Purpose: Promoting intercultural integration in the city.
Stimulus/Rationale: "Welcoming all communities with open arms does not make us feel less Portuguese, quite the contrary, because it reminds us who we are", said the president of the Arroios Parish Council, Madalena Natividade.
Lisbon, he stressed, "must call for everyone's participation, because this country belongs to everyone, and it is important to participate, without losing identity, without losing values, beliefs and cultures."
Process: The City Council has a dedicated structure in its Department for Social Rights, specifically its Division for Cohesion and Youth, responsible for promoting interculturality in the city.
It includes the following bodies:
Municipal Council for Interculturality and Citizenship (CMIC) - since 2008- is an advisory or consultative structure, bringing together various associations with the goal of strengthening immigrants’ integration policies based on intercultural values and principles. It was created in 1993 as the first body dedicated to immigrant communities and ethnic minorities, in which the many initiatives, projects and plans for intercultural integration have been proposed and followed upon. The meetings are held in a public space, close to the main area where a wider range of migrants live, and the sessions have debates around migration, integration, diversity and interculturalism.
Municipal Forum of Interculturality (FMINT) is a forum offering a space for debate, reflection and study of issues around diversity and interculturality. In May or June, it organises the “Festival of Diversity” (“Festival da Diversidade”), raising awareness and promoting respect for diversity. The festival includes various cultural performances and activities, such as music concerts, yoga classes or cinema, as well as speeches and debates fostering intercultural dialogue and reflection.
Local Centres for Migrant Integration (CLAII) are spaces to welcome newcomers, offering support and information in regard to nationality, family reunification, housing, voluntary return, labour, health, education and other daily life issues. The CLAII mission intends to go beyond the simple provision of information and aims to promote the welcoming and intercultural character of integration.
Impact: The Council is the first of its kind in the country. The current Mayor of Lisbon, Carlos Moedas, presented "a new proposal for the city's involvement, including more communities" and recalled the need to "include in decisions the communities that live in Lisbon, giving visibility to those who bring an added value to science, culture, universities and many other areas in the city." The mayor underlined "interculturality as a driving force for innovation" and applauded Lisbon's commitment to promoting cultural diversity.
Key reference documents:
News on the Intercultural Council:
