ITSTIME – Italian Team for Security, Terroristic Issues & Managing Emergencies, is a research center of Department of Sociology of the Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Milan.
ITSTIME’s team is coordinated by prof. Marco Lombardi and composed of experts from different fields and competences: multidisciplinarity and cross fertilization is an important tool. Our approach allows us to develop and conduct research focused on security issues from different perspectives. ITSTIME addresses both theoretically and empirically the new challenges in the new hybrid war domain. Studies, prevention activities and detailed analyses of security threats, the group addresses different issues from a new perspective in order to manage crisis situations in a proactive way. We are mainly focused on:
- Security intended as a condition that results from the establishment and maintenance of protective measures able to promote citizens’ wellness and democratic vitality of the institutions;
- Terrorism as a long term threat, part of the new Hyvrid Warfare, that must be addressed through preventive and well-constructed measures;
- Emergencies management in order to develop helpful practices both for citizens and institutions.
ITSTIME analyses on terrorism is based on three main assumptions:
“THINK TERRORIST”. Based on the Weber emphatic sociology, the group motto stand at the base of its analytical approach when dealing with daily collected primary sources that are processed according two main driver: their communication value and the networks that stand behind.
“Terrorism is communication”. The main difference between a terrorist and a criminal is that the latter seeks a symbolic acknowledgement of his action. This means that he is aware of the media system where he proposes himself as the main character. Since terrorism is a “communication phenomenon” as terrorists seek out and manage communication, it is therefore imperative to analyse its communication through media research tools.
“Terrorism Networks”. Both online and offline terrorism takes its nourishment from networks. They are essential for its permanence and for the reiteration of the threat. The identification of them allows to connects dots highlighting relationship between different actions and actors and thus giving the possibility to draw accurate risk scenarios.
ITSTIME activities focus on the following domains:
Research is the core of ITSTIME: any effective operation is supported by a good theory to get knowledge, understanding and awareness of the scenarios. In particular, every prevention strategy needs a theory to forecast the future and anticipate it according to our own strategic interests.
Consulting and Training activities aimed at creating and spreading awareness about security issues and providing possible solutions to mitigate risks. Both consulting and training refer to public and private companies monitoring different types of threats, elaborating scenarios, planning strategies, developing plans for responding to emergencies. Training is always part of the solution to provide specific competences for the operational or to simulate critical situation as training game
Courses we proposed are recognized by the Catholic University, at different levels. ITSTIME’s members are teaching in many university courses and ITSTIME’s courses go back to such experience. The proposed activities are just an example of many possibilities, each one can be tailored on request.
Field Activities are part of our mission as any topic needs to be understood on its field of application and any threat needs to be addressed locally. ITSTIME runs field research, international cooperation and crisis management in critical areas and post-conflict situation, together with NGOs and Institutions, where security issues are the main topics.