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Voices against crime in Naples

A new pilot project on victims

Naples -

The voice of victims for change: a new initiative of the United Nations and the Municipality of Naples

The new pilot initiative “Voices against crime” will be launched in Naples on 11 February 2014. The initiative is developed by the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) in cooperation with the Municipality of Naples, the participation of the media partners Il Mattino and Fanpage, and the involvement of NGOs.

The initiative aims to give a voice to the victims through the collection of their stories and to make the sharing of their experiences the starting point for the implementation of an awareness campaign to promote future interventions on prevention, development and assistance.

Gino Sorbillo and the Olympic medalist Clemente Russo are the outstanding testimonials of the project. UNICRI has entrusted them with the message of the project’s information campaign, aimed at reaching out to citizens.

The initiative will be launched by the Mayor of Naples Luigi de Magistris, the Director of UNICRI Jonathan Lucas, during a meeting to be held on February 11th at 9:30 a.m. at the premises of the Municipality of Naples. The meeting will be attended by representatives of the Dedalus social Cooperative, the Organizing Committee of the San Gennaro Foundation, the Silvia Ruotolo Foundation, the Polis Foundation, Libera, SOS Impresa, the Regional School Office of Campania, the Suor Orsola Benincasa University and the University of Salerno.

According to Jonathan Lucas, "The culture of the rule of law is generated and strengthened by people. Giving a voice to victims of crime, helping victims to share their experience, is crucial for initiatives to strengthen crime prevention and security in cities. Victims of crime are not just numbers by which to measure the levels of crime and security in our cities. What they have gone through, and what each of us may be subject to, are the result of urban crime and violence and is the starting point for real preventive and supporting actions. We hope the initiative we are launching in Naples will be the first of a series in other cities around the world. The cities belong of those who inhabit them and the citizens are the true engine of change."

"Naples, more than any other city - says Luigi de Magistris - has developed antibodies to social exclusion and urban insecurity. These consist in a valuable asset of networks and associations that work in the field against degradation and marginalization. Every day we work alongside them, aiming also at establishing a good practice that UNICRI will help us to share beyond our borders. We fight the lack of security and exclusion first of all, by increasing Naples’ social capital, by freeing, as we have done, degraded urban areas and by encouraging dynamics of re-appropriation of common goods by the citizens."

The Initiative is part of UNICRI programme on Urban Security and Crime Prevention that UNICRI initiated with UN-HABITAT and the Municipality of Turin and adopted by the International Forum of Mayors on Security and Crime Prevention on May 2013.

For information:  www.unicri.it/per-napoli

Contact us at per-napoliunicri.it

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