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.
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...
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...
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...
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....
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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,...
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...
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...
“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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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....
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...
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)...
Anti-discrimination tools
Purpose: To offer support to victims of discrimination, to monitor and intervene in cases of assault or discrimination, to raise awareness and build capacity on topics related to discrimination....
Ensuring political and public participation in Sabadell
Purpose: The City Council deploys different Initiatives to encourage people with migrant/minority backgrounds to engage in political and public life. Stimulus/Rationale: The Sabadell Intercultural...
Women participation and interaction
Purpose: To empower women from all origins and socio-cultural backgrounds by creating relational spaces where women meet and learn and supporting them in the acquisition of skills....
Office for Non-Discrimination (OND)
Purpose: The Office for Non-Discrimination is accordingly designed as the municipal service for dealing with, advising on, mediating over and penalising (where legally possible) discriminatory...
Bilbao, City of Values
Purpose: Bilbao, City of Values is a project that aims to generate a space for analysis, dialogue, reflection, and collaborative work among institutions, social entities, companies, media, schools,...
Castelló Intercultural City Plan
Purpose: As part of the actions of the Council of Social Welfare – Social Mediation and Intercultural Department, the city of Castelló de la Plana launched the “III Castelló Intercultural City Plan...
Knowledge Cartography
Purpose: The project ‘Cartografía de Conocimientos’ (Knowledge Cartography) was born in 2012 aimed at approaching health and education from an intercultural perspective. It is a project that works...
Inclusive Housing in Bergen
Purpose: This overall intention by the city and municipality of Bergen is to provide residences for migrants and refugees by ensuring access to both social housing and private sector housing....
The anti-radicalisation programme
Purpose: The aim of the programme is to prevent radicalisation, hate crimes and violent extremism. Through providing correct information, the municipality endeavours to avoid religious...
Inclusive Public services
Purpose: Ensuring inclusive public services for newcomers Stimulus/Rationale: The Bradford for Everyone strategy is based on everyone in Bradford being valuable and that everyone is enriched 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...
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...
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....
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...
Listening Circles on ‘Race’, Racism, and Inequalities
Purpose: Kirklees Council has identified and pursued the potential in Listening Circles to contribute to addressing systemic discrimination. Listening Circles are to provide time and a safe space...
An Equality Infrastructure
Concept Mexico City has established an internal infrastructure to express and sustain its commitment to equality and non-discrimination. This encompasses a Constitution for the City of Mexico...
Complaints of Discrimination
Concept The City of Geneva funds and works with the Centre – Écoute contre le Racisme (C-ECR), which defends, advises and assists people affected by racism. The Center-Écoute contre le Racisme is...
The Intercultural acceptance survey to build intercultural competence skills
The Republic of Korea conducts a triannual survey of locals on their intercultural acceptance. The findings from the survey serve as reference data for policy development. To ensure even more...
Promoting multilingualism in a multicultural city
Ansan City offers Korean language education for non-nationals. The city itself runs Korean language education programmes while commissioning private organisations to complete the offer. There is a...
Planned and Systematic Approach to Equality
Purpose: Galway City Council (GCC) is progressing a planned and systematic approach to equality and human rights. This is based on developing an internal infrastructure to drive its implementation...
Reinvigorating Employee Networks
Purpose: Kirklees Council has identified that equality related employee networks play an important role in informing decision-making and enabling innovation. In doing so, they contribute to...
Conscious Inclusion
Concept Camden Council has adopted a process of ‘Conscious Inclusion’ to ensure all staff ‘can be their best self at work’. The approach taken involves a focus on leadership, staff, and systems in...
Research Circles
Concept A research circle is a methodology to enable in-depth, participative, and longer-term examination of an issue. It was piloted in Botkyrka to examine issues of racism and discrimination, in...
Anti-Racism as an Urban Common
Purpose: The concept of “the commons” draws from the English legal term for common land and traditionally refers to shared resources held in common. The commons tend to be understood as material...
An international policy in Leeds
Leeds have a policy to encourage international cooperation in economic, scientific, cultural, or other areas. The policy further has a specific financial provision and the city actively takes...
Housing policy in Leeds
Creating sustainable communities is one of the six Leeds Housing Strategy themes. Housing Leeds officers have worked with community based Housing Advisory Panels to support a number of...
Intercultural Mediation in Leeds
Leeds provides intercultural mediation in a number of ways: Equalities Assembly: forum up of Equality Hubs, helping ensure the council engages/involves diverse communities. Public Sector Equality...
Diverse interaction on display in Cascais
Purpose: This initiative aims to celebrate the local diversity by showcasing the diverse interactions in the City. Stimulus/Rationale: Cascais is now a municipality of the world, with according to...
The Equality Space
Purpose: The Equality Space (Espace Égalité) hosts a one-of-a-kind experience for children and young adults to get familiar with 26 discrimination criteria and fully understand the impact of...