Short term ESC Volunteering. Journalism as a tool to fight criminal organisations

Who are we?
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Arci Comitato Territoriale di Catania is looking for partners for an European Solidarity Corps Volunteering Team activity within an ESC annual partnership approved project (nr 2018-1-IT03-ESC13-015131) which will take place in Catania in July 2019 (dates to be confirmed).

Arci Comitato Territoriale di Catania is an experienced organisation active in EVS/ESC projects and in international youth mobility in general and european cooperation since 20 years.

The Volunteering team project theme
At local level one of the fields where Arci Catania is active is the promotion of a movement of “Social Antimafia”. Social antimafia means that to fight organised criminal organisations such Mafia and its power it is necessary not only to use criminal justice and police, but it is necessary to promote awareness raising campaigns about the phenomena of mafia and for the respect of law, prevention of criminal behaviour educational campaigns addressed especially to young people in order to stop the social consensus and support that criminal organisations get in some realities and societies.
We believe that “Social Antimafia” is a concept and a movement needed at international Level and not only in the Sicilian (Italian) Society, considering how much criminal organisations power and linked phenomena such corruption and manipulation of economy are affecting most of European societies. We believe that the press freedom and investigative grass root journalistic investigations and investigative journalism could be used as an important tool combating an organised criminality structures.

The volunteering team project at Giardino di Scidà
The volunteering team will support Giardino di Scidà project (The Garden of Scidà). The garden of Scidà (Giambattista Scidà was a judge who worked in Catania Tribunal and committed in preventing the recruitment of young people by criminal organisations) is a flat and a garden who was owned by Benedetto Santapaola (the main mafia boss in Catania since 80s) and that has been confiscated by the Italian State and assigned to a group of NGOs, included Arci Catania in 2017. In this space we’re setting up a space organise workshops, cultural and educational activities addressed to children and young people, grass root journalism initiatives.

Main elements of the the project

Topic:
Investigative journalism as a tool to fight criminal organisations and the concept of “Social Antimafia“

Activities foreseen in Catania:
1) APV - beginning of April 2019 2 days duration date do be confirmed
Advanced Planning Visit with participation of 1 representative of partner organisations and 1 young person potential participant in the volunteering team activity

2) ESC volunteering team activity -second half of July 2019 (14 days of service, date to be confirmed)
The volunteers will support the activity of “Giardino di Scidà” project by supporting the maintenance of the garden and the renovation of the building through practical manual tasks . At the same volunteers will support the organisation of cultural and raising awareness activities organised in the garden. Volunteers will also have the opportunity to support investigative journalism workshops using video, photos, webradio. During the activity there will be also space to meet direct witnesses of the topic which can act as part of “positive narratives” of the role of civil society in fighting criminal organisations (relatives of victims of Mafia violence, journalists, social activists).

Participants:
10 young people from 3 (3-4 from each) different countries interested in active citizenship and journalism (also investigative journalism) with interest in understanding criminal organisations phenomena and their power in European Societies. Age of participants 20-30 years.
There is the possibility to involve in the activity 2 young people with fewer opportunities (max 1 per country). Profile of the young people with fewer opportunities and additional support needed should be discussed case by case.
We’re looking for 3 partners organisations interested in working on the topic of the activity. The organisation must be already accredited for EVS/ESC programme.

To show your interest to be partner in the project:
Fill up the form below to show the interest of your organisation by 22 Februay 2019:
https://goo.gl/forms/0hCbRWI8XsP7xTSo2

Arci Catania will contact organisations selected as partners of this volunteering team activity.

For any questions don’t hesitate to contact us :
Arci Comitato Territoriale di Catania
evs@arcicatania.org