Press Release

Today, Friday the twent-fifth of September, 2009, at 12 o’clock pm, the Chief of Police of Padova, Dr. Luigi Savina, and the Director of the Interdepartmental Centre of Research and Services on the Rights of the Person and of Peoples of the University of Padova, Dr. Marco Mascia, signed at the Police Headquarters a Protocol of Agreement that marked the beginning of a common development of information, awareness, and education on the themes of human rights, intercultural dialogue, and security.

In regards to the development of strategically concurrent politics of public communication, the agreement is affirming the existence of a culture of social communication that on one hand dis-incentivizes anti-social attitudes, while on the other promoting values and behaviours that foster social appreciation.

It is, in fact, a multi-year collaboration between the Human Rights Center and the Department of Public Security – Central Administration for the institutes of instruction of the State Police. The University of Padua is involved in, already for some years, a convention for the recognition of university credits for the personnel of the State Police that are enrolled in university courses in the area of ‘Political Science, International Relations, Human Rights.’

This approach, conducted in an educational key, is in harmony with the programs of the United Nations and the Council of Europe dedicated to the inclusion of human rights in the education of judiciaries and security personnel. In fact, at the moment in which social cohesion and multi-culturalism are being strongly challenged, the initiative clearly shows the will to face the security problems while maintaining human rights as a point of reference.

Among the first common activities will be the organization of a cycle of seminars with the participation of both students and educators of the course in ‘laurea magistrale’ in ‘Institutions and Politics of Human Rights and of Peace’ of the University of Padua as well as personnel and public servants of the State Police. These seminars will take place at the prestigious structure of the ‘II Reparto Mobile di Padova,’ principle location of all educational and training activities of the State Police.

Here, despite concentrations that are notably distinct, youth involved respectively in both academics and the operations of the State Police will meet, desks-together, for a broad reflection on themes such as immigration, security, and the European Code of Ethics. The final goal of these courses is to foster an interaction between the two facets of social resources that will result in the joint construction of positive synergies. One certainly hopes that with this Protocol of Agreement the objective will be reached.