On August 6, the Fourth Session of the Commission for Intercultural Inclusion and Human Mobility of the Borough of Iztapalapa (Mexico City), took place.
The session, held also in commemoration of the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, featured Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Rigoberta Menchú as keynote speaker.
Highlighting the importance of mutual understanding, Rigoberta Menchú stated: "If peace means war, then we are in trouble. But if we understand peace as mutual respect, we can live in harmony. That is a way of life".
The session also served to highlight Iztapalapa's active engagement within the Council of Europe Intercultural Cities programme (ICC) a worldwide network of local authorities finding strength in diversity to build inclusive and resilient communities. The Commission celebrated the ongoing ICC sponsored project “Shared Ground Project”, celebrating diversity in the urban space, being implemented in association with the cities of Camden and Besançon, featuring special video messages projected from their international colleagues.
A major milestone of the event was the public launch of Iztapalapa’s Anti-Rumour Strategy, a methodology developed within the ICC network, unanimously approved by the Commission. Emphasizing the borough's commitment to combating discrimination, the Mayor of Iztapalapa, Aleida Alavez, noted: "Plurality defines us in Mexico. We weave everything together as a community".
The event also brought together organizations that provide support and services to migrants, including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the Mexican Commission for Refugee Assistance (COMAR), and migrant shelters. Representatives from Plural TV, the Channel of the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (SCJN), as well as Mexico City authorities, including the Secretariat for Indigenous Peoples and Neighbourhoods and Resident Indigenous Communities (SEPI), the Mexico City Human Rights Commission, and the Mexico City Secretariat of Tourism, were also in attendance. Federal government authorities from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), the National Institute of Indigenous Languages (INALI), and the Unit for Living Cultures, Intangible Heritage and Interculturality (UCUVI) also participated, along with representatives from academic institutions and the Council of the Borough.
