The Intercultural Cities model is not ‘one size fits all’ with a rigidly pre-determined sequence of events and procedures. As such, this course contains recommended actions and suggestions on how, when and in what order they might best be achieved. However, what is expected of any city embarking on the Intercultural Cities agenda is that it is already a confident, competent and independent-minded entity that is able to creatively adapt the general concepts and actions contained in this course to fit local circumstances. It is also appreciated that no city embarking on the process is an empty slate and that each starts from a different place and is on its own unique trajectory of development. This course is, therefore, not an instruction manual but rather a menu and a toolkit.

3.1 Develop an intercultural vision for the city

If people and resources are to be mobilised towards intercultural development, a change in the mindset of local leaders – both elected and in civil society – is necessary. This means that the city must ask ‘What would we need to do more of or do differently?’ And in particular, ‘What kind of leaders (political and municipal) and citizens would this require? What new institutions, networks and physical infrastructure would it imply?’

We call this building the city’s intercultural vision or looking at the city afresh through an intercultural lens. The Intercultural City approach is not necessarily about adding new policies, structures or initiatives but about revisiting what the city already does.

Next, please take the time to familiarise yourself with pages 16-19 of the guide The intercultural city step by step.  You can also save the document if you wish to return to it later.

Food for thought

  • Has your city formally adopted a public statement that it is, or aspires to be, an intercultural city?
  • Has your city adopted an intercultural integration strategy, action plan, or a diversity/inclusion strategy?
  • Do official communications by your city make clear reference to the city’s intercultural commitment?
  • Does the city have specific tools to reach out to all residents, including those with lower skills in the host language or limited experience with democracy and participation to express their views and ideas?
  • Does the city engage with those who do not necessarily have professional and expert competence in a certain field - ordinary citizens, young people, and children?
  • Does your city have an official webpage that communicates its intercultural statement, strategy, and/or action plan?

3.2 Intercultural strategy

Intercultural city strategies cannot be limited to incremental approaches that build solely on what has been done before. They also need to be transformative, aiming to fundamentally change civic culture, the public sphere and institutions themselves. What is sought here is a qualitative change in relationships between authorities, institutions, people and groups of people. To realise this qualitative change, cities need to establish governance mechanisms that incorporate the principles of intercultural integration at all levels of city government. This includes ensuring all departments adopt an intercultural lens in their work area, are capacitated on intercultural approaches and can discuss and coordinate strategies and actions. Governance is not limited to the administration, and intercultural governance implies coordination with other actors, including immigrant-led organisations and NGOs.

Next, please take the time to familiarise yourself with pages 19-21 of the guide The intercultural city step by step. You can also save the document if you wish to return to it later.

Food for thought

  • Does your city have a dedicated body or a cross-departmental co-ordination structure responsible for implementing the intercultural strategy and that collaborate with other stakeholders (NGOs, universities, private sector, etc.)?
  • Does the city have mechanisms and systems to collect data and monitor changes?
  • Does the staff represent the diversity of the city population at all levels of authority?
  • Is creative interaction between employees from various backgrounds, genders, ages, professional specialisms encouraged (meeting places that are inviting to everyone, moderated events)?
  • Is policy innovation fostered and harnessed (including by rewarding mistakes as a sign of initiative, risk-taking and stepping out of the routine)?

3.3 Building intercultural competence

The ability to understand each other across all types of cultural and other barriers is a fundamental prerequisite for making our diverse democratic societies work and a key competence that every individual should aim to acquire. Intercultural competences refer to the set of knowledge and skills necessary for people and organisations to act in an intercultural way. Trainings and tools in intercultural competence pursue a change of people’s attitudes, encouraging them to question the basic assumptions of their respective backgrounds. The objective is a critical deconstruction of identity as a consequence of contact with other cultures and backgrounds.

Intercultural competences are, therefore, not only needed in the public administration, but should also be mainstreamed among the city’s population. Intercultural inclusion, in fact, requires citizens to translate in their daily actions and interactions and their commitment to a common set of values, to a shared sense of belonging to the city, and to a pluralist local identity.

Next, please take the time to familiarise yourself with pages 21-24 of the guide The intercultural city step by step. You can also save the document if you wish to return to it later.

Food for thought

  • Has the city adopted a process of policy consultation and/or co-design including people of all ethnic or cultural backgrounds?
  • Does the city provide trainings and tools to increase intercultural competency among staff and residents?
  • Does the city seek support and inspiration from a broad range of organisations and people?
  • Does it try to find examples and experiences from other cities and countries?
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10. What forms an important element of the city's intercultural vision?

  • Support from the mayor and local NGOs.
  • Collaboration and recognition of diversity.
  • (1)Political leadership, commitment, and public awareness on the diversity advantage.

The first element of the city’s intercultural vision is political leadership and commitment. The intercultural city cannot emerge without a leadership which embraces the value of diversity and upholds the values and constitutional principles of society as a whole. It takes political courage to confront voters with their fears and prejudice, allow these concerns to be addressed in public, and invest money in initiatives and services promoting intercultural integration. Communication and public debate are essential elements of local diversity strategies. For an intercultural city vision to be endorsed by inhabitants, diversity needs to be publicly recognised as an asset, and unfounded myths and prejudices addressed to foster trust and cohesion. Political leaders committed to intercultural integration and inclusion also need to mobilise large networks of organisations, media and social media stakeholders, and individuals able to relay this discourse in the general public.

11. What is an important element of successful intercultural cities?

  • (1)Involvement of a large number of people and interest groups.
  • Working mainly with vulnerable groups.
  • Having a small, focussed task force in the city which works with the intercultural implementation.

Experience has shown that the most effective intercultural city programmes involve large numbers of people and interest groups. Creating such a broadbased network of support is not easy and there will be periods, as opposition emerges, when it seems that things are not progressing. However, only when there is understanding, support and active engagement from a wide and diverse constituency can you begin to achieve the synergies, new thinking and innovations that make this process effective.

12. Which of the following is important to include in the mapping process?

  • Working with well-known partners and groups.
  • Having sufficient materials to base the mapping on in form of reports and briefs.
  • (1)Practical understanding of the situation by those leading the process.

A very important aspect of mapping is the immersion of those leading the process in the real life and activities of organisations dealing with intercultural issues or working with different audiences. It is simply impossible to understand the intercultural dynamics, stories, narratives, actors and relationships from behind a desk, by reading reports and participating in meetings: intercultural leaders and co-ordinators need to go on site, to markets, town squares, events, organisation and functions, to listen, observe and feel the pulse of the community.

13. Which are some principles which can be used to foster broad participation?

  • Seek representatives of minority groups, a rigid process to channel the results, organising the consultations in one clear location.
  • Assumption everyone wishes to participate, communication in the usual channels, presentation only of the results.
  • (1)Recognising scepticism, intercultural sensitivity, clarity on the purpose.

Consultation and participation of communities in the development, implementation and evaluation of the intercultural city strategy is not only important and a value in itself; it is essential for achievement as it creates sense of ownership. A genuin intercultural city can only be achieved through the active participation of all the major institutions, groups and communities in the city. The strategy for engaging people needs to be diversified to reach out to very different people so that when the government changes it cannot change the policy as there are many people and organisations involved. Businesses should also be advocates of interculturality.

14. What is included in intercultural competence?

  • Only knowledge of different cultures.
  • Only that public officials recognise differences among groups.
  • (1)Knowledge of interculturalism and soft skills related to for example diversity.

The ability to understand each other across all types of barriers is a fundamental prerequisite for making our diverse democratic societies work and a key competence every individual should work on. Intercultural competences refer to the set of knowledge and skills necessary to act in an intercultural way. Trainings and tools in intercultural competence pursue a change of people’s attitudes, encouraging them to question the basic assumptions of their respective cultures. The objective is critical deconstruction of cultural identity as a consequence of contact with other cultures. Being interculturally competent has widely been recognised for decades as essential for peaceful coexistence in a diverse world. Intercultural competences make it possible for us to address the root causes of some of the most virulent problems of today’s societies in the form of misunderstandings across cultural, socio-cultural, ethnic and other lines: discrimination, racism, hate speech and so on.

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