Intercultural cities: good practice examples
The Intercultural city aims at building its policies and identity on the explicit acknowledgement that diversity can be a resource for the development of the society.
The first step is the adoption (and implementation) of strategies that facilitate positive intercultural encounters and exchanges, and promote equal and active participation of residents and communities in the development of the city, thus responding to the needs of a diverse population. The Intercultural integration policy model is based on extensive research evidence, on a range of international legal instruments, and on the collective input of the cities member of the Intercultural Cities programme that share their good practice examples on how to better manage diversity, address possible conflicts, and benefit from the diversity advantage.
This section offers examples of intercultural approaches that facilitate the development and implementation of intercultural strategies.
Culture is the basis of community sustainable development
Purpose: Policy for promoting inclusive participation through culture, to encourage a tolerant society and to develop moral principles of common life in an intercultural environment through...
Mondinsieme’ Assembly
Purpose: Citizen engagement and citizen participation are key elements for the Municipality of Reggio Emilia. Calling itself “La Città delle Persone” (the City of the People), the administration of...
Actions of the City of Reykjavik to improve participation in local elections
Purpose: The City of Reykjavik has initiated various practices to increase migrants´ participation in local political elections. One practice organised by the Icelandic Women’s Rights Association...
Women, Health and Violence
Purpose: This programme seeks to empower women from all origins and socio-cultural backgrounds in Bilbao through the promotion of health and the prevention of gender-based violence. It aims to...
(Re)Writing our neighbourhood
Integrated Approaches for Active participation in social and civic life. Purpose: (Re)Writing our neighbourhood was a 3 year project implemented in three neighbourhoods in the city of Braga,...
Measure to promote the participation of people with diverse cultural and native backgrounds in Barcelona participation areas
Purpose: The main purpose of this Government Measure is to make active “citizenship” real, enabling participation for all inhabitants of the city. This action emphasises and draws attention on...
Bilbao Immigration Council
Purpose: The Immigration Council of the Bilbao City Council was created with the vocation of supporting immigrants in their capacity to organise, dialogue, and make proposals for the formulation of...
Intercultural Hub
Purpose: Methodology and Tools for the Creation Intercultural Space to enhance intersectoral and inclusive participation in diverse communities Process: Vinnytsia (370,000 people) is the regional...
Improving participation in local elections 2018
Purpose: to improve immigrants' knowledge about their voting rights and by this improve immigrants participation in elections; to produce accessible information about the elections in clear and...
Portimão Migrant Integration Plan
Purpose: Enhance the integration of migrants through a set of articulated actions implemented by a consortium of relevant local partners. Stimulus/Rationale: One of the strengths of the plan is the...
Festival delle Culture
Purpose: The project aims at fostering social participation and engagement and making the migrants’ association protagonists and responsible of the communication about the topic issues....
Neuchâtel Action Week against Racism
Raising awareness of diversity, equal opportunities and non-discrimination Every March for the last 20 years, the Service de la cohésion multiculturelle (COSM) (Multicultural Cohesion Service) and...
Adaptation of Internally Displaced
Purpose: Promote adaptation and participation in the city life of newcomers (IDPs) Process: As a part of its Intercultural Strategy, the city authorities pay particular attention to facilitating...
Geneva: the City tackles hurtful words
At a time when social networks and digital communication are having a major impact on our everyday interaction, raising awareness of discriminatory remarks and speech is a real challenge for public...
Study in Lisbon programme
Purpose: The website “Study in Lisbon” is directed specifically at foreign students, encouraging them to pursue their studies in Lisbon (“10 reasons to study in Lisbon”) as well as providing...
Building human rights and equality competency
Purpose: to implement the City of Reykjavik Human Rights Policy; to enhance quality customer service with its emphasis on meeting the needs of a diversity of customers and with the creativity and...
Centre of Interculturality (“Núcleo da Interculturalidade”)
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...
"Identity Map: the Language of Dissent"
Purpose: An artistic performance to minimise racial, gender or sexual discrimination and to promote tolerance and inclusiveness in the city community Process: Discrimination on the grounds of...
Conseil pour l’immigration de Berlin-Neukölln (« Migrationsbeirat »)
But : Un conseil spécial consacré aux migrants vivant à Neukölln. Structure: Processus : Berlin-Neukölln a créé une instance spécialement dédiée aux migrants qui vivent à Neukölln au sein de son...
Weeks of culture
Purpose: Fostering intercultural exchange and sharing traditions Process: The Council of National Communities of Melitopol usually holds a one or two-day Reporting Event annually as part of the...
Local Council for Religious and Life Stance Communities
Purpose: The aim of the practice is to reflect the religious diversity in Oslo through The Local Council for Religion and Life Stance communities. This body is responsible for: The promotion of the...
Europe Island Festival
Process: An international festival "Europe Island" with 10 open-air locations in Vinnytsia, dedicated to "chamber" literature, languages of national minorities and local writings brought together...
Creative Orchestra
Purpose: The Creative Orchestra is a community project that aims to bring forward the social dimension of music, promoting inclusion through music. Stimulus/Rationale: Casa dos Choupos is the local...
Policies to decrease inequalities and structural issues
Under the Equality Act 2010, the city runs Equality Impact Assessments. These ensure that they give due regard to equality, diversity, cohesion and integration when making key decisions on...
Equalities Assembly in Leeds
Local authorities have statutory obligations to consider equality in the United Kingdom (UK). The Equalities Assembly was set up by Leeds to ensure all diverse communities are involved in the...
Participatory Processes to Ensure Equal Access
Leeds organises an Equalities Assembly, participatory budgeting, intercultural dialogue platforms/round tables as well as MAP+ and the Migrant Community Networkers weekly drop-in. Additionally, the...
Bradford’s People Library
Purpose: To show there is always more to a human ‘book’ than just its cover. Stimulus/Rationale: Process: Bradford’s People Library is an ever-growing and fascinating collection of human ‘books’,...
Reducing barriers to naturalisation through information campaigns
The Zurich City Council is concerned that as many Zurich residents as possible should be able to participate in the direct democratic process. The more people participate, the more alive democracy...
A common public space through cooperation
As part of the ‘Our Spaces’ Strategy[1], the city considers a number of principles, one of which is that ‘our spaces will be inclusive, designed for all ages, abilities and reflect Leeds’ diverse...
Integrated Impact Assessment
Purpose: Kirklees Council has developed an Integrated Impact Assessment process that is implemented when new services, policies or strategies are being developed or existing ones being changed or...
Improving equality data collection in Belgium
The equality data strategy responds to the imperative for a precise picture of reality, an evidence base, to be available if policy solutions to inequality are to be effectively designed and...
Roma Strategy for the Bradford District (2021-2025)
Purpose: The aim of the Bradford District Roma Strategy is to improve engagement between statutory public services and the Roma community – through working with the community. Stimulus/Rationale:...
Structural Racism in Bergen. Provoking debate, enabling understanding and stimulating action through research on structural racism in Bergen
Purpose: The research initiative “Structural Racism in Bergen” was undertaken by Bergen Municipality to understand how minority ethnic populations perceived the way they were treated by the city’s...
Mediation is a priority in Barcelona
Purpose: Different mediation services are in place with the aim of providing resources to municipal service professionals to facilitate intercultural communication and to prevent and resolve...
Valladolid’s Plan for intercultural coexistence 2019-2023
Purpose: The Plan is a tool that develops a comprehensive policy of living together from an intercultural perspective and helps the city harness the potential of diversity. It also enables to...
Roma school promoters
Purpose: To address the inequalities in the education system through a “school promoters” project. The School Promoters aims to achieve full schooling, school success and the socio-labour promotion...
Barcelona’s Neighbourhood Plan
Purpose: The Neighbourhoods Plan (Pla de Barris) is a municipal initiative that implements social, economic, and urban actions to reduce inequalities between the city's neighbourhoods. It is an...
Want to make your workplace more inclusive?
Purpose: Stimulus/Rationale: In 2021 the Italian municipalities of Novellara, Reggio Emilia, and the union of municipalities “Rubicone e Mare” were awarded an ICC intercity grant to develop...
Music of Words - Odessa
Process: In 2021, ICC Odesa launched an inspiring new annual initiative, the literary and musical Festival "Music of Words", to celebrate the variety of artistic expressions and creative arts that...
Intercultural and integration strategy for the five-year period 2021-2025
The main activity consists in the development of an intercultural and integration strategy for the five-year period 2021-2025. The development of the strategy was entrusted to the Dublin City Local...
The role of libraries as drivers of integration and intercultural interaction
Public libraries can be a particularly helpful place for newcomers and play a key role in giving access to knowledge, remedying social inequalities and improving these people’s quality of life....
Carrying out an Inclusive Economy Strategy for social and environmental value
Calderdale, United Kingdom, has committed to social value creation through its Inclusive Economy Strategy. All its procurement activity must be in line with social value requirements and...
Lublin, Krakow and Wrocław together against hate speech
Purpose: This public awareness-raising initiative was undertaken by the three Polish cities: Lublin, Krakow and Wrocław, to address the burning problem of hate speech targeting minorities by...
Campaigns and communication for inclusion
Purpose: Lisbon, Portugal, developed a programme (“Somos os Direitos que temos” – We are our rights) targeting more awareness towards diversity, human rights, and inclusion. The awareness of the...
The DIVERSITY = INNOVATION project
Purpose: Monitoring the diversity of recruitment and promotion locally, and working with employers to champion diverse workplaces. Stimulus/Rationale: Equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) is...
A Folk Doll’s Tale - Melitopol
Purpose: Fostering intercultural exchange and sharing traditions Process: Ms. Natalia Berenga, an artist of Belorussian origin from Melitopol, has been making rag dolls for quite some time but the...
ICC Strategies are in Place in all ICCUA Cities
Process: As of the end of 2021, all member cities of the ICC-Ukraine network had developed and four of them had officially adopted their ICC City Strategies, which represents a considerable...
Participatory mechanisms and initiatives encouraging all Camden residents to engage in political life and decision-making processes
Camden Council services work in a range of ways that enable all of Camden’s residents, in particular people with migrant/minority backgrounds, to voice their concerns, examples are: Communication...
Providing intercultural mediation in Camden: an efficient tool for a harmonious life in the borough
In Camden, intercultural mediation is provided in the neighbourhoods and on the streets actively seeking to meet residents and discuss problems. The Family Group Conference (FGC) offers a...
Camden’s residents and the authorities building together a safe and welcoming borough
Camden has been carrying out surveys on the feeling of security/safety with respect to people with migrant/minority backgrounds. The Council has a community lead response to supporting communities...