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.
SCOUT: aSsessing Competences fOr fUTure
Purpose: The integration into the labor market is an essential prerequisite for migrants and refugees so that to be capable of building up a new life in their host countries. Within this process,...
Rights Respecting Schools Award
Purpose: Rights Respecting schools are safe and inspiring places to learn, where all children’s talents are nurtured and they are able to thrive. Stimulus/Rationale: UNICEF UKs Rights Respecting...
PROUD OSLO – Action Plan for Equality and Freedom regardless of Gender Expression, Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation
Purpose: PROUD OSLO – Action Plan for Equality and Freedom regardless of Gender Expression, Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation is an action plan launched in 2015 to increase respect for gender...
Guide on Equal Services: preventing discrimination through intersectionality
Purpose: The OXLO guide for equal services is a manual on the city’s internet and intranet webpages, with guidelines for the city’s agencies, districts and services on how to make Oslo a city for...
City of Sanctuary – welcome and settlement
Purpose: Welcome and Settlement Stimulus/Rationale: Swansea Council has pledged its commitment to supporting its status as a City of Sanctuary – welcoming those fleeing from war/persecution....
The Ubuntu Bridges Programme in Lisbon (“Programa Pontes Ubuntu”)
Purpose: Tackling social exclusion and restoring human dignity, empowering young people to make a change and to fulfil their potential, building bridges and promoting a culture of care, respect,...
The Fusion Market (“Mercado de Fusão”)
Purpose: In one of the areas of Lisbon with most foreign communities, the Fusion Market brings people from diverse origins closer together via a journey through its typical flavours....
International Migrants Day in the Lisbon City Hall
Purpose: Show political commitment towards interculturalism Stimulus/Rationale: It is important to show political commitment to Diversity and Migration, and a positive image of migrants as an asset...
Multilingual initiatives improve the intercultural dialogue and the inclusive integration
Purpose: The purpose of the activity is to foster intercultural dialogue and inclusive integration through multilingual initiatives. The city of Limassol, Cyprus, takes significant steps to...
Boosting the citizens’ social life with art and festivities
The City Council of Limassol promotes access to culture for the whole population with a broad programme of free events and activities. The City Council uses interculturalism as a criterion when...
DiverCidade Braga - An Intercultural Journey
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...
Bergen Inclusion Center
Purpose: To create a new Inclusion Centre, bringing all essential activities under one roof at an attractive location. Stimulus/Rationale: To co-locate inclusion services, which have previously...
Intercultural Map of Melitopol
Process: One out of five main dimensions of the ICC Strategy of Melitopol is intercultural tourism and hospitality. It is along the lines of this dimension that the local ICC coordinator launched...
Educa programme
Purpose: To create a group of immigrant or immigrant descendent mediators (giving them training and support) in order to develop activities of animation and mediation in contexts signalled by the...
A pioneer plan to combat Islamophobia
Purpose: The City Council of Barcelona adopted a plan to prevent hate crimes, raise awareness and provide victim support services. The Plan aims at raising awareness on Islamophobia as a serious...
Peer-to-Peer Project Addiction Aid for Refugees
Purpose: Drug prevention for refugees Stimulus/Rationale: Process: The project targets refugees and provides training in drug prevention and addiction aid. The training programme is elaborated...
Career counselling for SPRAR beneficiaries
Purpose: The action aims to analyse the working background of refugees and asylum seekers taken in charge by the SPRAR programme and to give them useful information and advice for the job search....
Intercultural Education as a part of a School Curriculum
Purpose: To teach school kids values of tolerance, respect to different cultures, and ethnic conflicts prevention Process: In 2017, Sumy school #18 officially established intercultural education as...
The Successful Roma of Pavlohrad
Purpose: Integration of Roma population into the city's social life; encouraging Roma community, fighting negative stereotypes. Stimulus/Rationale: Pavlohrad has a large community of Roma people,...
Participation Scheme
Purpose: Working in partnership and residents’ consultations are at the core of Swansea’s way of planning and evaluating policies. Process: In Swansea priorities, plans, budget, social services,...
Supporting Culturally Diverse NGOs
Purpose: Support culturally diverse NGO to enhance participation of migrants, ethnic minorities and local citizens in the life of the city and to mainstream the intercultural approach. Process: The...
Households welcome migrants!
Purpose: The initiative is as an experiment of social innovation aimed at strengthening local community resilience: some of the migrants hosted in the City had the possibility of completing their...
Workshops, books, exhibitions, music, theater, workshops and sports against racism
Purpose: The Week stimulated a process of confrontation and exchange aimed at preventing and combating phenomena of intolerance, discrimination and racism. Stimulus/Rationale: On the occasion of...
The Human Rights Film Festival
Purpose: The Human Rights Film Festival is an initiative that uses the power of the cinema to promote a culture of peace and respect for human rights, becoming a great agent of social change. The...
Increasing awareness about Islam and reducing anti-Muslim stereotypes
Purpose: “Interpretation of Surahs of the Quran” is an initiative aimed to dismantle stereotypes about Islam and the Muslim world in general, to build a peaceful intercultural society in Ukrainian...
OXLO Business Charter - making migrants visible as a resource for business and economic growth
Purpose: Launched in 2013 at the Oslo Global Mobility Forum, the OXLO Business Charter is a forum and a network for the collaboration between the city and the business community, making migrants...
Mediation panel – a low threshold mediation service for complaints on discrimination
Purpose: The mediation panel organised by the Norwegian Peoples Aid is a service where victims of discrimination can present their complaints, get advice, and engage in dialogue through mediation...
A road map to promote egalitarian government open to diversity
This roadmap is an unprecedented step in Switzerland and is designed not only to combat discrimination but to capitalise on diversity proactively so as to create a climate fostering creativity and...
Bergen – a safe city for LGBTI refugees and citizens with migrant background
Purpose: As part of the plan The Rainbow City of Bergen: Plan for gender and sexual diversity 2023-2027, the city of Bergen includes information about the importance of taking responsibility for...
The Montreal Intercultural Council
The Montreal Intercultural Council (CiM) advises, and issues opinions to, the City Council and the executive committee on all issues of interest to the cultural communities and on any another...
Urban Working Group (UWG) of Epirus
Purpose: The purpose of the Urban Working Group (UWG) is to facilitate effective coordination and collaboration among various stakeholders involved in refugee management in the Epirus region of...
Gender-based analysis plus (GBA+)
refers to the notion of intersectionality. It means that, in addition to gender-differentiated analysis, it is important to consider needs and differentiated effects in the light of other...
World Interfaith Harmony Week
Purpose: Foster Interreligious dialogue. Stimulus/Rationale: The week especially provides a platform for interfaith groups and other groups of goodwill to demonstrate and share their work. Based on...
The Intercultural Calendar
Purpose: A calendar for different religious, cultural and international celebrations Stimulus/Rationale: Process: Together with the integration representatives of each Berlin district, Neukölln...
Women in intercultural dialogue
Purpose: A space for mothers from different background to share, learn and to pass onto their children. Stimulus/Rationale: Process: Berlin-Neukölln supports the organisation “LebensWelt” (“Living...
Auckland’s Research and Monitoring Unit
Purpose: Assisting policy development in Auckland through environmental, social, economic and cultural research. Stimulus/Rationale: The Research and Evaluation Unit, RIMU part of Auckland...
The Welcoming Communities Initiative
Purpose: A joint central and local government programme implemented by councils across New Zealand to welcome newcomers. Stimulus/Rationale: Auckland Council, ATEED (now Tātaki Auckland Unlimited)...
Interkulcultural Mediation at the Rixdorfer Primary School
Purpose: Mediating between cultures and languages to promote intercultural integration at schools Stimulus/Rationale: Process: Berlin-Neukölln supports the organisation “LebensWelt” (“Living...
Auckland’s support for its diverse entrepreneurs
Purpose: Programmes, competitions and spaces that encourage innovation and collaboration amongst Aucklanders from all kinds of backgrounds. Stimulus/Rationale: Tātaki Auckland Unlimited 's diverse...
#iorispetto: active citizenship against discrimination
Purpose: #IORISPETTO promoted society, young people and students’ awareness of a culture of human rights and the principles of fairness and justice, together with an understanding of the mechanisms...
An ‘Integrated Area Plan’
Purpose: Auckland Council engages with South Auckland’s communities to prepare for future developments in their area. Stimulus/Rationale: When proposing a change, Auckland Council partners with...
The Champions for Change Network
A network of committed senior leaders across New Zealand, advocating and promoting the diversity advantage in the wider business community. Many of Auckland’s senior leaders are part of the...
Erlangen-Nürnberg: University enables access to education for refugees
Purpose: A database to protect private data and speed up the stream of information between different departments. Stimulus/Rationale: In 2015, four times as many people fled to Europe from their...
The Next Door Family
Purpose: The project “Bizilagunak: La Familia de al lado” gathers migrant families and Basque families together. The project operates on a local area, focusing on building relations among families...
Neighbourhood Pacts
Purpose: The goal of this initiative is to adopt consultative and participatory methods with all residents, users and property owners, in order to develop a strategic plan of the City for physical,...
NEUCHÀTOI
A community conducts a dynamic open discussion of its evolving identity Neuchàtoi is an ongoing campaign and dialogue platform to create an open discussion of how the city of Neuchâtel is evolving...
Norwegian Center for Multicultural Value Creation
Purpose: Oslo City Council’s Office for Business Development has taken an active stance on integrating minority businesses through The Norwegian Center for Multicultural Value Creation, which is...
Designing intercultural public space
Purpose: Involving the whole community in shaping the future of Lewisham’s open space. Stimulus/Rationale: In 2006-7 the Borough of Lewisham conducted research into public attitudes. Residents...
LUCIDE
A network of cities seeking to develop ideas about how to manage multilingual citizen communities LUCIDE is a network seeks to develop ideas about how to manage multilingual citizen communities....
The International Cultural Network of Stavanger
Purpose: The International Cultural Network (INK) is an organization running in Stavanger whose main goal is to encourage social cohesion and inclusion. INK was founded in 1982 and now has almost...
“Zambujal Gets Better!” - project
Ethnic mixing and skills development as part of a general rejuvenation of a city district Purpose: The Programme “Zambujal Gets Better” was brought into life in partnership with the Municipality of...
Mångkulturellt Centre, Fittja
A diversity research and popular dissemination centre with local and international scope The Multicultural Centre is a municipal foundation engaged in research, education and cultural activities....
Refugee Welcome and Integration Network
Purpose: On 24 May 2017, the City Council of Cartagena (Murcia - Spain) launched the Refugee Welcome and Integration Network to address the needs of refugees and asylum seekers in the municipality,...
Fargespil (Kaleidoscope)
Purpose: To foster experiences of both alikeness and the richness of diversity by bringing different young actors representing different national music and dance traditions together in a musical...
Italy - Learn Arabic!
Purpose: This is a project in collaboration with the Local Health Authorities to improve linguistic cultural relations between foreign citizens and health services. Stimulus/Rationale: In 2011 the...
OXLO - Oslo Extra Large. A long-term city-wide awareness-raising campaign for diversity
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...
Todos – Walk of Cultures
Purpose: To celebrate Lisbon as an intercultural city, promoting intercultural and interreligious dialogue Stimulus/Rationale: A nomadic festival of intercultural festival which reintegrates...
OMOD - Scrutinizing Oslo public services through an intercultural lens
Purpose: OMOD Center for Social Justice is a volunteer organization against institutional discrimination that provides information, advice, and assistance to organisations in the area of race...
Opening Doors: The Logan Police/Ethnic Communities Partnerships Project
Building trust between police and ethnic minority communities Logan City was growing rapidly and overseas migration and there was concern that levels of trust between young migrants and the Police...
The value of a city Integration Charter
Erlangen sets out its values and principles The City of Erlangen is becoming more and more multicultural and, today, about the 34% of its inhabitants have a migration background. In order to...
Building interfaith partnerships
Purpose: The project, led by the municipality’s urban planning and architecture department, aims firstly at identifying and mapping the presence of different religious communities. The action goes...
Somalia Bandy
Purpose: The purpose is to use sports as a means for social integration of young Somali refugees, especifically the ice hockey form Bandy. Stimulus/Rationale: The team was set up by a local...
Muraliza - Mural Art Festival
Purpose: Arts overcome cultural and ethnic differences bringing people together - A project that reshapes the historic centre of the city Arts have the uncanny ability to overcome cultural and...
BragaIncoming Programme
Purpose: In 2018 the city of Braga launched the “Bragalncoming Programme”, a digital tool that aims to help newcomers (those that come either to live, to visit or invest) with much-needed...
Table on Interreligious dialogue
Purpose: The main focus of the Interreligious Table is to improve the knowledge and recognition of the city’s religious plurality. In addition, the Table organises events and initiatives to promote...
Local Forum for religious diversity
Since 2012, the Local forum for religious diversity promotes the exercise of freedom of conscience and religion in a context of citizens’ coexistence in diversity and in human rights’ promotion....
Small Theater – Great Place for Inspiration
Purpose: The “small theatre -a great place for inspiration” improves community engagement through arts and culture as well as leisure and heritage. Process: The social and cultural atmosphere...
Anissa programme
Purpose: The Annisa programme is a project focused on the participation and interaction of Pakistani communities and the Besós neighbourhood in the district of Sant Martí. The programme is funded...
#BCNvsODI
Purpose: #BCNvsODI is nowadays a platform for dissemination and awareness-raising in the fight against hate speech, both online and offline, with information, materials and pedagogical, informative...
“Faces of Lublin” awareness raising campaign
Purpose: This public awareness campaign was undertaken by the City of Lublin to strengthen the image of Lublin as an intercultural city by promoting the diversity of its residents through an...
III Bilbao Intercultural City Plan
Purpose: The III Bilbao Intercultural City Plan aims to guide public policies, from an intercultural perspective, in order to strengthen social cohesion and urban development in the city. To this...
Employment opportunities as a factor of cohesion
Purpose: Employment supporting cohesion Stimulus/Rationale: Process: In Manchester (United Kingdom), the Manchester International Festival’s Factory Academy partnered with the construction firm...
The Inclusive Anchors Network
In Leeds (United Kingdom), a group of the thirteen largest (primarily) public sector employers, including the city council, local universities and Yorkshire Water, have formed the Inclusive Anchors...
Ciga Giro Project
The Ciga Giro Project – People and Identities, Answers and Options is a social intervention, in the municipality of Vila Verde, focusing on the fight against the social segregation of the Roma...
Welcoming guides
Purpose: This activity had the purpose of improving the welcoming of people with an international protection status coming from Ukraine. The city wanted to ensure access to information for everyone...