Libera International

As mafias increasingly know no borders, the social anti-mafia certainly cannot remain within the borders of a single country. Libera has thus decided to measure itself against this transnational dimension of its commitment.

For more than 15 years, Libera has been promoting and coordinating an international network encompassing associations, groups and other collective entities in Latin America, Europe and Africa.

This began from the awareness of being faced with a problem of globalization of criminal phenomena, now structural, and of the importance of promoting a system of cooperation in the fight against mafias and corruption. This involves citizens and associations in addition to states and governments, as we started to do in 2000 with the Palermo Convention.

Libera’s international area therefore functions as a connecting hub for the association:

outward: in coordination and construction of international networks of civil and responsible societies committed to fight against mafia systems in other parts of the world;

internally: in carrying out national training and information actions on capitalist mafias and mafia capitalism to build a 'borderless' consciousness, recognizing that our widespread myopia on these issues risks supporting exactly those behaviors that we want counter.

Libera's international commitment has multiple objectives. One is to inform others and ourselves by offering a conscious look at crime, which is now a fundamental factor in the transnational dimension. Another is to access other interpretations for viewing our society and possible future scenarios, sharing memory, hope, best practices and regulatory tools such as law 109/96 on the social use of assets confiscated from the mafia. We support, accompany and network with civil society realities of other countries, to shape co-responsibility and promote change from below.

One of the many activities implemented by the sector concerns accompaniment and support to human rights defenders, both individuals and communities, who are exposed to the threats of criminal and environmental violence. Another is ensuring visibility to those who have been victims. We offer media escorts and an action that systematically counters the processes of impunity that are widespread in many areas of the world. We also provide constant monitoring of specific cases and events related to criminal phenomena that affect the social and political fabric in which we are present through our partner organizations.

THE CAPOMONDI MODEL, A WINDOW ON THE WORLD

CapoMondi is the biweekly column for La Via Libera published by Libera’s international sector to go beyond geographical borders, providing exposure to different ideas and escaping the binomial "us-them".