Purpose: OXLO - Oslo Extra Large is a long-term awareness-raising campaign initiated by the Mayor of Oslo. Through this campaign the City of Oslo is striving to make Norway’s capital a more tolerant city, free from racism and prejudice. It is based on the City of Oslo’s special value document, which focuses both on citizen and municipal activities. The cornerstones of the documents are tolerance, mutual respect and understanding. OXLO is a part of the City of Oslo’s Plan of Action Against Nazism, Racism, and Intolerance The OXLO campaign focuses mainly on children and youth and is implemented through schools, day care centres, child health clinics and public services.
Stimulus/Rationale: Oslo Extra Large is a long-term awareness-raising campaign was initiated by the Mayor of Oslo in 2001 in response to a racist murder.
Process: The OXLO campaign includes various elements:
- The Annual OXLO week with stands, social and cultural events.
- The OXLO Prize: municipal award given yearly for special achievements in antiracist work.
- The OXLO ambassadors: Schools, day care centres, child health clinics and other public services in the city that have focused on antiracist work or have organized the service to promote diversity, are officially named OXLO ambassadors. The OXLO ambassadors are announced through a newsletter on the City of Oslo’s website.
- Since 2004, it includes also a campaign to make the city’s public service inclusive and tolerant taking into account the special needs of minority groups. In addition, the Municipality encourages the city districts to organise local activities like anti-racist theatre performances or a relay race against racism and prejudice.
- In 2005, a task force against racism was created. The task force is a network of 15 representatives of NGOs, city and state offices, researchers, youth leaders offering guidance and advice and to respond quickly to crisis situations where youth and violence are involved, and to problems of racism and Nazism.
- The Board of Migrant Organizations (300 different migrant organisations) has been installed as an advisory body to the local government and an important partner in the OXLO campaign.
- The OXLO campaign is based in a district of the city of Oslo but works throughout all workplaces in the city.
2 employees work on the Oslo Xtra Large campaign. One is dedicated to the campaign, the other to information, annual budget 112.000 euros. The annual campaign budget is 49 500 euros. Every year the city of Oslo distributes 4 930 000 euros to different migrant associations contributing to inclusion and diversity in the city of Oslo.
Impact: The expected impact is increased awareness about Nazism, racism and intolerance among children and youth.
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