The SUPER project, funded by the REC – Rights, Equality and Citizenship programme of the European Union, has the goal to strengthen the role of local authorities in fighting against racism and xenophobia, by improving their capacity to enforce the existing law and provide an effective support to the victims of hate crimes. The project strategy is to raise awareness not only among local decision makers, but also among civil servants, members of law enforcement agencies and potential beneficiaries. In order to be effective, the policies aiming at fighting racism should actually be included in long term strategies and supported by action plans and appropriate resources. The project is developed at national level by involving the cities of Torino, Bologna and Reggio Emilia, but it intends to have a European outreach thanks to the dialogue and exchange with similar ongoing initiatives in the Member States.
European partners
City of Torino (IT, lead partner), City of Bologna (IT), City of Reggio Emilia (IT), Altera (IT), Fondazione Mondinsieme (IT).
Project in Torino
The City of Torino, lead partner of the SUPER project, promotes an approach towards hate crimes which particularly addresses those ones who should enforce the existing laws, as well as the potential beneficiaries, that is the victims of racism and xenophobia. In fact, Torino is the first Italian city which declared the anti-racist practices and actions as a common good. By means of SUPER, its training workshops, community events, communication and awareness raising campaigns, Torino aims at launching – at national and EU level – an action plan clearly recognizing hate crimes, and enhancing the regulatory, social and community actions to fight them.
Practical steps
The project activities consist of two main strands:
1.Training, mutual learning, awareness raising, trust building, through:
- production of 6 educational modules dealing with the definition of racism, xenophobia, hate crimes; the existing Italian and EU legal tools to fight them; the role of local authorities; the current good practices; awareness raising among citizens; creation of local networks and the building of trust among authorities, law enforcement agencies and local communities.
- training of trainers addressing civil servants, law enforcement agencies, civil society organizations
- 9 community events, 3 for each partner city
- 3 awareness raising campaigns, in Torino, Bologna and Reggio Emilia
2.Development of strategies and action plans to be adopted at local and national level, through:
- 3 local action plans
- 1 national action plan proposal
- a high level meeting and a final conference addressing an international audience to influence the EU policies on hate crimes
Numbers
- € 239.671,44 EU contribution to the City of Torino
- 24 months of cooperation (March 2021 – February 2023)
- 3 Italian cities involved with 3 local action plans
- 9 community events
- 1 national action plan proposal
