November 17 2016

Rojan Gunaratna, director of the International Violence and Politics and Terrorism Research Center in Singapore, spoke with representatives from Málaga city this week, interested in learning more about its experience in interculturalism and the fight against racism.

The meeting came after Málaga participated yesterday in the Elcano Forum against Global Terrorism with the presentation “The role of women in the prevention of violent radicalization”

Rohan Gunaratna, director of the International Center for Political Violence and Terrorism Research in Singapore met the Councilor for Social Rights, Tourism and International Relations, and Councilor for Security and New Technologies, Mario Cortés, to learn more about Málaga city’s experience in interculturalism and the fight against racism and xenophobia as presented at the Elcano Forum against Global Terrorism held in Madrid.

Gunaratna is Professor of Security Studies at the Singapore School of International Studies. He was a member of the Counter Terrorism Center at the United States Military Academy in West Point and participated in the Commission of Inquiry on the structure of Al Qaeda in 11S.

Following the theme, yesterday the Elcano Forum against Global Terrorism was held in Madrid, where the experience of the City of Málaga was notable in the presentation “The Role of Women in the Prevention of Violent Radicalization”, given by Ruth Sarabia, Director General Of Social Rights, and Marisa Mérida, municipal social educator.

During the presentation, they stressed the aim of the City Council over the past 20 years to promote the coexistence of the 176 nationalities, prevent discrimination and work with foreign women as allies in the fight against violent radicalism. The empowerment of immigrant women, making them aware of their rights, was the fundamental axis of the exhibition, through four specific actions:

Promote participation through reference associations and trust groups
Facilitate awareness of their role in the family
Foster specialized training
Promote access to the world of work, leading to economic independence.

Also presented was the draft of the Transversal Plan for Coexistence and Prevention against Violent Radicalization that places Malaga as a benchmark for other Administrations. It is to prevent the violent consequences emanating from a broad spectrum of groups, organized or not, ranging from neo-Nazis and street gangs… to far-left and right-wing groups like redskins, skinheads, hoolingans, anarchists, anti-system, angels of hell… or to other groups that use a particular religion to justify their violent activities.