Associazione Antigone

The Museo della 'Ndrangheta is definitely an unprecedented cultural operation in contrast to the silence and omission, and to the mentality that encourages the persistence and spread of mafia gangs in the Region of Calabria and beyond. The idea of founding a Museum of the 'Ndrangheta, developed by the anthropologist Fulvio Librandi with the aims of marking an historical and anthropological realities of the' Ndrangheta, creating a space in memory of victims of the mafia and making a real “cultural contrast” to Mafias, has from the outset had a strong support from the political and institutional levels, primarily by the regional administration, which has secured for this initiative due visibility, strength and continuity over time. The Museum was actually created in 2007 through a Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Region of Calabria, the Prefecture of Reggio Calabria, the Province of Reggio Calabria, the town of Reggio Calabria, the Chair of Ethnology at La Sapienza University and the Faculty of Arts, University of Calabria. In 2009 the Antigone Association was appointed as managing body of a building confiscated from the 'Ndrangheta gang Puntorieri in the Valanidi hamlet (one of the areas of Reggio Calabria with the highest percentage of mafia infiltration) which currently hosts the premises of Museo della Ndrangheta. The specific objectives are to create a space in memory of the victims of Mafia (hitherto never existed in Italy), to achieve an objective knowledge of the widespread mentality where the organized crime flourishes and affect the transmission of values to new generations thereby allowing the internalization of shared cultural models and images on which to base the "anti-feeling 'Ndrangheta". The methods used in order to achieve the goals are the following: indirect methods of enculturation (relating to the construction of a true "custom" in the population over the legality through spread museum focal points, music, theater, etc..) seeking to reach the widest audience, in addition to more traditional methods of direct enculturation (educational, research, seminars, conferences etc.). The results from the establishment of the Museum today, despite being included in a reduced space-time are truly remarkable and have had a very significant impact on the territory. Over 3,000 students from high schools were involved on educative paths concerning legality in Calabria and Sicily, and more than 250 study visits were organized at the headquarters of the Museum. 10 scholarships to students of the University Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria to study issues concerning the structure and dynamics of the expansion of criminal organizations were activated. The seminar "The Wound. Winning the 'Ndrangheta. Methods of contrast and continuity of actions”, which took place from 22 to 25 November 2010 with the support and cooperation of the Calabria Region, saw the participation of 34 among Italian and foreign speakers, 350 registered participants at the conference, including 150 university students. This event represented the first real attempt to put at the same table leading experts and opinion makers, with divergent scientific approaches. It will be annually repeated and will address a specific theme in each edition by taking into account the changes in actions against mafia and the evolving and updated literature in the field. The efforts made in recent years by the Museum of the 'Ndrangheta even led to obtaining a major award: the Gold Medal of the President of the Italian Republic, handed over by the prefect during the day at the starting day of the above mentioned conference.