Purpose:
The City of Braga, Portugal, has created a specific website to present the city’s intercultural strategy and activities.
The DiverCidade Braga Project - An Intercultural Journey aims to promote spaces, opportunities and information movements that foster the integration and union of the various migrant communities that inhabit the city of Braga.
Enhancing the recognition of the different cultures present in the territory, valuing diversity and tolerance, sharing differences and learning/potential knowledge of migrant communities, are key issues throughout the development of the project.
The website aims to make the city’s commitment towards diversity public, to inform all citizens of the public local policies and projects in place, as well as to promote awareness raising in the community about interculturalism. This is done with the goal of achieving a more inclusive society.
Visitors can have a coffee while sharing very diverse cultural experiences, tell stories in the form of Human Library, concert strategies to foster gender equality, integrate, create opportunities, and combat prejudices and stereotypes.
The DiverCidade Braga Project - An Intercultural Journey aims to unite everyone in a joint mission to raise awareness and foster the construction of a more just, egalitarian and intercultural society, promoting the integration of citizens from other countries and other cultures.
Involving the whole society, the people of Braga and those who have chosen Braga as their new place of residence, in the promotion of equality, the sharing of cultures, the promotion of dialogue are some of the goals that are intended to be achieved with this Project.
Stimulus/Rationale:
The website contains information about all the projects developed in the city, including:
- Anti-rumors posters;
- Human Libraries - short stories about migrants living in the city which are also presented in short interactive talks; A Vodcast and Podcast channel includes videos and audios of diverse citizens of the city, speaking about their stories and cultural heritage.
- Intercultural cafes - short webinars or seminars about specific themes within migration and interculturality;
- Gender equality measures; and
- Labour market inclusion initiatives.
Designed to promote the integration of Third Country Nationals, the DiverCidade Braga - An Intercultural Journey Project will also seek to cover diverse audiences with the aim of enhancing its results and fostering interest in the subject and the promotion of best practices throughout the population.
This social concern is a significant part of the response of the Municipality of Braga to the migratory movements that make up the social framework of the municipality and, in general, of the European Union in the twenty-first century.
In order to promote this general objective, the DiverCidade Braga Project – An Intercultural Journey will direct its efforts to two audiences:
i) the general community composed of a majority society rooted in a common culture
ii) a set of diverse social groups with different cultural heritage.
Although we can highlight the differences between both populations, the Project aims above all to promote spaces, opportunities and information movements that unite the two and promote intercultural interaction.
Process: In the project the City has cooperated with several partners, including Cruz Vermelha de Braga (Red Cross), Braga Job Center; Centro Distrital da Segurança Social (social Security) and local migrant associations (Associação Luso-Ucraniana de Braga, Associação Senegalesa de Portugal, Associação Cabo Verdiana de Braga, Representante da Comunidade de S. Tomé e Príncipe, Representante da Casa de Angola, Representante da Comunidade Guineense).
Impact: The integration of migrant communities is fostered through moments of leisure and sharing of experiences, not only among these specific groups, but mainly with the population of Braga in general, stimulating the knowledge and union of the population in Braga. The project has developed several initiatives, such as assessments to understand needs and challenges faced by the population, photography contests, exhibitions, live human libraries, debates and events.
Key reference documents: Viewers can access the webpage through the following address: https://www.bragadivercidade.pt/
