In June 2019, the Intercultural Cities (ICC) programme launched a series of didactic and awareness videos addressing local governments wishing to evolve as intercultural municipalities. The videos give insights on how to adapt cities’ institutions and services to the needs of a diverse population by implementing intercultural integration strategies that guarantee equal opportunities for everyone, without ever compromising the existing principles of respect to human rights, democracy and the rule of law. Some of the topics covered by the videos are how to apply an intercultural approach to refugees integration in order to tap into their talents to the benefit of their new societies; What can local policies do to ensure their dignity is respected? How an intercultural integration approach can help making diversity an advantage for all? Why is migrant entrepreneurship so relevant for local development? This video, released on World Refugee Day, will introduce policy makers, practitioners and local authorities’ technical staff to the main principles of the intercultural approach to refugee inclusion. A shorter version for general awareness purpose is also available.

The ICC also published a report of its most recent meeting, in Helsinki (Finland) of the “Inclusive Integration Policy Lab”, a gathering of national governments and local authorities that are working to ensure policy consistency and complementarity between different level of governments, having as a base Council of Europe standards and Intercultural Cities good practices. The meeting was devoted to advance the preparation of a shared policy framework for a model inclusive integration strategy to assist member States in their policy-making efforts, including through establishing stronger links with the local level. The draft “model” draws upon relevant Council of Europe standards, as well as on the positive results of intercultural integration policies at the local level. Since November 2017, the so called “Inclusive Integration Policy Lab” has already held 3 meetings. Its membership constantly growing, so has the level of interest in the initiative. The last meeting was held in Helsinki, Finland, on 28 and 29 May 2019, at the invitation of the Advisory Board for Ethnic Relations at the Ministry of Justice.