Purpose: In December 2023 the city council of Stavanger decided to establish a Committee for Diversity and Inclusion (Norwegian: Utvalg for Mangfold og Inkludering) consisting of nine members (five women and four men) with an immigrant background of different nationalities, age and reason for migration. This committee seeks to act as a bridge between the various immigrant communities in the city and the administration and increase the participation of immigrants in politics, civil society and public life.
Stimulus: Limited representation and participation of migrants and their children in politics, civil society and public life makes it imperative to find ways to involve migrants. Importance of involving migrants, especially the voices that are least heard, to make sure that everyone has access to the services that they need and have right to.
Process: The committee works in line with the current strategy for equality and diversity, and the members express their opinion on matters that are particularly important for the immigrant population. The recruitment was conducted through an open call for applications disseminated through the website of the municipality, Facebook-groups and the local media. These were the following criteria to be selected: To have 1) an international background with origin outside the Nordic countries 2) a great commitment to the city 3) time to contribute 4) good contact with the immigrant population 5) to be registered as resident in Stavanger. The members of the committee do not represent any party or organisation and participate as private persons.
Impact: The expected impact is to increase migrant representation in public life.
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