Intercultural Cities Newsroom

Back Annual meeting of ICC Coordinators

Cities that are member of the international Intercultural Cities network hold coordination meetings once per year to take stock of achievements, put forward new challenges, and prepare the next programme of work with a view to further develop both the intercultural cities’ network and the intercultural integration policy model.

Organised under the Croatian Chairmanship of the CM, this year meeting took place in Rijeka (Croatia) and was also part of the Rijeka Capital of Culture 2020 programme of work.

Among the main highlights, ICC Coordinators worked in groups to review the ICC policy assessment tool (ICC Index questionnaire), discussed the model strategy for national inclusive integration policies that is object of the ICC Policy Lab initiative, and explored new approaches to setting-up intercultural councils.

Participants further brainstormed on new methodologies in the field of: conflict mediation; countering islamophobia; promoting diversity through inclusive business models; minimising gentrification and urban segregation; promoting urban safety and community policing, participatory democracy in the intercultural city; preventing discrimination through an intersectional perspective; and the Intercultural Citizenship test. Moreover, the consolidated draft of the revised Intercultural Cities Step-by-step guide was presented.

Finally, an exchange of views with the religious communities in Rijeka and a field visit to the neighbourhoods that implemented participatory mapping of Rijeka’s diverse cultural heritage through the joint EU-COE project STEPs were included in the optional programme of the event.