News

UNITED would like to invite you save the date for the first conference of 2018, “Power of Coexistence – TURN IT ON! Bridge, Cooperate and Overcome” that will be held from the 3rd to the 8th of May 2018.

The conference will focus on coexistence, not only as a general value of understanding and peaceful living within a community, but as a practical strategy that can help facing the current challenges of Europe on many different levels.

Coexistence can in fact represent a key factor in planning the building of more diverse and tolerant societies.

The European Union has recently celebrated its 60th anniversary, stressing once again the need to face together the current challenges, having in mind the values of peaceful cooperation, respect of human dignity, liberty, democracy, equality and solidarity among European nations and peoples.

Nonetheless, the perception of unity that the public opinion connects to Europe is often referring to its role as a technocrat power, ruling on people according only to economic interests; the union of people and cultures has gradually been substituted by the union of banks and industries. This has led to a general feeling of distrust and frustration towards national and European institutions: if there is something that connects directly the European people among themselves it’s probably the rise of nationalism, populism and xenophobia because of this situation.

All these factors contribute to the weakening of the idea of a united Europe itself and of its values, in a moment in which they are mostly needed in the face of the new and serious challenges we are dealing with.

We should rely on the strengths of this continent instead if we want to promote a shared vision and the creation of a peaceful and common future. To do so it’s necessary to connect again the individuals to this vision and to empower them through a common strategy that will unify them in diversity, putting the value of coexistence at its core. Coexistence can in fact help us to bridge through our differences, to make us cooperate among ourselves so that together we can overcome these challenges by turning on our common power.

Necessary steps to achieve this would be the introduction to topics and concepts such as those of cultures, identities, interculturalism, cross-culturalism and the process of acculturation, which will serve as pillars for this process.

For this reason, UNITED has decided to invite activists from all over Europe who work on the field and to work together to build the basis for this strategy and to share the vision of peaceful coexistence as a possible and concrete achievement.

What can you expect?

Since coexistence is a broad topic and can involve several aspects of life, UNITED has decided to make the working and understanding easier, so to facilitate the learning and the communicating process. For this reason, the conference will include:

• Panel discussions with experts that will help clarify what coexistence means.

• Successful examples and good practices of coexistence.

• Focal working groups on Communication, Campaign, Advocacy, Education and Community Building as basis for a coexistence strategy.

• Practical workshops on how to raise funds for a strategy.

• Chance for networking and initiating joint actions to pave the way for future cooperation.

During the whole conference the participants will be exposed to different methodologies of work to maximise the synergy between the different skills and expertise that will be present.

Secretary-General António Guterres (left) meets people living in a camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs) known as "Site du Petit Seminaire St. Pierre Claver", in the town of Bangassou. UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe 340 Share Print

31 December 2017 – In his message on the New Year, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres is calling for unity among the global community to tackle overwhelming challenges and defend values shared by all.

“On New Year's Day 2018, I am not issuing an appeal. I am issuing an alert – a red alert for our world,” said the Secretary-General.

“As we begin 2018, I call for unity. […] We can settle conflicts, overcome hatred and defend shared values. But we can only do that together,” he expressed.

Recalling that last year he urged that 2017 be a year for peace, the UN chief noted that unfortunately – in fundamental ways, the world went in reverse.

Perils, including deepening conflicts and new dangers emerged, and global concerns over nuclear weapons reached the highest since the Cold War, he added.

At the same time, impacts of climate change worsened at an alarming rate, inequalities grew and there were horrific violations of human rights.

“Nationalism and xenophobia are on the rise,” said Mr. Guterres.

Underscoring his belief that the world can be made more safe and secure, conflicts can be settled, hatred can be overcome and shared values defended, he emphasized that unity is indispensable to achieving these goals.

“Unity is the path. Our future depends on it,” said the Secretary-General, urging leaders everywhere to resolve in the New Year to: “Narrow the gaps. Bridge the divides. Rebuild trust by bringing people together around common goals.”

Globally, hundreds of millions of children — up to one billion — have experienced physical, sexual or psychological violence in the past year. INSPIRE: seven strategies for ending violence against children identifies a select group of strategies that have shown success in reducing violence against children. They are: implementation and enforcement of laws; norms and values; safe environments; parent and caregiver support; income and economic strengthening; response and support services; and education and life skills. INSPIRE is WHO’s main contribution to the newly established Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children.

Andrew GibbsEmail authorView ORCID ID profile, Julienne Corboz, Mohammed Shafiq, Frozan Marofi, Anna Mecagni, Carron Mann, Fazal Karim, Esnat Chirwa, Charlotte Maxwell-Jones and Rachel Jewkes

BMC Public HealthBMC series – open, inclusive and trusted201818:164

© The Author(s). 2018

Abstract

Background

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is the most common form of violence in conflict and post-conflict settings, but there are few evaluations of interventions to prevent IPV in such settings. Methods The Women for Women International (WfWI) intervention is a year-long combined economic and social empowerment intervention for marginalized women survivors of conflict. Primarily, it seeks to support women to achieve four key outcomes: women earn and save money; women improve their health and well-being; women influence decisions in their homes and communities; women connect to networks for support. The organization recognizes Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) as a significant barrier to women’s empowerment and expects to see reduction in VAWG, and specifically IPV, as part of building women’s social and economic empowerment. This program is being quantitatively evaluated through an individually randomized control trial amongst women in Afghanistan, with a 24-month follow up. A comparison of baseline characteristics of participants is also included as well as a discussion of implementation of the baseline research.

« National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges 2018 Conference on Juvenile Justice

The Robert F. Kennedy National Resource Center for Juvenile Justice has launched a new training institute, featuring a portfolio of on-site training opportunities that address critical topics in juvenile justice. The RFK National Resource Center training programs bring experts and experienced facilitators into local jurisdictions, ensuring that all vital leaders, staff, and stakeholders have the opportunity to benefit from the experience. Each curriculum uses well-established frameworks for reform that have been applied in numerous jurisdictions throughout the nation, while also incorporating current research and emerging best practices. This training approach balances traditional presentations with dynamic discussions and facilitated activities aimed at applying the information to each individual jurisdiction.

The following training programs are offered:

•Dual Status Youth: Improving Outcomes for Youth Involved in Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice

•Dual Status Youth: Implementing and Sustaining Reforms

•Advancing Best Practices in Youth Justice Seminar

•Probation System Review Training

•Multi-System Information & Data Sharing Learn more and apply. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

by John D. Bessler (Author)

During the Enlightenment, a now little-known Italian marquis, while in his mid-twenties as a member of a small Milanese salon, the Academy of Fists, wrote a book that was destined to change the world. Published anonymously in 1764 as Dei delitti e delle pene, and quickly translated into French and then into English as On Crimes and Punishments, the runaway bestseller argued against torture, capital punishment, and religious intolerance. Written by Cesare Beccaria (1738-1794), an economist and recent law graduate of the University of Pavia, On Crimes and Punishments sought clear and egalitarian laws, better public education, and milder punishments. Translated into all of the major European languages, Beccaria’s book led to the end of the Ancien Régime. Praised by Voltaire and the French philosophes, Beccaria was toasted in Paris in 1766 for his literary achievement, and his book—though banned by the Inquisition and placed on the Catholic Church’s Index of Forbidden Books—was lauded by monarchs and revolutionaries alike. Among its admirers were the French Encyclopédistes; Prussia’s Frederick the Great; Russia’s enlightened czarina, Catherine II; members of the Habsburg dynasty; the English jurist Sir William Blackstone; the utilitarian penal reformer Jeremy Bentham; and American revolutionaries John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison. On Crimes and Punishments, decrying tyranny and arbitrariness and advocating for equality of treatment under the law, helped to catalyze the American and French Revolutions. In 1774, on the cusp of the Revolutionary War, the Continental Congress explicitly hailed Beccaria as "the celebrated marquis." Called the “Italian Adam Smith” for his pioneering work as an economist in Milan, Cesare Beccaria—like his Italian mentor, Pietro Verri—wrote about pleasure and pain, economic theory, and maximizing people’s happiness. Once a household name throughout Europe and the Americas, Beccaria taught economics before the appearance of Smith's The Wealth of Nations but died in obscurity after working for decades as a civil servant in Austria’s Habsburg Empire. As a public councilor, Beccaria pushed for social and economic justice, monetary and legal reform, conservation of natural resources, and even inspired France’s adoption of the metric system. In The Celebrated Marquis, award-winning author John Bessler tells the story of the history of economics and of how Beccaria’s ideas shaped the American Declaration of Independence, constitutions and laws around the globe, and the modern world in which we live.

Date: 7–8 June 2018

Location: Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre ‘Translating evidence into practice.’

The conference theme is ‘Translating evidence into practice’ which will inform local government, urban planners, policy makers, police, criminologists, non-government community organisations, researchers and students about best practice, policy, evaluation and research. Call for abstracts has been extended to 16 February. 

The conference will feature speakers from a range of crime prevention projects and programs.

Confirmed keynote speakers include:

• Professor Rachel Armitage, University of Huddersfield

• Professor Lorraine Mazerolle, University of Queensland

• Associate Professor Rebecca Wickes, Monash University

This event is the biggest crime prevention conference in Australia aimed at practitioners.

Thon Hotel Brussels City Centre, Brussels

Thursday 17th May 2018

KEY SPEAKERS: Simon Therer Project Manager CIDJ - Fédération des Centres d'information et de documentation pour jeunes ASBL

In recent years, several countries of the European Union have faced violent terrorist attacks, carried out by organised cells as well as by individuals operating alone, inspired by the beliefs of violent extremist organisations. According to the 2017 EU Terrorism Situation and Trend Report (Te-Sat) by Europol, in 2016 eight Member States reported a total of 142 failed, foiled and completed attacks. As a consequence of the completed attacks, and in most cases at the hand of jihadist terrorists, 142 victims died and 379 people were injured. The threat of terrorism has not touched all Member States equally, yet every country may be subject to the risks deriving, for instance, from being an unintentional transit point or a safe haven for terrorists.

Member States are primarily responsible for taking action against terrorism. Nevertheless, in consideration of the increasing cross-border dimension of the phenomenon, the EU plays a fundamental supporting role. Already in 2005, the Council adopted a EU Strategy for Combating Radicalisation and Recruitment to Terrorism. In view of the changing nature of the threat and the increasing understanding of the issue, the Strategy was revised in 2014 and complemented with a set of guidelines, last updated in 2017. In this context, on 7 March 2017 the Council adopted a new directive on combating terrorism, addressing, among others, the issue of foreign fighters.

Online communication, especially through social media, constitutes a powerful tool for terrorist organisations to gain global visibility and reach new audiences, recruit, and obtain financial support. The rapid identification and removal of online terror content can help curb this virtual contagion. On many occasions, the perpetrators of terrorist attacks were nationals of the countries they attacked, or people who have migrated and resided in those countries for a long time. Moreover, almost one third of arrestees for terrorist offences in 2016 were 25 years old or younger (Te-Sat, 2017). Building resilient communities and stronger social ties may also play an important role in reducing the risk of radicalisation, especially of young people, helping neutralise the appeal of terrorist propaganda.

This timely symposium will provide police officials, security professionals, local authorities and other key stakeholders with an invaluable opportunity to discuss the latest advancements and challenges in the fight against terrorism across Europe. Delegates will also explore how digital tools and the engagement of local communities can be effectively employed in counteracting violent ideologies.

Delegates will:

• Analyse the EU framework for fighting terrorism

• Consider options for enhancing information sharing on terrorism

• Look into measures to decrease the exposure to terrorist attacks

• Debate about successful strategies to counter online terrorist propaganda

• Explore solutions to counter factors conducive to radicalisation and recruitment

• Building an effective counter-narrative to violent ideologies

• Assess the benefits of community engagement