The Government Delegation today hosted a forum within the framework of the project funded by the European Commission ‘Party’ on ‘Participatory approaches to the protection of places of worship’ of the Euro-Arab Foundation for Higher Studies.
The Government Delegate, Sabrina Moh, who opened this working day, thanked Melilla for choosing this forum. “I think it is essential that, in a city like ours, we can address such important issues as the prevention of hate crimes, interreligious dialogue or tolerance and respect,” he said.
“We are seeing messages of polarization emerging, and I think it is vital to work to prevent hate crimes, which is something that both institutions and entities must do together, while focusing on this issue, so that society is aware of this problem and the tools are put in place to end it,” he said.
The highest representative of the Government of Spain in our city has recalled that hate crimes “affect us all, as a society”, that is why she has stressed that the institutions “are at the service of the citizens to end this scourge”.
Moh has stressed that Melilla is and must continue to be an example of coexistence and interculturality and that, precisely for this reason, it is a reference city in this subject.
Collaborative bridges
The Executive Secretary of the Euro-Arab Foundation, Antonio Sánchez Ortega, for his part, recalled that the objective of the entity he represents is to create bridges of collaboration and knowledge and research, so he has recognized that Melilla is a privileged place, given that it is an “estuary of civilizations and cultures, which perfectly shows that coexistence and that model of participation.”
In addition, Sánchez Ortega has highlighted the working day, the results of which “will fuel the project and serve as a model of transfer to civil society, which is what we want”.
In addition to the foundation, the representative of the European Commission’s funding program, Tamara Muñoz, representatives of the State Security Forces and Corps, and members of the city’s religious communities, among other entities of civil society, participate in the working session.