Palermo one of the “Strong Cities”

The city of Palermo and its Mayor are founder of the Global Parliament of Mayors

The city of Palermo has been selected as a member of the Coordination Group “Strong Cities Network”, a comprehensive program of city and local authorities aimed at strengthening social cohesion and the development of programs to prevent violent extremism.

The Mayor Leoluca Orlando was in the official launch of the program at the Headquarters of the United Nations in New York with the mayors of the cities involved in the Leaders’ Summit on Countering Violent Extremism ISIL and hosted by the Presidency of the United States. Afterwards, the Mayor of Palermo participated in the work of opening the program, which were introduced by the High Commissioner for Human Rights of the United Nations, Prince Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein of Jordan and the Mayor of New York Bill de Blasio, defining the work program of the network for the next biennium.

This comment from the mayor of Palermo “the experience of Palermo and the Sicilian synergy between the judiciary and the repressive one hand and civil society on the other in fighting criminal phenomena is seen as a model. It is understood that many global phenomena and violent criminals have cultural roots that arise from the perversion of values also positive, distorted for the consumption of individuals and criminal groups.”

The Network is involved in the GPM, Global Parliament of Mayors.

Abstract from GPM

What is the Global Parliament of Mayors Project?

The Global Parliament of Mayors Project aspires to alter fundamentally how we govern globally in response to such pressing cross-border issues as climate change, immigration, the refugee crisis, pandemic disease, terrorism, nuclear proliferation, and volatile global financial markets.

Our goal is to establish a new, nonpartisan global governance platform that empowers mayors to deliver viable cross-border solutions to global challenges. Specifically, the proposal is to establish a Global Parliament of Mayors, an unprecedented idea first put forward in the final chapter of Dr. Benjamin Barber’s 2013 book If Mayors Ruled the World: Dysfunctional Nations, Rising Cities (Yale University Press). The inaugural convening of the Global Parliament of Mayors will convene in 2016.

Why We Need a Global Parliament of Mayors

The trends Dr. Barber depicted showing world leaders giving cities a new focus and importance have accelerated: in the spring, Prime Minister Cameron of the U.K. announced an innovative devolution strategy, giving cities new responsibilities; during the summer Pope Francis, following his extraordinary encyclical Laudato Si’ on climate change and justice hosted seventy-five cities at the Vatican. Michael Bloomberg, held a cities conference in Lyons with Mayor Hidalgo of Paris, giving expression to his remarkable article in Foreign Affairs “City Century” that makes a compelling argument for the new indispensability of cities.

It is these trends and events that have further manifested the need for a Global Parliament of Mayors to respond effectively and democratically to the global crises we face and fill the void left by nation states who are increasingly dysfunctional — crippled by their old notion of independence and sovereignty in world that is interdependent and in need of collaboration.

Support for the GPM Project

At the 2014 Planning Session in Amsterdam, 30 mayors issued a vote of confidence in the creation of a Global Parliament of Mayors. With that mandate, the GPM Project Team has been active, receiving commitments and support from over 100 mayors representing all corners of the globe.

The original Mayors Leadership Council included:

Mayor Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz, Warsaw

Mayor Jorge Astiazaran, Tijuana

Mayor Ed Murray, Seattle

Mayor Martin Walsh, Boston

Mayor George Ferguson, Bristol

Mayor Peter Kurz, Mannheim

Mayor Leoluca Orlando, Palermo

Mayor Giorgos Kaminis, Athens

The Honorable Xavier Trias, Former Mayor Barcelona

As we look forward to our inaugural convening in 2016, the GPM Project Team is working to expand its base of support among potential partners, funders, foundations, governments and corporations. We have a firm partner in US Conference of Mayors (Tom Cochran, CEO and Executive Director). We are in conversations with other potential partners including the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, the European Forum for Urban Security, the National League of Cities, UN Habitat III, Mark Watts, Executive Director the C40 Climate Cities Leadership Group and the Strong Cities Network to expand our reach.

We are establishing a GPM Project Advisory Board to advise the Project and create an inclusive, transparent development process. Members will include both former and current mayors, business leaders, foundation representatives and internationally acclaimed scholars.

Confirmed members of our Advisory Board include:

Mayor Aqel Biltaji, Amman

Mayor Patricia de Lille, Cape Town

Mayor Khalifa Ababacar Sall, Dakar

The Honorable Ken Livingstone, Former Mayor of London

The Honorable David Miller, Former Mayor of Toronto

Mr Tom Cochran, CEO & Exective Director, US Conference of Mayors

Mr. Peter Bosch, European Commission, Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs

Professor Bruce Katz, Brookings Institute Vice President and Director

Dr. Emad Tinawi, Political Scientist, Financial Consultant, Syria/Dubai/US

Dr. Saskia Sassen, Robert S. Lynd Professor of Sociology, Columbia University

Professor Eric Corijn, Professor of Social and Cultural Geography, Vrije Universiteit Brussel

Ms. Elizabeth Johnston, Executive Director, European Forum on Urban Security

Mr. Kent Larson, Co-director of the City Science Initiative at the MIT Media Lab

Mr. Jochen Sandig, German cultural entrepreneur, Theatre Director

Along with these members of the Advisory Board, we will be inviting both sitting and former mayors, some members from our former Leadership Council, who will serve as our Executive Committee. The Executive Committee will oversee the development of the inaugural GPM agenda and other key planning items.