Sicily Today – The Mafia and Migration

Sicily became world famous, both as a result of myths and realities surrounding the mafia – La Cosa Nostra. In the 80s and 90s, Sicilian society came under increasing strain because of mafia violence, but following the murders of Falcone and Borsellino this state of affairs more or less came to an end. Does the lower frequency of violence mean that the mafia is less powerful, or do we just see a mafia that works in a more subtle way?
 
Adam Josefsson is a political science student and the local project leader of UF:s Hand In Hand Against The Mafia project. This is an Erasmus+ project with participants from seven countries, focusing on better understanding what organized crime is and how movements to counter it can be built. In May, Adam and four other people from UF are in Palermo to participate in a youth exchange on this topic.
 
In his lecture, Adam will adress the history of the mafia, but mostly focus on the present situation in Sicily. The mafia has lost some ground, as a result of both efforts from the state and from civil society. The question however remains how much it is still holding Sicily back. Sicily has also come under much attention as the first European destination for many migrants, and how society deals with this will also be addressed in the lecture. Adam will also give a brief introduction of what Erasmus+ is and how you can get involved in similar projects.
 
Free for members, 20 SEK for everyone else. A one year membership can be purchased for 50 SEK before the lecture.