Research and resources

Report from the Center Delàs: Violence and peace in cities. Beyond hegemonic security (in Spanish)

The publication proposes a vision and a framework on the concept and on security policies that reconsiders the concept historically associated with direct violence, in order to adopt a real vision of security in the day-to-day life of people and in cities, and the implications that these have in guaranteeing compliance with human rights. Through the characterization of some of the violence that occurs in cities, the report analyses the empowerment of pacifist citizens as a way to make the right to the city and the guarantee of a dignified life reach all people.

Report from Centre Delàs: Violence, security, and construction of peace in cities

Cities are where most of the world’s citizenship is concentrated, 55%, and in turn, it is the space where most conflicts are settled. The conflicts are directly related to the commodification of the city, the city as a business, and the diversity and plurality of people who live in urban conurbations. It is then the confrontation of interests, social diversity and culture that generate conflicts, the challenge lies in how to face them, learn to manage them, and transform them in a positive way, creating relationships of mutual respect, reciprocity and justice by mediating actions that do not bring violence.

Book from Centre Delàs: Security policies for peace. Another Security is possible and necessary

Through 18 chapters, this book explores another security that is not only possible, but necessary. There are local and global alternatives that can give value to pacifist and security policies and that, moreover, are coherent with the culture of peace and human security.

Book coordinated by AIPAZ: “Peace Cities”

In the different chapters of the book, various authors present the “Cities of Peace” project; They analyse the different types of violence that are manifested in today’s cities and their causes, providing key aspects and proposals for their eradication, and the challenges for peaceful coexistence in municipalities through education for peace, an agenda of peace and coexistence in the municipalities, and public policies based on the diagnosis of urban violence.

Report from the Human Rights Institute of Catalonia: “Rights of Proximity: Ideas for strengthening local human rights defenders in Catalonia”

The main objective of this research is to contribute to improving the protection of human rights in municipalities by strengthening local human rights defenders as a mechanism to guarantee local human rights. Thanks to this, the functioning of these municipal institutions has been analysed in the context of Catalonia, where their presence has become increasingly important in the last two decades. It has sought to identify both weaknesses and strengths and good practices, with the purpose that the diagnosis made is the basis of measures aimed at increasing the potential for social transformation of the ombudsmen’s offices.

Report from the Human Rights Institute of Catalonia: “Guide for the preparation of comprehensive reports on discrimination in the city”

This guide is presented as a practical tool for the service of public administrations and entities to comprehensively analyse discrimination in cities, based on a more realistic diagnosis of what is lacking for equality and non-discrimination to become a reality, not only in legal norms, but in everyone’s life.