Mafia and gang warfare – two sides of the same coin?

Organised crime discussion

The difference between Danish gangs and the Italian Mafia is not a great as we would like to think. That is one of the main points when the Department of International Culture and Communication Studies and the Centre for the Study of Europe invite interested people to a discussion about organised crime on 14 April 2010.

Strong code of honour

According to the researchers behind the event, many similarities exist between the Italian Mafia and Danish gang-related crime. The Italian Mafia and the Danish gangs both have strong codes of honour, and the members identify themselves in terms of the group, to a large extent. At the same time, the Mafia and the Danish gangs recruit among young people, who will then grow up without the embedded knowledge that abiding by the law and an honest day's work carry a reward in itself.

But even though the similarities may seem great, Professor Iørn Korzen, Department of International Culture and Communication Studies, assures us that we do not need to worry about Mafia-like conditions in Denmark.

- What we are dealing with here is a certain South European mentality that dates back to the old Roman Empire. The Roman rulers promised the local population that they would be granted protection in exchange for loyalty. Since then, that way of thinking has become a more or less "natural" part of the organisation and administration of the region. At the same time, Italy has a weak and poorly functioning state apparatus, which the Italians do not trust, says Iørn Korzen.

Dangerous when integration fails

He explains that all these factors make for poor cohesion and make it easier for powerful bodies to exist in society. In this respect, Denmark is significantly different.

- But it is of course very dangerous that we are not better at integrating immigrants. We risk promoting a distrusting relationship between state and citizens, which in turn makes it possible to establish other power centres that certain groups feel closer connected to than the Danish state, says Iørn Korzen.

Meet former Assistant Commissioner Per Larsen (Copenhagen Police) and Mafia fighters, among others

Together with Integration Consultant, Conflict Resolution Specialist and Member of Copenhagen City Council (the Danish Social-Liberal Party) Manu Sareen; Deputy Chief Superindendent and Head of the Danish National Centre of Investigation Kim Kliver and former Assistant Commissioner Per Larsen, Professor Iørn Korzen is going to guide the participants throughout the day. Two of Italy's most prominent Mafia fighters arrive from Sicily, and a university professor specialising in organised crime joins us from Rome.

Read more about the event: www.cbs.dk/mafia