More than 100 mayors, deputy mayors and other city officials, civil society actors and national government representatives gathered at the Peace Palace in The Hague for the Strong Cities Network’s Transatlantic Mayoral Dialogue on Preventing Hate, Extremism and Polarisation, and Safeguarding Local Democracy.
The Hague Mayoral Declaration remains open for endorsement by cities across Europe and North America who wish to work together to counter hate, extremism and polarisation, and safeguard local democracy.
At the recent Transatlantic Mayoral Dialogue, Strong Cities Network premiered Stronger Than Hate, a graphic animation of the 2018 attack at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, focusing on key mayoral decision points during and in the wake of attack.
1/7 An AMAZING two days: the #TransatlanticMayoralDialogue was the @Strong_Cities #mission #InAction. #Mayors + #cities MUST be key actors in driving #local #prevention + #response. They know their cities, they know their communities, they understand local dynamics.
1/2 A powerful final keynote address from @comunefi 🇮🇹 #Mayor @DarioNardella on how Florence is safeguarding democracy as “the smallest global city in the world” + investing in building urban spaces to support social cohesion.
1/7 An AMAZING two days: the #TransatlanticMayoralDialogue was the @Strong_Cities #mission #InAction. #Mayors + #cities MUST be key actors in driving #local #prevention + #response. They know their cities, they know their communities, they understand local dynamics.
1/2 A powerful final keynote address from @comunefi 🇮🇹 #Mayor @DarioNardella on how Florence is safeguarding democracy as “the smallest global city in the world” + investing in building urban spaces to support social cohesion.
We partner with city officials to establish local risk assessments and design action plans and programmatic responses. From de-radicalisation programming to youth engagement strategies, we ensure that local responses address local needs.
Working from the ground up, we establish local coordination bodies that unite city halls, civil society educators, public health bodies, the private sector and faith leaders to identify and address community tensions. We base our success on harnessing existing and credible institutions, from social services to traditional civic infrastructure.
We galvanise mayors, city officials, local services, communities and youth, training them to play active roles in diagnosing and responding to local risk factors, creating an international repository of best practice approaches.
We help members access the latest research and best practice from across the network through our SCN Online Hub, which features stories, interviews, guides and training modules for teachers, city officials and civil society. Our SCN Hate and Extremism Mapper provides members with data, building digital observatories that correlate online risks with offline behaviour.
We act as a bridge, creating stronger working relationships between local and national governments. We also provide civil society with the knowledge, skills and resources to foster meaningful partnerships with officials in city halls.
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