training are to:
— play an active role in the processes of identifying, reading and
analysing one’s own relational maps, which lead to the definition of self, through recognition, legitimization, participation,
belonging, and power of action;
— identify and share the area and the theme of the first year (identity and relationships), paying special attention to gender equality
and aspects related to the phenomenon of migration;
— outline strategies useful for developing the project in the classes;
— know how to activate all the available resources, both belonging
to the individual and the group you interact with;
— develop alliances;
— build awareness products/tools/campaigns.
Project output
YEs will be able to form and lead a group, according to the principles of
E.P.E., and will be able to appropriately encourage/persuade each class
and single student to be the protagonist of a research approach which
explores relationships that, in turn, define identity.
4. Bereiter and Scardamalia (2006) define the co-construction of knowledge as an approach capable
of giving meaning to education through the coherent attempt to introduce students to the notion of creating knowledge. This approach is based on current research regarding the nature of expertise and how
to create new knowledge. Main objective: to promote creative work through the exchanging of ideas.
ii. The “Recognize and Change” Formative Model
255
Methodology addendum: formative materials
English materials:
Ary D.V., Duncan T.E., Duncan S.c., Hops H., Adolescent problem behaviour: the
influence of parents and peers, «Behaviour Research and Therapy», 37 (3), 1999,
pp. 217–230.
Bandura A., Self–Efficacy: The Exercise of Control, W.H. Freeman, 1997.
Bandura A., Millard M., Peluso E.A., Ortman N., Effects of peer education training on peer educators: Leadership, self–esteem, health knowledge, and health behaviors, «Journal of College Student Development», 41 (5), 2000, pp. 471–478.
Bion W.R., Experiences in Groups and Other Papers, Tavistock, London 1961, pp.
139–189.
Brown J.S., Collins A., Duguid P., Situated Cognition and the Culture of Learning,
«Educational Researcher», 18(1), 1989, pp. 32–42.
Cunningham B., Action Research: Toward a Procedural Model, «Human Relations»,
3(1976), pp. 215–238.
Deutsch M. & Gerard H.B., A study of normative and informational social influences upon individual judgment, «The Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology», 51(3), 1955, pp. 629–636.
Gardener H., Multiple intelligences: The theory in practice, Basic Books, 1993.
Goleman D., Emotional intelligence, Bantam Books, Inc., 1995.
Hogg M.A., Vaughan G.M., Social psychology, Pearson / Prentice Hall, Harlow 2005.
Lewin K., Resolving social conflicts, Harper and row Publisher, New York 1948.
Lewin K., Resolving social conflicts: selected papers on group dynamics [1935–1946],
Harper and Brothers, New York 1948.
Milburn K., A critical review of education with young people with special reference to
sexual health, «Health education research», 10(1995), pp. 407–420.
Shiner M., Defining peer education, in «Journal of Adolescence», 22(1999), pp.
555–566.
Sloane B.C. & Zimmer C.G., The power of peer health education, «Journal of American College Health», 41(6), 1993, pp. 241–245.
World Health Organisation, The Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion, Ottawa,
November 7–21, 1986
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Amerio P., Psicologia di comunità, il Mulino, Bologna 2000.
Barbier R., La ricerca–azione, Armando, 2007.
Bateson G., Verso un’ecologia della mente, Adelphi, Milano 1976.
Baumgartner E., Bombi A.S., Pastorelli C., Dall’educazione “verticale” all’educazione “orizzontale”: i coetanei come risorsa, in Psicologia dell’educazione e della
formazione, 6 (1), 2004, pp. 13–25.
Bion W.R., Esperienze nei gruppi e altri saggi, Armando, Roma 2009.
Branca P., Il potere nella comunità locale. Tra coinvolgimento e partecipazione, in
Aa.Vv., Il lavoro di comunità. La mobilitazione delle risorse nella comunità locale,
Quaderni di animazione e formazione, EGA, Torino 1996, pp. 81–93.
Brown R., Psicologia sociale dei gruppi, il Mulino, Bologna 1989.
Elliott J., Giordan A., Scurati C., La ricerca–azione. Metodiche, strumenti, casi, a
cura di G. Pozzo & L. Zappi, Bollati Boringhieri, Torino 1993.
Gardener H., L’educazione delle intelligenze multiple. Dalla teoria alla prassi pedagogica, Anabasi, Milano 1993.
Goleman D., L’intelligenza emotiva, RCS libri, Milano 1996.
Lewin K., I conflitti sociali, FrancoAngeli, Milano 1980.
Lewin K., La teoria, la ricerca e l’intervento, il Mulino, Bologna 2005.
Pellai A., Rinaldini V., Tamborini B., Educazione tra pari. Manuale teorico pratico
di empowered peer education, Erikson, Trento 2002.
Pichon–Riviere E., Il processo gruppale: dalla psicoanalisi alla psicologia sociale, a
cura di R. Fischietti, Libreria editrice Lauretana, Loreto 1985.
Pietropolli Charmet G., Scaparro F., Belletà, adolescenza temuta adolescenza sognata, Boringhieri, Torino 1993.
Pourtois J., La “ricerca–azione” in pedagogia, in E. Becchi & B. Vertecchi, Manuale critico della sperimentazione e della ricerca educativa, FrancoAngeli, Milano
1984.
Rinaldini V., Tamborini B. et al., La selezione dei peer leader nell’educazione tra pari:
un modello partecipativo, in «Educazione sanitaria e promozione della salute»,
24 (3), 2001, pp. 190–203.
Scurati C., Zanniello G. (a cura di), La ricerca azione, Tecnodid, Napoli 1993.
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Zani B., Cicognani E., Psicologia della salute, il Mulino, Bologna 2000.
ii. The “Recognize and Change” Formative Model
257
Training Project: Year II
General coordination and management
The training course for the YEs is designed and coordinated by SFEP (Lifelong Learning and Training School), the training agency of the City of Turin.
Purpose
To develop awareness of the multiple forms of violence and discrimination in European and non–European territories and to promote an inclusive and anti–discriminatory culture.
Tools / methodologies
Non–formal education and learning.
Target group
— Young Educators [YEs] (aged approximately between 19 and 29).
— High school students (aged approximately between 15 and 19).
— Secondary school students (aged approximately between 11 and 14).
— Reference adults (specifically, teachers and families).
This approach will be continuously revised and improved by the work
group (YEs supported by training consultants and experts in communication under the supervision of MLAE).
From Identity to Diversity
In Year II, the project will focus on Diversity and Discrimination.
General objectives of the ye training
1. To address the 2nd year topic through participatory, engaging and
effective methodologies that make the contents emerge from experiential practice.
2. To direct the group of YEs towards greater awareness of their role
and position in the project.
258
Appendices
3. To provide adequate tools to strengthen the weakest areas of the
past year (activities, products, processes, outcomes).
Specific objectives
1. To strengthen the YE group — and potentially welcome new members — by comparing the first–year experience and making a critical
analysis with a view to re–design the project (according to the research–action approach).
2. To allow YEs to experience processes of identifying and comparing
their own concept maps concerning diversity and discrimination.
3. To deconstruct stereotypes and to identify underlying prejudices.
4. To focus on gender and ethnic background discrimination.
5. To connect current and historical perspectives.
6. To acquire — through direct experimentation — additional methods and techniques, according to non–formal education principles
(e.g. action learning, non–formal education).
7. To design operational–strategic approaches in order to increase awareness, bearing in mind the characteristics of each institute and class
which participated in the workshops carried out in the previous year.
8. To strengthen skills in building and maintaining the laboratory setting inside the classrooms by building a constructive relationship
with the designated teachers.
9. To develop targeted activities, complemented by reworking steps.
10. To strengthen — through testing — the acquisition of useful basic techniques to support the creation of communicative awareness
products.
11. To appropriately manage the participatory assessment of the students in each class in the final phase of the workshop; to practice
their own ability to monitor the success or shortcomings of the
completed intervention, by documenting and evaluating it (report
and swot analysis).
12. To reflect on the training experience and know how to evaluate it in
a critical and constructive way.
The achievement of these objectives will be evaluated through the
comparative qualitative analysis of the following documentation produced in itinere, meaning while the project is taking place (not at the beginning and not at the end).
ii. The “Recognize and Change” Formative Model
259
a. Laboratory reports of the YEs (1 for each class).
b. Teacher report (1 for each class).
c. Participatory evaluation given by students and documented by YEs
(one for each class).
d. Evaluation on behalf of the YEs of their 40 hours of training.
The project topics
The three themes and how they are connected
The theme of “Identity and Relationships”, addressed in the first year,
represented a crucial opportunity to think over the importance of self–respect as an essential step towards the recognition of and respect for others, with a view to positive change in relationships within school contexts
and groups.
Recognition is a key factor in building healthy relationships.
Topics discussed included the construction of the ego, integration into
the world, relationships among groups and the most common risks, the
value of respect for oneself and the other, and the changes that such recognition may trigger.
The second year will focus on “Diversity and Discrimination” and on how
differences can be considered a factor of enrichment rather than separation. In this sense, the word “curiosity” can represent a valuable shared
concept, useful in generating a debate and opening people’s minds to prejudices and most common stereotypes. Curiosity involves discovery, not
necessarily the discovery of something totally new and astonishing, but
the discover of something stimulating and worth looking at more closely,
with new eyes, from another angle and with a different focus.
The training will focus on:
a. the identification of different types of discrimination;
b. the critical analysis of stereotypes (starting from gender and ethnic
/ cultural stereotypes);
c. creative strategies for deconstructing the analysed stereotypes;
d. the connection between socio–cultural stereotypes and discriminatory acts, and people’s individual and collective responsibility for
such acts.
260
Appendices
These focuses will also have to be addressed in a historical perspective
and it will be important to focus on the socially dangerous and dramatic
consequences of exclusion and discrimination.
Training model
Each model will be edited and defined by the MLAE, with the support of
the Training Consultant and the Social Media Manager.
The local training includes:
a. a presentation of the training approach to the methodology, with
adaptation to the local context, starting from the results of the research;
b. organization of a calendar and a definition of the assessment and
evaluative steps;
c. the identification of trainers
d. strengthening the training through:
i. residential training (16 hours)
ii. 4 training meetings (12 hours)
iii. monitoring and feedback meetings (during the workshops in
schools) – 6 hours (two three–hour long meetings)
iv. ongoing (in itinere) and final assessment – 6 hours (2 + 4)
v. exchanges on the long term with the team leader
Methodological approach
The YEs will not have the role of ‘educators’. They will not acquire ‘trainer’ skills, but will learn to be ‘facilitators’, that is people who will encourage the students to search for and activate resources within themselves
and will inspire the students to interact, reflect and create. They will be
able to ‘guide’ the R&C project towards specific objectives that they themselves will have helped to identify.
The Empowered Education (EE) approach should be adopted for the
entire process. This educational approach is not dissimilar to healthcare
interventions because it pays particular attention to personal, community
and environmental relationships, viewing these as an important space for
individual growth and the development of social identity. It also allows
for any problematic behaviours or patterns to emerge and be identified.
ii. The “Recognize and Change” Formative Model
261
The EE approach is therefore particularly suitable in order to activate a set
of processes that, within the adolescent community, pursue and stimulate
the development of empowerment5 and advocacy6.
The theoretical reference approaches are:
— social psychology;
— action research;
— social and cultural engagement;
— action learning.
In order for the R&C to go from a project designed by few people to
a project designed by many through participatory planning, we believe
that it is important to focus specifically on action research. The process
requires a solid management team [MLAE], which is able to wisely govern an ongoing dialogue and foster exchange with the different players
involved (young people and adults in their different roles and positions).
Summary
Knowledge is acquired by trying out, recognizing and re–elaborating; this
is an open spiral approach towards lifelong redesign. The tools that the
YEs will be trained on represent the content of the training itself. The
outcome of the training must be the appropriation of a ‘know–how’ and
a ‘knowing how to be’, within the specific school contexts.
Once this skill is acquired, it will be possible to develop another one:
to ‘know how to become’ and ‘to know how to hope’; these are viewed as
essential prerequisites to start processes of change. Change is meant as:
a. the ability to become critical towards stereotyped patterns of
thought and behaviour;
b. an openness towards personal and social visions, characterized by
inclusive relationships that recognize the wealth of differences.
5. Empowerment: here meant as the achievement of self–awareness and control over one’s
choices, decisions and actions in one’s personal relationships and in one’s political and social life.
6. Advocacy: civil procedure by which a person or a group of people try to support a policy, be
it social, economic, legislative, etc., and to influence the relative distribution of human and monetary
resources. Thanks to the use of social media, Internet and polls, it can direct public opinion and consequently direct public policies. (Source: https://www.treccani.it/vocabolario/advocacy/).
262
Appendices
The YEs will encourage the young participants to:
c. recognize preconceived and partial thought patterns;
d. identify ways out of prejudice that may be surprising, possibly unsettling or, in some case, fun.
By experimenting and re–elaborating the implemented actions, YEs
will be able to:
e. learn from experience (action learning);
f. develop critical, non–ready–made thinking;
g. give life to creative approaches which encourage changes in mentality.
Distinguishing between being in class for ‘R&C’ and being in class for ‘school’
The YEs must also — in strict agreement with the teaching staff — be
responsible builders and keepers of a space which is recognizable and welcoming. In said space, there are a select number of clear rules which are
to be shared by all participants in order to make everyone feel at ease and
comfortable discussing the topics that will gradually be introduced.
According to the principles of non–formal education, the participants
will need to be fully aware that this space, although physically the same
because it is the same classroom, is different in terms of its function during the workshops to the space they occupy when conducting their daily
school activities.
The role of the teachers
The presence of teachers in the classroom is essential for reasons of legal
responsibility; however, their presence can be even more valuable if they
agree to actively observe the sessions in a non–participatory manner. We
invite teachers to accept our recommendation to document what they
observe: their report will be an important contribution to the process of
monitoring and evaluating the outcomes of the interventions and will be
useful for future redesign.
The YEs’ training course begins with work carried out by the group
during the residential stage; subsequently, the methodology they have
already explored will be further exploited through the proposal of tools
(engagement and re–elaboration techniques, techniques related to com-
ii. The “Recognize and Change” Formative Model
263
munication via social media, basic techniques for the creation of short
films).
We invite the MLAEs and all the YEs to register and take advantage of the
TOOLS platform (http://educationaltoolsportal.eu) and to contribute to
the collaborative platform with new proposals, and to provide translations
into their own languages. This action contributes to raising awareness and
better distributing the project.
The communications team, starting from January 2019, will provide an
online tool entitled ‘Choose and Change’ that we suggest using during the
first workshop with students. We also invite you to contribute to its development by creating (either at the first meeting or independently) 5–second clips which represent actions related to the sphere of emotions; these
will contribute to enriching the game. The documentation pertaining to
the game will be provided together with the game itself.
Training Project: Year III
General coordination and management
The training course for the YEs is designed and coordinated by SFEP
(Lifelong Learning and Training School), the training agency of the City
of Turin.
Purpose
To develop awareness of the multiple forms of violence and discrimination in European and non–European territories and to promote an inclusive and anti–discriminatory culture.
Tools / methodologies
Non–formal education and learning.
Target group
— Young Educators [YEs] (aged approximately between 19 and 29).
— High school students (aged approximately between 15 and 19).
264
Appendices
— Secondary school students (aged approximately between 11 and 14 ).
— Reference adults (specifically, teachers and families).
This approach will be continuously revised and improved by the work
group (YEs supported by training consultants and experts in communication under the supervision of MLAE).
From Diversity to Combating Violence
In Year III, the project will focus on Combating Violence.
General objectives of the ye training
1. To address the 3rd year topic through participatory, engaging and
effective methodologies that make the contents emerge from experiential practice.
2. To direct the group of YEs towards greater awareness of their role
and position in the project.
3. To provide adequate tools to strengthen the weakest areas of the
past year (activities, products, processes, outcomes).
Specific objectives
1. To strengthen the YE group — and potentially welcome new members — by comparing the first–year experience and making a critical
analysis with a view to re–design the project (according to the research–action approach).
2. To allow YEs to experience processes of identifying and comparing
their own concept maps concerning diversity and discrimination.
3. To deconstruct stereotypes and to identify underlying prejudices.
4. To focus on gender and ethnic background discrimination.
5. To connect current and historical perspectives.
6. To acquire — through direct experimentation — additional methods and techniques, according to non–formal education principles
(e.g. action learning, non–formal education).
7. To design operational–strategic approaches in order to increase
awareness, bearing in mind the characteristics of each institute and
class which participated in the workshops carried out in the previous year.
ii. The “Recognize and Change” Formative Model
265
8. To strengthen skills in building and maintaining the laboratory setting inside the classrooms by building a constructive relationship
with the designated teachers.
9. To develop targeted activities, complemented by reworking steps.
10. To strengthen — through testing — the acquisition of useful basic techniques to support the creation of communicative awareness
products.
11. To appropriately manage the participatory assessment of the students in each class in the final phase of the workshop; to practice
their own ability to monitor the success or shortcomings of the
completed intervention, by documenting and evaluating it (report
and swot analysis).
12. To reflect on the training experience and know how to evaluate it in
a critical and constructive way.
The achievement of these objectives will be evaluated through the
comparative qualitative analysis of the following documentation produced in itinere, meaning while the project is taking place (not at the beginning and not at the end).
a. Laboratory reports of the YEs (1 for each class).
b. Teacher report (1 for each class).
c. Participatory evaluation given by students and documented by YEs
(one for each class).
d. Evaluation on behalf of the YEs of their 40 hours of training.
Topics
The 3rd year will focus on violence as one of the possible consequences
of discrimination; the sessions will centre on forms of violence, adopting
positive reactions and developing a culture of respect.
We will try to understand what students consider to be violent actions
and whether these are explicitly connected to forms of discriminatory
thinking.
The focus will be shift onto places of violence and on how it can be
recognized even in socially accepted situations.
In this historical moment, there is the possibility that — through mass
media and political ideologies aimed at the exclusion of certain groups of
the population — younger people may be negatively influenced. For this
266
Appendices
reason, it’s important to keep in mind the social dynamics and put them in
continuous relation with what happens in the schools, in the classrooms
and in one’s own network of friends.
Each partner country will need to address such a delicate issue starting
from the specific situation of their environment, meant as a nation and
as a precise region, so that the activities and focus areas are as “tailormade” as possible to the participants and their concrete reality. Starting from
teaching material centred on the topic of digital bullying, student will be
invited to become the “authors” of messages addressed to their peers and,
more importantly, to students of lower age groups. They will therefore
be invited to no longer play the role of recipients of the project (in other
words, people to be ‘educated’), but, as they are in their third year, they
will become the first–person protagonists of an awareness campaign.
This change of role aims to make the students feel fully valued in their
thoughts, ideas and discussions on the issues they have developed.
http://educationaltoolsportal.eu/it/tools/onlive-guida-alla-prevention-andal-contrasto-del-cyberbullismo.
https://www.replaynet.eu/index.php/en/node/60.
Reference focus for the training:
— identifying types of violence;
— making the connection between socio–cultural stereotypes, discriminatory acts and physical, verbal and psychological acts of violence;
— the individual and collective responsibility for such acts.
This focus will also have to be addressed in a historical perspective and
its teachings must include showing the socially dangerous and dramatic
consequences of exclusions and discriminations.
Training model
Each model will be edited and defined by the MLAE, with the support of
the Training Consultant and the Social Media Manager.
The local training includes:
ii. The “Recognize and Change” Formative Model
267
a. a presentation of the training approach to the methodology, with
adaptation to the local context, starting from the results of the research;
b. organization of a calendar and a definition of the assessment and
evaluative steps;
c. the identification of trainers
d. strengthening the training through:
i. residential training (16 hours);
ii. 4 training meetings (12 hours);
iii. monitoring and feedback meetings (during the workshops in
schools) – 6 hours (two three–hour long meetings);
iv. ongoing (in itinere) and final assessment – 6 hours (2 + 4);
v. exchanges on the long term with the team leader.
Summary
Knowledge is acquired by trying out, recognizing and re–elaborating; this
is an open spiral approach towards lifelong redesign. The tools that the
YEs will be trained on represent the content of the training itself. The
outcome of the training must be the appropriation of a ‘know–how’ and
a ‘knowing how to be’, within the specific school contexts, specifically in
relation to combating violence and discrimination.
Once this skill is acquired, it will be possible to develop another one:
to ‘know how to become’ and ‘to know how to hope’; these are viewed as
essential prerequisites to start processes of change.
Appendix III
The “Recognize and Change” Research Project
Research Project: Year III
1. General Objective of the Research
From the project extract under Activities 3.2., 3.2.4., 3.2.5. Reporting and research work planning
[The objective of the research is] to support the project’s activities with
doctrinal analysis of the discrimination and violence in the regions and
partner countries of the project.
[The Year 3 research] focuses on the cross–cutting themes of gender
equality and migration. This analysis will mainly address, where possible,
the change produced both in regulatory terms and in terms of local public
policies over the past 3 years.
2. Specific Objectives
1. Compare the data relating to national legislation (with the changes
that have occurred over the past three years) in the field of discrimination and violence based on gender and for reasons of migration
in the following countries: Italy, Greece, Romania, Bulgaria, France,
Spain, Portugal, Cape Verde, and Brazil.
2. Compare the data related to local legislation (regional/federal/departmental) and local policies on discrimination and violence based
on gender and migration in the following local areas: Andalucía,
Alto Alentejo, Piedmont, Siros and the Cyclades, Burgas, Ruse, Bucharest, Baia Mare, Praia, Fortaleza, and Dunkerque.
269
270
Appendices
3. Methodology
3.1. Description
In carrying out the research, the partners must stick to the following:
— Guidelines
i. The issue of gender equality must be addressed by taking into account
normative and jurisprudential data, on the one hand, and how these
can be applied with specific reference to the particular socio–political–cultural context, on the other.
ii. Gender discrimination must be analysed taking into due consideration
the aspect of intersectionality and its practical implications: in particular, the gender / ethnicity / religion intersection is suggested.
iii. With regard to migration, given the absence of a common understanding of the definition of “migrant”, each partner must clarify which type of
migration its analysis is referring to. It is therefore necessary to specify:
– whether the focus is on international migration (understood
as a phenomenon that involves crossing international borders) or internal (the latter being particularly significant in
federal states);
– in which category, however approximate, migrants who are
victims of discrimination can be included. Without claiming
to be exhaustive, the following list of commonly accepted
categories is suggested: economic migrants; refugees (according to the Geneva Convention on the Status of Refugees of
1951); asylum seekers.
— Research Tools
All partners will have to evaluate the situation of discrimination and gender violence using four research tools:
a. the current legislation;
b. case law;
c. to what extent the partner’s Constitutional and National legal
framework has incorporated the judgments of the European
Court of Human Rights and of the European Court of Justice or
the judgments expressed by interregional Supreme Courts (such
iii. The “Recognize and Change” Research Project
271
as the Inter–American Court of Human Rights or the African
Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights);
d. the development of good practices on behalf of public institutions.
3.2. The profile of the researcher
The researcher should be a legal expert or an expert in social studies (or
equivalent) with a legal background — specifically on constitutional law,
European Union law (for European partners) and international law —
who can reconstruct and critically analyse the regulatory reference framework in the fight against discrimination.
Special attention shall be given to profiles specialising in the multi–level protection system of fundamental rights, including the right to equality,
and profiles specialised in the study of problems deriving from the interaction between internal and supranational legislative and jurisprudential
entities.
The researcher shall also possess the ability:
1. to highlight the aspect of gender in the analysis of the anti–discrimination measures and policies;
2. to identify under what forms discrimination, as well as gender–
based violence, can occur, especially in migratory contexts.
4. Steps
The City of Turin (Leading Partner), with the scientific support of CIRSDe1, is responsible for deciding the methodology and structure of the final report.
1. The partners will have to identify the researchers who possess the
scientific profiles indicated by the leading partner, The City of Turin, by November 2019.
2. A skype conference will be held in February 2020, in which the researcher responsible for the Turin part of the research will explain
1. CIRSDe: Centro Interdisciplinare di Ricerche e Studi delle Donne e di Genere – CIRSDe
(Research Center for Women’s and Gender Studies) – https://www.cirsde.unito.it/en/services/
formation.
Appendices
272
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
to the researchers appointed by the R&C partners the terms, objectives and expected results of the research.
From March 2020 to August 2020: Drafting the Research Report.
September 2020: Delivery of research on behalf of the partners.
October 2020: Drafting of the comparative review by CIRSDE).
Presentation of the research to the public at the final international
conference (December 2020).
Publication of an abstract of the research in the project publication
(February 2021).
5. Activities
5.1. Activity 1
— Analysis of national civil and criminal law and jurisprudence (and
constitutional foundations), with particular attention to legislative
innovations and reforms in the field of gender discrimination and
violence occurred in the three years of project.
— Analysis of regional / federal legislation on gender discrimination
and violence, focusing on the changes occurred in the three years
of project.
— Analysis of local legal sources and local policies of the partner territories of the project in the field of gender discrimination and violence,
focusing on the changes occurred in the three years of project.
5.2. Activity 2
— Analysis of national civil and criminal law and jurisprudence (and
constitutional foundations), with particular attention to legislative
innovations and reforms in the area of discrimination and violence
based on occurred in the three years of project.
— Analysis of regional / federal legislation on discrimination and violence based on discrimination for migratory reasons, focusing on
the changes occurred in the three years of project.
— Analysis of local legal sources and local policies of the partner territories of the project in the field of migration–based discrimination
and violence, focusing on changes occurred in the three years of
project.
iii. The “Recognize and Change” Research Project
273
5.3. Activity 3 (The City of Turin is responsible for this)
— Comparative analysis of Activity 1 by producing an essay.
— Comparative analysis of Activity 2 by producing an essay.
— Support in curating, editing and publishing the project results.
6. Expected Outcome
Each partner shall produce:
1. A research for each country made up of two parts: one on gender–based discrimination and violence and one on migration–based
discrimination and violence.
2. An abstract of the same for publication, followed by a indicative
bibliography of the research.
3. The project leader (City of Turin) with the scientific support of
CIRSDE will have to produce:
i. the research’s detailed methodology guidelines;
ii. a comparative analysis of the results;
iii. the final publication outlining the research (chapter 3 of the Publication).
Project language: English.
Printed in March 2021
by «The Factory S.r.l.»
via Tiburtina, 912 – 00156 Roma
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