Avenue de l'Europe
F-67075 Strasbourg Cedex
Tel. +33 (0)3 88 41 20 00
www.coe.int

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.

Template for collection of Good practices >>

”Engage in Copenhagen” – a three year inclusion programme

Denmark Copenhagen 2011-14

Purpose: ”Engage in Copenhagen” was a three year inclusion programme, designed to function as a catalyst for the Municipality of Copenhagen’s new inclusion policy and vision for the city, from...

Read More

Immigration City Erlangen

Germany Erlangen 2013 onwards

Purpose: Revising the relationship between migrants and receiving societies Stimulus/Rationale: There is a popular fallacy that dominates Europe's immigration discourse: understanding immigration...

Read More

Setúbal - Office for Immigrants and Ethnic Minorities

Portugal Setúbal 2004 - ongoing

Purpose: A transversal approach to managing intercultural issues on a municipality Stimulus/Rationale: The City Council, for more than a decade, has been working on the integration of immigrants,...

Read More

The Big Lunch

United Kingdom London-Lewisham 2009 onwards

Purpose: A big lunch to promote community, friendship and fun Stimulus/Rationale: The Big Lunch is an idea which has grown in popularity across the UK, but the London Borough of Lewisham is...

Read More

Amadora Empreende

Portugal Amadora 2016

Entrepreneurship programme to encourage minorities business The Programme “Amadora Empreende” seeks to identify, in association with the youth and people in situations of social vulnerability,...

Read More

DNA Cascais: a creative approach to promote entrepreneurship

Portugal Cascais ongoing

Purpose: DNA is a business incubator to: Develop innovative potential of young people Promote entrepreneurship Support the creation of new companies, organisation of seminars and conferences DNA...

Read More

Local Social Assessment (Diagnóstico social)

Portugal Cascais Social network - ongoing / Assessment - 2017

Purpose: To monitor citizens’ well-being, promote a participative and cohesive municipality and establish Networks that promote social development, fight poverty and social exclusion....

Read More

The Counsellor for Gender Equality

Portugal Cascais Since 2017 - Ongoing

Purpose: The “Conselheira para a Igualdade” (Counsellor for Equality) is a person of reference appointed by the Cascais City Council to defend Gender Equality. Stimulus/Rationale: Gender Equality...

Read More

Anti-Rumour Web App

Spain Bilbao Since 2014

Purpose: A game to raise awareness of rumours and stereotypes that negatively affect coexistence in Bilbao. Rationale: Awareness-raising and the fight against discrimination is a priority line of...

Read More

The Danish Centre for Arts & Interculture (DCAI)

Denmark Copenhagen 2011-

Purpose: The aim of the Danish Centre for Arts & Interculture (DCAI) is to create a national platform that reflects the diversity of Danish society in the cultural sector, by building intercultural...

Read More

A Smile of a Child

Ukraine Melitopol 2016

Purpose: Therapeutic hospitality for refugees Process: Melitopol has taken in very many Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) as a consequence of the troubles in Crimea and Eastern Ukraine. “A Smile...

Read More

Intercultural public space

Spain Barcelona since 2021

Purpose: The purpose of these actions is to encourage the creation of spaces and opportunities for positive interaction and the generation of ties and relationships on equal terms....

Read More

Intercultural Ambassadors

Australia Ballarat 2016 on

The Intercultural Ambassador Program aims to enhance community awareness and social acceptance in Ballarat, foster leadership within multicultural and Indigenous communities, and highlight the...

Read More

Database of refugees

Germany Erlangen 2017

Purpose: A database to protect private data and speed up the stream of information between different departments. Stimulus/Rationale: For a long time, data about refugees in Erlangen were...

Read More

Reggio Emilia – Burkina Faso: the true spirit of co-development

Italy Reggio Emilia 2016

Purpose: In Reggio Emilia, the migrant inclusion is enhanced through projects for development cooperation with countries of origin. Creating thousands of workplaces for the agricultural development...

Read More

Towards an Inclusive Public Transport Service

Ireland Dublin 2016

Dublin fights racism and discrimination in public transport Dublin City Council in partnership with Immigrant Council of Ireland, the Equality Authority of Ireland and partners in public transport...

Read More

XEIX

Spain Barcelona Since 2012

Purpose: The XEIX project aims at promoting commercial associations as a meeting point and generation of neighbourhood identity. The project is about fostering intercultural relations in...

Read More

The Copenhagen Host Programme

Denmark Copenhagen 2016-19

Purpose: The aim of Copenhagen’s Host Programme is to facilitate encounters between newly arrived migrants and Copenhageners who wish to volunteer as hosts to promote integration into Danish...

Read More

Barka

Netherlands Utrecht 2016

Purpose: Barka creates opportunities to return home for people facing homelessness or difficult social and economic situation, and they run a Social Economy Centre, supporting migrants on their way...

Read More

Measuring cultural empathy

Ukraine Melitopol 2016

A sociological study on cultural competences in Ukraine, leading to policy development Melitopol is a city of the Azov region where, for more than 225 years, there has been a harmonious coexistence...

Read More

Action Plan for Inclusion and Diversity

Norway Bergen 2018-2022 (still in use)

Purpose: The city council of Bergen wanted to formally adopt a public statement of its intentions as an Intercultural city. Stimulus/Rationale: The primary driver for this initiative was political...

Read More

BizFeira - Bilateral overseas business development

Portugal Santa Maria da Feira ongoing

Purpose: An online platform - BizFeira - that enhances entrepreneurship and internationalisation through establishing links between local business owners of all backgrounds with the Portuguese...

Read More

Campus Rütli

Germany Berlin-Neukölln 2016 onwards

Purpose: A segregated and failing school is transformed into a centre of educational excellence   Stimulus/Rationale: The Rütli school had become notorious all over Germany in 2006, when the...

Read More

EMPO Multicultural Resource Center

Norway Bergen ongoing

Purpose: The EMPO Multicultural Resource Center acts as a resource centre for migrants through providing information and counselling that enable participants to develop their own resources to...

Read More

Barcelona Centre for Linguistic Normalisation

Spain Barcelona CNL was founded in 1988

Purpose: The Consortium for Linguistic Normalisation (CPNL) is a public body created from the common will of the Regional Government and numerous local, county and provincial councils with the aim...

Read More

Adaptation of Internally Displaced

Ukraine Lutsk 2016 onwards

Purpose: Promote adaptation and participation in the city life of newcomers (IDPs) Process: As a part of its Intercultural Strategy, the city authorities pay particular attention to facilitating...

Read More

Portimão Migrant Integration Plan

Portugal Portimão 2015 - 2017

Purpose: Enhance the integration of migrants through a set of articulated actions implemented by a consortium of relevant local partners. Stimulus/Rationale: One of the strengths of the plan is the...

Read More

241FE- 241 Female Entrepreneurship

Greece Patras Start: 1.9.2020 / End: 30.6.2023

Purpose: Women are the primary victims of the intertwined causes of conflicts, underdevelopment and migration. To address these issues, in a sustainable and humanitarian way, migrants should be...

Read More

Close to Culture: Art, music and theatre prevent social exclusion and promote the democratisation of culture

Spain Barcelona Since 2006

Purpose: Apropa Cultura (Close to Culture) is a network of cultural facilities, such as theatres, concert halls, festivals and museums, whose main purpose is to encourage inclusiveness promoting...

Read More

Schilleria Girl´s Café - PolitTalk (Schilleria Mädchentreff)

Germany Berlin-Neukölln 2017 onwards

Purpose: Promotion of the political participation of young women Stimulus/Rationale: Process: The Schilleria Girl´s Café is addressed at girls and young women, most of whom have a migrant...

Read More

Women, Health and Violence

Spain Bilbao Since 2008

Purpose: This programme seeks to empower women from all origins and socio-cultural backgrounds in Bilbao through the promotion of health and the prevention of gender-based violence. It aims to...

Read More

Improving participation in local elections 2018

Iceland Reykjavik Spring 2018

Purpose: to improve immigrants' knowledge about their voting rights and by this improve immigrants participation in elections; to produce accessible information about the elections in clear and...

Read More

Festival delle Culture

Italy Ravenna 2007-on going

Purpose: The project aims at fostering social participation and engagement and making the migrants’ association protagonists and responsible of the communication about the topic issues....

Read More

Mondinsieme’ Assembly

Italy Reggio Emilia 2011-ongoing

Purpose: Citizen engagement and citizen participation are key elements for the Municipality of Reggio Emilia. Calling itself “La Città delle Persone” (the City of the People), the administration of...

Read More

Actions of the City of Reykjavik to improve participation in local elections

Iceland Reykjavik 2017 & 20218

Purpose: The City of Reykjavik has initiated various practices to increase migrants´ participation in local political elections. One practice organised by the Icelandic Women’s Rights Association...

Read More

Neuchâtel Action Week against Racism

Switzerland Neuchâtel Each year in March

Raising awareness of diversity, equal opportunities and non-discrimination Every March for the last 20 years, the Service de la cohésion multiculturelle (COSM) (Multicultural Cohesion Service) and...

Read More

Culture is the basis of community sustainable development

Ukraine Lutsk 2018

Purpose: Policy for promoting inclusive participation through culture, to encourage a tolerant society and to develop moral principles of common life in an intercultural environment through...

Read More

Geneva: the City tackles hurtful words

Switzerland Geneva 2018

At a time when social networks and digital communication are having a major impact on our everyday interaction, raising awareness of discriminatory remarks and speech is a real challenge for public...

Read More

(Re)Writing our neighbourhood

Portugal Braga Implemented for 3 years, from March 2017 to February 2020

Integrated Approaches for Active participation in social and civic life. Purpose: (Re)Writing our neighbourhood was a 3 year project implemented in three neighbourhoods in the city of Braga,...

Read More

Measure to promote the participation of people with diverse cultural and native backgrounds in Barcelona participation areas

Spain Barcelona Since 2016

Purpose: The main purpose of this Government Measure is to make active “citizenship” real, enabling participation for all inhabitants of the city. This action emphasises and draws attention on...

Read More

Bilbao Immigration Council

Spain Bilbao Since 2011

Purpose: The Immigration Council of the Bilbao City Council was created with the vocation of supporting immigrants in their capacity to organise, dialogue, and make proposals for the formulation of...

Read More

Intercultural Hub

Ukraine Vinnitsya

Purpose: Methodology and Tools for the Creation Intercultural Space to enhance intersectoral and inclusive participation in diverse communities Process: Vinnytsia (370,000 people) is the regional...

Read More

Weeks of culture

Ukraine Melitopol 2018

Purpose: Fostering intercultural exchange and sharing traditions Process: The Council of National Communities of Melitopol usually holds a one or two-day Reporting Event annually as part of the...

Read More

Local Council for Religious and Life Stance Communities

Norway Oslo 2018 (permanent)

Purpose: The aim of the practice is to reflect the religious diversity in Oslo through The Local Council for Religion and Life Stance communities. This body is responsible for: The promotion of the...

Read More

Europe Island Festival

Ukraine Vinnitsya 2018

Process: An international festival "Europe Island" with 10 open-air locations in Vinnytsia, dedicated to "chamber" literature, languages of national minorities and local writings brought together...

Read More

Building human rights and equality competency

Iceland Reykjavik 2018-2021

Purpose: to implement the City of Reykjavik Human Rights Policy; to enhance quality customer service with its emphasis on meeting the needs of a diversity of customers and with the creativity and...

Read More

Centre of Interculturality (“Núcleo da Interculturalidade”)

Portugal Lisbon 1993-ongoing

Purpose: Promoting intercultural integration in the city. Stimulus/Rationale: "Welcoming all communities with open arms does not make us feel less Portuguese, quite the contrary, because it reminds...

Read More

Study in Lisbon programme

Portugal Lisbon 2018 - ongoing

Purpose: The website “Study in Lisbon” is directed specifically at foreign students, encouraging them to pursue their studies in Lisbon (“10 reasons to study in Lisbon”) as well as providing...

Read More

Conseil pour l’immigration de Berlin-Neukölln (« Migrationsbeirat »)

Germany Berlin-Neukölln à partir 2016

But : Un conseil spécial consacré aux migrants vivant à Neukölln. Structure: Processus : Berlin-Neukölln a créé une instance spécialement dédiée aux migrants qui vivent à Neukölln au sein de son...

Read More

"Identity Map: the Language of Dissent"

Ukraine Lutsk 2018

Purpose: An artistic performance to minimise racial, gender or sexual discrimination and to promote tolerance and inclusiveness in the city community Process: Discrimination on the grounds of...

Read More

Topic
0 International outlook
Year