Mafia? Nein danke!

Mafia? Nein Danke! (Mafia? No Thanks!) is an anti-mafia movement that was created in Germany after the Duisburg massacre in August 2007. Born ^{[1] [2][3][4]} from an idea by Laura Garavini, Mafia? Nein Danke! has been part since January 2010 of the association network Flare,^[5] and it is active in the defense of legality in Germany.

Origins

On 15 August 2007 in Duisburg in North Rhine-Westphalia in front of the Italian restaurant Da Bruno six people belonging to the 'Ndrangheta were killed in a blood feud between 'Ndrangheta families. The event is remembered as the Duisburg massacre.

In response to the fragmented representation of the problem of Italian organized crime in Germany, often based on superficial stereotypes, a group of Italian immigrants in Berlin decided to commit to propose to the German civil society a more coherent and thorough reflection and analysis on the issue of mafia in Germany.^[1] Inspired by other movements to protect legality in Italy, such as Addiopizzo and Libera, Mafia? Nein, Danke! pursues the following objectives:

• Counter the activities of Mafia-like criminal organizations in Germany;
• Raise public awareness and the German political class about the problem of organized crime in Germany, for the recognition of the Mafia as a purely extra-national and, contrasting with greater collaboration between states, especially members of the European Union;
• Affirm and defend the value of law and the shared awareness that only respecting the rules can be the basis of any modern democratic society;
• Maintain and constantly monitor the activities of the Mafia in Germany trying to showcase the work of journalists, magistrates and police involved in fighting criminal organizations;
• Support and promote education projects aimed at enhancing the importance of legality;
• Offer a point of reference for all those who, feeling threatened by gangs, they need to listen, support, advice, Mafia? Nein Danke! therefore intends to keep alive the memory of all those who have suffered threats and retaliation by criminal mafias.

Activities

Immediately after the Duisburg massacre, in December 2007 members of one clan of the Camorra attempted to extort money to some restaurateurs in Berlin. Mafia? Nein Danke! enabled these entrepreneurs to unite and to facilitate communication with the police, and the report of attempted extortion. The criminals were later arrested.^[6][7]

During 2008 Mafia? Nein Danke! organized a number of initiatives aimed at proposing a public reflection on the topic of organized crime and the means necessary to combat it. Thus, it became clear to the founders that is necessary to discuss systematically the delay of the German legal system with regards to the fight to Mafia.

Through collaborations with journalists, politicians, judges and representatives of civil society, Mafia? Nein Danke! attempted to draw attention on the harmonization of European legal systems. Following a conference held in Berlin in March 2009 Mafia? Nein Danke! had its first nationwide success in Germany when in July the German Parliament finally introduced a European Directive to recognize rulings of other member states of the Union.

Mafia? Nein Danke! intends to continue the work done so far to introduce in Germany as well as in all EU countries the category of criminal association and push for confiscation to be used as a fundamental weapon in the fight against organized crime.

References

External links

• MafianeinDanke
• The story of Mafia? Nein Danke!, Laura Garavini website