Purpose: The city council of Bergen wanted to formally adopt a public statement of its intentions as an Intercultural city.
Stimulus/Rationale: The primary driver for this initiative was political commitment. The municipality wanted to design and implement an intercultural city policy that recognizes all cultures as unique while focusing on shared values. All inhabitants in Bergen should be seen as who they are and not as a member of a specific ethnic or religious group. It is also important to highlight an individual's transnational identity as something positive and as a resource for Bergen.
Process: A strategy for inclusion and diversity was developed by the department of social services, housing, and inclusion, along with an action plan to put the strategy into practice. The strategy was then formally approved by the city council of Bergen.
In addition to the measures in integration action plan, the city also provides a diversity award as a means of acknowledging local services that have succeeded in this field. Previous recipients of the diversity award include intercultural doulas, who provide guidance and support to pregnant women of immigrant backgrounds.
Impact:
Some of the implemented measures since the plan was approved are:
- A course series to train employees in schools, the social security sector and similar, to help people who are subject to negative social control. Negative social control is defined as various forms of supervision, pressure, threats and coercion that are exercised to ensure that individuals live in line with the family's or group's norms. The control is characterized by the fact that it is systematic and may violate the individual's rights in accordance with, among other things, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and Norwegian law.
- A collaborative project called Bergen Opportunity to support and mentor business talents in Bergen with an immigrant background.
Key reference documents: Verden-i-Bergen-plan-for-inkludering-og-mangfold
