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  1. School of Citizenship and Coexistence
    School of Citizenship and Coexistence - © Asociación Marroquí para la Integración de los Inmigrantes
  2. School of Citizenship and Coexistence participants
    School of Citizenship and Coexistence participants - © Asociación Marroquí para la Integración de los Inmigrantes
  3. School of Citizenship and Coexistence participants
    School of Citizenship and Coexistence participants - © Asociación Marroquí para la Integración de los Inmigrantes
  4. School of Citizenship and Coexistence Steering Committee
    School of Citizenship and Coexistence Steering Committee - © Asociación Marroquí para la Integración de los Inmigrantes
Item 1 of 4

School of Citizenship and Coexistence

Status
ongoing
50%
City

Malaga

Main actors

City Government, Supranational / Intergovernmental Institutions, Community / Citizen Group

Project area

Inner City

Duration

Ongoing since 2007

Local government collaborating with migrant associations to encourage active citizenship.

The School of Citizenship and Coexistence [Escuela de Ciudadania y Convivencia] supported by the Malaga City Council is a participatory training, research and meeting space for citizens, entities and associations residing the city. The School provides a space to energise and encourage active citizenship, social inclusion, volunteerism and simultaneously promotes peaceful multicultural coexistence.

This case study was contributed by the UCLG Learning Team. It was developed using the framework of the Mediterranean City-to-City Migration Project (MC2CM), a project coordinated by ICMPD, in partnership with UN-Habitat and UCLG, with funding from the European Union and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.
 
 
         
For further information about the case study, click here.

Sustainable Development Goals

Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all agesEnsure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for allReduce inequality within and among countriesMake cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainablePromote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
City
Malaga, Spain
Size and population development
According to the 2018 census the city of Málaga has a population of 571,026 and is the sixth largest city in Spain. The city covers a total area of 395 km2 with a population density of 1,445 people per km2. The population has recorded a =.027%/year increase since the 2011 census.
Population composition
The 2018 census data shows that the population comprises 52% females and 48% males. 63.9% of Málaga residents are aged between 15-64, 17.4% are aged 65 or over and 18.38% of residents are children aged 0-17. Country of birth statistics reveal 88.4% of the population are born in Spain, 2% in EU countries and 9.6% in other countries. Most of the population of Málaga identify as Roman Catholics with a small number of Protestants and Jews. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Islam religions are both growing.
Main functions
Málaga city is the capital of Málaga province, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, southern Spain. The city lies along a wide bay of the Mediterranean Sea at the mouth of the Guadalmedina River in the centre of the Costa del Sol. The city is an important tourist destination and is known as "the capital of the Costa del Sol". An estimated 6 million tourists visited the city in 2018 with most visiting the birthplace of Pablo Picasso and the Museo Picasso Málaga. The city is served by Málaga Costa Del Sol Airport and the Port of Málaga, one of the busiest ports on the Mediterranean Sea. The airport is connected to Málaga city and surrounding areas through a transport hub, which includes a bus system with 2 BRT lines and light metro line, suburban trains, high speed trains and highways to the east and west of Spain.
Main industries / business
Málaga is the main economic and financial centre of southern Spain and is the fourth-ranking city in economic activity in after Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia. The most important business sectors in Málaga are tourism, construction and technology services, other sectors such as transportation and logistics are beginning to expand.
Sources for city budget
The City of Málaga draws its budget for public expenditure largely from property tax, fees, fines, operating revenues, other taxes and subsides from the Government of Spain.
Political structure
Administrative structure
The governance of Málaga is managed by the City Council, made up of Councillors, elected by popular vote. In the municipal elections, all European Union citizens, regardless of nationality, may vote and stand for office if they reside in the Municipality. The City Council in plenary meeting makes decisions regarding the most important questions that affect the citizenry. It passes the general plans of urban development, and many other regulations, in areas such as taxes, urban policy, etc. The president of the City Council is the Mayor, who is elected by and from the councillors. Mayors organize, suspend and lead the sessions and debates of the plenary and of other municipal organs. The Mayor is the highest representative authority of the municipality and responsible for its government and administration. Málaga has 11 municipal districts.
Website
http://www.malaga.eu/
The city of Malaga hosts many migrants and its inner-city neighbourhoods are home to a large portion of the city’s vulnerable population. Traditionally these urban neighbourhoods can have high unemployment rates with a large number of citizens working in the informal economy. Issues around substance abuse and family and societal relationship breakdowns are often prevalent, together with a lack of recreational and education/training spaces to promote the social integration of the population at risk.
 
Since 2007, as part of its efforts to improve the social, economic and environmental conditions of inner-city neighbourhoods, the City Council has provided support for the School of Citizenship and Coexistence.
 
The City Council worked together with 34 local associations and community leaders to assess the needs of the community, and established the following objectives:
  1. Foster social exchange and the active participation of citizens and social entities in public matters of the city, facilitating solidarity and peaceful coexistence.
     
  2. Implement training programmes to strengthen active citizenship and social entities.
     
  3. Conduct research of public space use regarding participation and coexistence.
     
  4. Activate spaces for socialisation and reflection for citizens and social entities.  
     
  5. Strengthen cooperation between the City Council and social entities who are committed to the improvement of civic participation and coexistence.
     
  6. Support a process of joint management and ownership of the School with the social entities involved.
 
 
The School of Citizenship and Coexistence is administered through a partnership with three local NGOs; The Moroccan Association for the Integration of Migrants [Asociación Marroquí para la Integración de los Inmigrantes], together with Incide (an organization focused on fostering citizenship participation, civic education, diversity and inclusion), and Arrabal (an association aiming to support the social and labor inclusion of all people).  
 
The partners work with all residents of the city, regardless of their country of origin. Its activities are planned through a steering committee composed of more than 30+ community-based organisations and local residents, who analyse the needs of the community and then decide on the type of activities, methodologies and implementation process. 
 
The activities include training in NGO management, social entities and youth issues; awareness programmes on migration, racism, the environment and other topics; and citizen participation through photographic competitions, theatre, live library, and many other activities.
 
After the project’s initial implementation, the Steering Committee developed its own values and principles, which guide its activities. These are: 
 
  1. Global: open and accessible to all, with activities related to global and local realities.
  2. Democratic: based on citizenship and shared responsibility.
  3. Participative: generating active citizenship and spaces for shared decision making.
  4. Egalitarian: recognizing the fundamental rights and duties of individual persons and collectives.
  5. Multicultural: tolerant, pluralistic, recognizing the value of differences.
  6. Caring: based on cooperation, solidarity and mutual learning
  7. Constructive: civic and fostering social coexistence.
  8. Environmentally responsible: fostering responsible consumption and ecological values.
  9. Creative and innovative: a space for renewing and fostering collective creativity. 
 
 
The School of Citizenship and Coexistence is an initiative of the Malaga Council. It has been co-financed by the European Union, through its European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Between 2007 and 2013 these funds came thought the ERDF Operational Programme Andalucia, in the framework of the Malaga Urban Initiative “Arrabales y Carreterias” aiming for the comprehensive regeneration of the city’s historic centre. The project has secured funding for the 2014-2020 period, as part of ERDF’s updated approach, further focusing on integrated sustainable urban development. the Department of Civic Participation, Migration and Development Cooperation. The City of Malaga, through the Department of Civic Participation, Migration and Development Co-operation currently provides 30% of funding and will assume full financial responsibility for the programme after the ERDF funding ends.
 
As a participatory program, many of the human resources necessary for planning and implementation are provided by the associations and entities that participate in the Steering Committee. The diverse representation of social entities on the committee provides valuable expertise and local knowledge which facilitates the work of the programme in different areas (gender, ethnic minorities, migrants, environment, social and labour inclusion, culture, children, etc.).
The collaboration between different social entities has improved their performance and impact, through the creation of positive working synergies. It has also provided a mechanism for further collaboration between public and social entities within the city, including through the use of public spaces, collaboration with public libraries, etc.
 
In its first five years of operation, the project had engaged with approximately 26,300 people out of a population of 70,000 – the highest engagement rate recorded by the City Council.

While local associations and entities involved in the Steering Committee had been working in the city for many years, they did not have experience in working together in a participatory process. Most members had little to no experience in shared decision making and management and were hesitant about the idea of a participatory school. After the first two meetings and once the project began to take shape, representatives of the entities were more convinced of the projects value, and they have continued to learn about participatory methods and shared management processes through the project’s implementation.

Lessons learned include:
 
The incorporation of civic participation can generate important changes to strengthen and galvanize active citizenship.
 
Building synergies and working in networks can improve the sustainability of social activities and interventions.
 
Citizens’ participation in decision making processes improves the quality of city policies.
 
It is important to be respectful of the social and economic reality of residents, and sensitive to the local community, its diversity and peculiarities. The programmes development and implementation did not follow a pre-established model or plan but was based on the shared decision making of existing associations, with a participatory model and technical and professional support when necessary. 
 
This project has gained the attention of other municipalities in Spain as well as other countries such as Morocco. It has also been acknowledged as best practice standard in different government forums. While the model is transferable, it is important to take into account the social and economic reality of the territory where it will be deployed, which will affect the process, activities and community dynamics.
- UCLG Peer-learning Note #25 – Urban Migration: Strengthening Cooperation with Civil Society: https://www.learning.uclg.org/sites/default/files/urban_migration_strengthening_cooperation_with_civil_society.pdf
 
- Escuela de Ciudadanía y Convivencia (Report in Spanish by the Malaga Council) http://www.programaseuropeos-malaga.com/subidas/archivos/arc_2468.pdf
 
- INTERVIEW: The Málaga School of Citizenship, a good practice example in the promotion of associationism and volunteering.  http://nonprofit.xarxanet.org/interviews/m%C3%A1laga-school-citizenship-good-practice-example-promotion-associationism-and-volunteering
 
- Moroccan Association for the Integration of Migrants [Asociación Marroquí para la Integración de los Inmigrantes] https://www.asociacionmarroqui.com/escuela-de-ciudadania/presentacion/

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External links / documents

urban_migration_strengthening_cooperation_with_civil_society.pdf (application/pdf)UCLG Learning

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