A confiscated property assigned to the Calabria Region, Pietropaolo: “From symbols of mafia power to places of civil participation”

John

By John

“The board of directors of the National Agency for Confiscated Assets has assigned to the Calabria Region a property located in the Municipality of Montepaone to be used for the construction of a regional anti-violence centre”. This was announced by the councilor for security, legality and valorisation for social purposes of assets confiscated from organized crime, Filippo Pietropaolo, who explains: “The regional council led by president Roberto Occhiuto, as part of the initiatives envisaged by the signed memorandum of understanding with the National Agency, had expressed interest in acquiring the property for its own assets as a possible location for the centre, identified following discussions initiated with the General Prosecutor's Office of Catanzaro and with the Public Prosecutor's Office of Lamezia Terme. The Region will now be able to intervene for the redevelopment and adaptation of the property, and to support the start of a management project”.

“An initiative that is part of the commitment that the regional and national governments – in particular with the work of the Undersecretary of the Interior Wanda Ferro, who has responsibility for the Anbsc – are putting in place to strengthen the activity aimed at reuse social purposes of the assets confiscated from the mafias. The return to the communities of the assets accumulated by criminal organizations – Pietropaolo finally points out – through illicit activities constitutes a tool of great re-educational value, not only because job opportunities can develop from the reuse of these assets, but also because they can transform from symbols of mafia power in places of civil participation, social inclusion and solidarity”.