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: 

 

 

 

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.

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/