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BolognaAnti-Discrimination Help-Centre – Sportello Antidiscriminazioni del Comune di Bologna (SPAD)

What is inspiring?

The Anti-Discrimination Help-Centre (SPAD) is an institutional space where victims of discrimination can report incidents, receive support, and address them in a comprehensive and safe manner. What makes it particularly inspiring is its vision of Bologna as a both anti-racist and intercultural city. At this specialized centre, cases of discrimination can be formally reported and handled from both legal and psychological perspectives. Through collective action against structural and institutional racism, the centre promotes equality within the local community, ensuring the protection of all Bologna residents, regardless of their origin, residency status, gender (identity), or sexual orientation.

Contact

SPAD Sportello Antidiscriminazioni

E-Mail: spad@comune.bologna.it

How does it operate?

The SPAD – Anti-Discrimination Help-Centre of the Municipality of Bologna operates as a network of over 28 civil society organisations including Africa e Mediterraneo, Aprimondo and Arca di Noè . The centre has two main functions:

  1. Listening to and supporting victims or witnesses of discrimination based on race, ethnicity, religion, as well as disability, sexual orientation, gender (identity) and age through its two help-desks and four contact points for direct reporting (see website above).

  2. Raising awareness through training for municipal staff and other stakeholders on the territory, public information campaigns, and an observatory that analyzes discrimination trends.

Who initiated the project? How?

The Anti-Discrimination Help-Centre is part of the “Local Action Plan for an Antiracist and Intercultural City” (2022-2026). It builds upon the steps taken through a previous action plan carried out in cooperation with the University of Bologna, which focused on human rights-based administrative actions for new citizens. It is also linked to the European Project SUPER (acronym for “SUPporting Everyday fight against Racism”), developed in collaboration with the municipalities of Turin and Reggio Emilia. Moreover, the initiative aligns with broader supranational frameworks, such as the EU Action Plan against Racism (2020-2025) and the model on intercultural integration endorsed by the Council of Europe(2015), while addressing the local need to ensure that Bologna’s diverse population can thrive.

What is the outcome?

Beyond offering structured and timely support to potential victims of discrimination, SPAD’s main achievement is the creation of an observatory on discrimination. This internal database enables the Municipality to collect, analyze, and monitor aggregated data on discrimination trends, including the type of discriminatory agent, the scope, contributing factors, and locations of incidents, as well as the counter-strategies implemented.

This data has allowed the Municipality to draft policy recommendations that address identified needs and to develop updated materials and training sessions tailored to specific challenges in combating discrimination. (see reports from 2022 and 2023).

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