1st Peer Review Session in Malaga 30-31 May, 2013

Fan painted by Knowledge Ambassador Carlos G. Torres

The representatives of 6 cities were lucky to visit probably the only city in the RE-Block partnership where the temperature was above 20C at the end of May!

The following issues were touched in the presentations of the two Knowledge Ambassadors of Malaga:

STRENGTHS

• Strong and effective participative process in place
• A lot of agents working in the district and there is a lot of social infrastructure
• Full support of local government
• HOGAR project already underway (since 2005) with a local action plan designed with 73 proposals made by the residents of Palma Palmilla
• A very multicultural district
• Solidarity amongst neighbours and good practice in working in a network
• Recognise problems without blaming others

WEAKNESSES

• Palma Palmilla/La Palma is very isolated (geographically & socially) from Malaga
• Buildings and infrastructure in a state of deterioration (both private and public)
• High unemployment and a lack of professional training
• Lack of a defined economic development model for the district
• Very bad image of the district within the rest of the City and a poor image within the district itself
• Growing resentment towards the immigrants due to scarcity of employment opportunities
• Lack of ownership, tendency to misuse public infrastructure
• Difficulties in getting residents to participate
• Few historical references and traditions, those they did exist are slowly being lost

The response of the municipality to the challenges at the La Palma/Palma Palmilla district of Malaga was the HOGAR (an acronym which means: the place where you live) project. The project aims to promote the social and physical transformation in the area. The methodology of the project is based on democratic participation and active citizenship and proved to be very successful in this respect.

Interview in the premises of the community radio ONDA COLOR (Representatives of Rome and Södertalje, the LE and one of the co-workers of ONDA COLOR)

Site visit in the target area gave the chance for the participants:

• to meet residents of the blocks and talk with them about their future plans concerning the refurbishment of the blocks, the difficulties the protagonists of the refurbishment face when they try to organise the community association of the block to fulfil requirements;
• to meet the representatives of the association which runs the community garden in the target area and which aims to promote involvement and useful occupation both the for the individuals and the community
• to visit the community radio station and present their initial thoughts on what they learnt about Malaga – La Palma area
• to take part in a flash mob organised by social educators of the area for school children, where a rapper born and living in the area conveyed the message to all the participants of the event: EDUCATION IS THE KEY!

Once the Knowledge Ambassadors delegated by partners to the Malaga Peer Review Session learnt about the key issues at the La Palma area they presented relevant good practices from Budapest, Magdeburg, Rome and Södertalje as ideas to be considered and adapted to the LAP of La Palma. Policy recommendations were also made by the representatives of the partner cities in the discussion with the local politicians concerning strategic approach, improved cooperation with actors (including the Managing Authorities) and better use of Structural Funds in the area.

At the Peer Review Session, Eva Bjurnholm (Södertalje) presenting recommendations

Photos by: Krisztián Dombrádi (Knowledge Ambassador, Budapest 18th District)