"Libera. Associations, names and numbers against mafias", was born on 25 March1995 with the purpose of involving and supporting all those who are interested in the fight against mafias and organized crime. Libera is presently a network of more than 1,200 associations, groups and schools, committed to build up organizational synergies between the political and cultural local realities capable of promoting a culture of lawfulness. The law on the social use of the real estate confiscated from organized crime, the education on democratic lawfulness, the fight against corruption, the camps for antimafia education, the projects on work, development and anti-usury activities, are some of Libera's concrete commitments.


Libera Learning
This section of Libera is dedicated to the creation and running of educational programs regarding the values of citizenship and the fight against the mafia. These programs aim to raise awareness about issues of civic responsibility and promote respect for the law by forging relationships with schools, universities, private organizations and local administrations. Libera is accredited as a teaching program by the Italian Ministry of Universities and Research.
 
For schools: our teaching programs for students of all grades work to spread a culture of responsible citizenship and raise awareness about the fight against the mafia.
For universities: our teaching programs, based on partnership with the students, faculty and administrators, encourage the interdisciplinary study of the mafia and create opportunities for internships.
For associations, citizens and the country: our programs educate and update association members, citizens and all interested about the mafia and civic responsibility working in close collaboration with local organizations and services.

Info: educazionelegalita@libera.it  - universita@libera.it


Libera Memory
On March 21 every year, we celebrate the Day of Memory and Commitment to Remember the Victims of the Mafia. Mach 21, the first day of spring, is the symbol of renewed hope and also a chance for victims' families who have found comfort through Libera to meet. The Day of Memory gives these relatives the chance to reflect on their mourning as they search for real justice, transforming their pain into a effective, and non-violent, instrument of peace and change. The program is also committed to creating a database of victims of the mafia in order to rekindle the memory of the many whose life was unjustly taken.

Info: memoria@libera.it


Libera Land, Confiscated Properties
Law n. 109/96 provides for the granting to third parties—private organizations; cooperatives; municipal, provincial and regional administrations—of all property acquired through illegal activities. The third parties then return them to the community by converting the properties to socially beneficial uses. During the 13 years since its it passing, the law has converted to use for the community more than 4500 real estate properties (apartments, villas and lands). The confiscated lands in Sicily, Calabria, Campania, Puglia and Lazio have been taken over by cooperatives of students and have produced oil, wine, pasta, taralli, legumes, preserves and other organic goods. All of our products are marked with the Libera Terra quality and civic responsibility assurance. Every year on these lands we run international community service work camps.
 
Recently we created a new entrepreneurial venture: the Consorzio Libera Terra Mediterraneo, The company, a joint project between the Libera Terra cooperatives and other parties, creates alliances and collaborations in leadership and production all over Italy to widen the network of the cooperatives. Among the participants are: Alce Nero Melizia; Slow Food; Banca Etica; Coop Fond and Firma TO, a promoter of responsible tourism.

The shops "I Sapori e i Saperi della Legalità" (The Taste and Awareness of Respect) are the Italian distributors of the organic products from the confiscated lands. Since this year, the Paniere dei Saperi (The Breadbasket of Awareness), with a book and a Libera tote bag, is available, too.
Cooperating with Libera Terra - Agency for the Promotion of Cooperatives and of a Culture of Respect for the Law was created in May 2006. Cooperatives and members of Legacoop have advanced the project and all sorts of producers of organic and high-quality food, for example Conapi and Slow Food, provide the staff.
The Agency supports the development of coops working on the lands confiscated from the mafia.

Info: beniconfiscati@libera.it - liberaterra@libera.it


Libera Sport
Libera, in collaboration with sports clubs and local sports promoters — CSI, US, ACLI, UISP — encourages a respectful sporting culture as a means of spreading values such as acceptance of one's limits, respect toward others and respect of the rules. An understanding of these values fights the culture of lawlessness and the instrumentalization of players. Libera Sport organizes and promotes activities that spread a vision of sport as an opportunity for fun and personal growth rather than a selfish path to victory at any cost; the organization works especially hard to combat the use of performance enhancing drugs, the worst and most definitive of defeats in the world of sports.

Info: sport@libera.it

Libera International
Illegal trafficking, international environmental crimes, frauds, intellectual property crimes and worldwide illicit economic networks can only be fought effectively only by an efficient and organized global organization. Such an an organ should be committed to reporting wrongdoing, pushing for legislative action and spreading a culture of respect for the law. To achieve our objectives, we are building a web of social organizations not limited to simply helping victims but also dedicated to removing the causes of suffering, fostering democratic participation in the fight and promoting human rights. In June 2008, Libera supported the creation of FLARE (Freedom Legality And Rights in Europe), a network of about 50 organizations from 30 Euro-Mediterranean countries. Furthermore, since market globalization has favored the worldwide distribution of th mafia, uniting and capitalizing on all the anti-mafia efforts in Africa, Asia and Latin America is imperative. Currently, Libera is working to globalize the guiding principles and effectiveness of the Italian law for the social use of confiscated lands.

Info: international@libera.it - Tel: +39 06 69770322 - 24

Libera Appointments

21 March is the Day of Memory and Commitment in support of all mafias victims. Every year on this date Libera remembers all mafias victims and renews the commitment to building peace and social justice.

The Antimafias Caravan, promoted by LIBERA, ARCI and Avviso Pubblico, visits dozens of cities in Italy and around the world from September to December every year, promoting discussions, public initiatives, and education on a culture of lawfulness and social justice.

The Run for Peace and Rights, promotes freedom, rights and social commitment through sports in Italy and in some of the poorest countries in the world (Kenya, Argentina, Ivory Coast).

Last but not least, the formative and informative workshops made both at local and national level give us the chance to make an in-depth study of issues such as the fight against mafias and the educational activities set out to promote a culture of lawfulness. These discussions are led by experts on various fields such as: confiscated real estate, use of performance enhancing drugs, trafficking in human beings, education on a culture of lawfulness, criminal organizations involved in industrial and toxic waste traffic ("eco-mafia"), etc.

Libera Tools

Libera Scuola is a publication born with the aim of giving an organic unity to the numerous experiences that we have lived within the education on a culture of lawfulness environment, through the involvement of schools and the work in co-operation with institutions, associations and individuals. The publication aims at being a common frame of reference for the formative activity at schools and the teachers' day-to-day educational work.

The data bank is an archive of projects concerning the education on a culture of lawfulness carried out by schools and associations; the data bank is active in the region of Tuscany.

Macramè is a communication program set up by Gruppo Abele in collaboration with Libera. It consists of a website and a forum at schools with the aim of discussing and analyzing issues such as human rights, active citizenship, lawfulness and justice, together with the students, teachers, educators, social workers, entertainment organizers and volunteers.
Info: macrame@gruppoabele.org

Narcomafie, a monthly magazine published by Gruppo Abele, analyzes and collects information on organized crime, usury, money laundering, corruption, drug trafficking, human beings trafficking, and geopolitics. The purpose of this magazine is to inform on the phenomenon of organized crime, denouncing its consequences at social level.
Info: redazione@narcomafie.it


CONTACT US

Head office:
Via IV Novembre 98 - 00187 Rome.
Tel: +39 06 69770301/02/03
Fax: +39 06 6783559
libera@libera.it
www.libera.it