Local government
approaches to diversity

• Gwendolyn Rutten – Vice-Minister-President of the Government of Flanders and Minister of Home Affairs, Civic Integration, and Equal Opportunities
• Ylva Johansson - European Commissioner for Home Affairs (video message)
• Jeroen Windey – Administrator-General of Agency of Home Affairs – Government of Flanders

Mayors and local government leaders explore how cities and municipalities can spearhead inclusive change. They share their insights into the vital role cities can play in shaping diversity policies and discuss why they must be central to policy planning for inclusivity. This panel highlights strategies and initiatives that showcase the central role of local leadership for the future of diversity policy.

• André Sobczak – Secretary General of Eurocities
• Francisco Javier Ayala Ortega – Mayor of Fuenlabrada (ES)
• Erik Pelling – Mayor of Uppsala (SE)
• Jens-Kristian Lütken – Mayor of Employment and Integration of Copenhagen (DK)
• Jukka Mäkelä – Mayor of Espoo (FI)
• Thanassis Chimonas – Deputy Mayor of Integration of Migrants and Refugees of Athens (GR)
• Simona Bieliūnė – Deputy Mayor of Vilnius (LT)
• Faouzi Achbar – Deputy Mayor of Social & Digital Inclusion and Sports of Rotterdam (NL)
• Anita Vella – Head of Unit of “Legal Pathways and Integration” in DG HOME – European Commission

Experts, Mayors and local government leaders join this panel to discuss how to address polarisation in diverse societies. They share collaborative approaches and interventions actionable by cities and municipalities to bridge divides and foster unity, and present insights into the opportunities and complexities of social cohesion strategies in polarisation.

• Roger Berkowitz – Founder and Academic Director of the Hannah Arendt Center at Bard College, New York
• Richard Arnold – Mayor of Schwäbisch Gmünd (DE)
• Angel Dzhorgov – Mayor of Samokov (BG) and Lyuba Klenova – Deputy Mayor of Samokov (BG)
• Amani Loubani – Deputy Mayor of Malmö (SE)
• Menno Ettema – Head of the Hate Speech, Hate Crime and Artificial Intelligence Unit within the Inclusion and Anti-Discrimination Programmes Division - Directorate of Equal Rights and Dignity – Council of Europe
• Paola Alvarez – International Organization for Migration (TBC)

Panel 1: Building diverse and inclusive cities: the role of architecture

Mayors and local government leaders delve into the pivotal role of architecture and the built environment in fortifying inclusion and diversity policies within cities and municipalities. They join the panel discussion to explore innovative strategies to create inclusive spaces through urban planning and architectural design, to foster a sense of belonging for all residents.

• Jacob Bundsgaard – Mayor of Aarhus (DK)
• Anne McTaggart – Councillor and City Convener for Communities and Equalities of Glasgow (UK)
• Silke Beirens – Deputy Mayor of Oostende (BE) (TBC)

Panel 2: The future of local diversity and inclusion governance

Mayors and local government leaders delve into the evolving landscape of diversity and inclusion within cities and municipalities. Emphasizing the crucial role of the local level, this panel not only explores current strategies and initiatives but also envisions the trajectory of local leadership in shaping the future of diversity policy.

• Bart Somers – Mayor of Mechelen (BE)
• Andriy Sadovyi – Mayor of Lviv (UA)
• Rutger Groot Wassink – Deputy Mayor of Social Affairs, Reception, Democratisation, and Integration of Amsterdam (NL) (TBC)
• Ayse Ozbabacan – Deputy Director of Integration Department of Stuttgart (DE)

• Gwendolyn Rutten – Vice-Minister-President of the Government of Flanders and Minister of Home Affairs, Civic Integration, and Equal Opportunities
• Bart Somers – Mayor of Mechelen

More than 20 years ago, Flanders created the instrument “Urban Renewal”. Every urban renewal project contributes to a more liveable, sustainable and inclusive city. The investment in bricks is therefore also and above all an investment in people. Urban regeneration thus as a physical improvement, but also as a social lever. This expo gives an idea of how urban renewal can be a lever for 'Living together in diversity' and is free to access throughout the day in the Central Hall.

We will share experiences and lessons learned from European, regional and a combination of European and regional initiatives of city-to-city mentoring. Questions we will address: How can cities take on this mentoring role? What support is needed? Which actors can play a (supporting) role? How can we secure and unlock the knowledge and experience? What are the preconditions? How to deal with the great diversity of cities and municipalities in terms of capacity and resources? From the various experiences of city to city mentoring, we formulate some recommendations for the EU and the central governments. This session is coordinated by the VVSG (the Association of Flemish cities and municipalities), along with the city of Mechelen (mentor perspective) and Oostende (mentee perspective). We will provide sufficient space for questions and exchange with the participants.

In our superdiverse society, we must be mindful of the variety of perspectives. Our communication will only achieve its goal if we pay attention to the people we want to reach. Do we know who we want to address? Are we aware of our own stereotypes and assumptions about others? Is our communication necessary only to provide information, or are we aiming to build a sustainable connection between our citizens?

In this session, we aim to identify key elements of inclusive communication by analyzing some cases. In smaller groups, we will exchange our thoughts and experiences, which can be linked to the cases. By pinpointing the crucial elements or areas needing more attention in our communication skills, we can more easily find solutions. We will conclude this exercise by sharing our thoughts and linking them to our own toolbox, OpenBlik. OpenBlik is a platform where you can find various exercises and tools that can be used to develop inclusive communication strategies. Hosted by the Agency for Integration and Civic Integration, with speakers from Diest (BE) and Stuttgart (DE).

In less than 2 hours this workshop will give you insights and practical tools to be an active bystander. You will be able to respond effectively as a bystander to racism or discrimination. Paul Storme will conduct the workshop. Paul is an experienced bystander trainer at Amal, the integration agency in Ghent. The active bystander workshop is rolled out in the city of Ghent since 2021 as part of the city’s Action Plan on Antiracism and Antidiscrimination (2020-2025) led by Astrid Debruycker, councillor for Equal Opportunities, Welfare, Participation, Community Work, and Public Green.

Addressing unacceptable behavior and clearly defining boundaries will increase the pressure on individuals displaying unacceptable behavior to reconsider their actions. However, for bystanders, this is often not so straightforward. Bystanders may feel fear or reluctance to intervene effectively. Through this workshop, we provide them with tools to strengthen their ability to intervene. Since October 2022 this action was boosted and rolled out more broadly in Flanders as part of the ‘Plan Living Together’ from the Flemish government. The city of Ghent is a mentor for other local governments.

National and regional governments can set up structures to support local authorities’ approaches. This session presents the “Plan Living Together”, the Flemish approach to support cities and municipalities financially and with capacity building in developing and implementing social cohesion projects and policies.

Hosted by the Agency for Home Affairs, with speakers from the Agency for Integration and Civic Integration, and from the cities of Lier and Turnhout.

In this session we delve into the dynamic realm of non-formal second language learning experiences for adults beyond the traditional classroom settings. Join us to explore success stories and innovative approaches, and highlight the pivotal role local authorities can play in supporting a varied learning landscape. This session is brought to you by the Agency for Integration and Civic Integration, along with the cities of Halle (BE), Hasselt (BE) and Torres Vedras (PT).

Explore the potential of mentoring as a valuable tool to serve cities and its communities to embrace diversity and tap into its richness. This interactive session, featuring case studies from Belgium and France, will highlight successful collaborations between cities and mentoring programs. From local practices, we will observe how this grassroots methodology is currently converging and developing at the European level. Session hosted by DUO for a JOB and the city of Mechelen.

Why does it go so slow? Why do we feel we do so much, but little seems to change? In this session the Knowledge Center Flemish Cities presents the findings of its “Fellow Citizen” Project (2017-2023) after studying more than a dozen city organisations and the way diversity manifests itself in those organisations.

One key conclusion is that leadership style, organisational culture, and the incorporation of diversity on a strategic level, are crucial for the effectiveness of diversity interventions. Therefore, we encourage managers, leaders and mayors to participate in this ninety-minute field trip through plans, intentions (many!), roadblocks, experiments, myths and realities.

Discover the power of social integration for newcomers through various activities like volunteering, sports, and local buddy networking. Explore how local councils lead the way, encouraging community involvement and involving local partners, to break down barriers. Join us in this session to gain inspiration for fostering a more connected and inclusive community in your own locality. Extra attention will be granted to the power of regional cooperation and the role of the EU as a catalyst in this regard. Session hosted by the Agency for Integration and Civic Integration, along with the Department of Work and Social Economy of the Government of Flanders.

From the pandemic and the climate crisis to increasing polarisation and disinformation, our current times are characterised by increasingly complex social issues that prove challenging for any single entity to solve on its own. Local governments often try to manage these complex issues with isolated initiatives. However, as long as they are not part of a collective approach, the impact of these initiatives remains limited.

During this session, the Hannah Arendt Institute will introduce you to the Collective Impact Model. This model aims to tackle complex social challenges by fostering broad cross-sector cooperation. How to agree upon a common agenda? How to coordinate various activities through a mutually reinforcing plan of action? How to build a centralized infrastructure dedicated to coordinating all shared efforts? Christophe Busch, expert in complexity theory, will introduce you to the central principles of the model.

Please note that this session will be hosted in “De Zalm” which is a 1 minute-walk from the Conference Centre, and which is only accessible by stairs.

How can we all live together while respecting our diversities? Being part of a diverse society is a huge asset, but it also comes with its own challenges. Mechelen has numerous initiatives and projects that work towards creating a welcoming, liveable city. Mechelen’s aim is to be an inspiring role model for other cities and towns, by demonstrating a positive attitude to topics such as diversity and inclusion.

This guided audio city tour will take you to inspirational places in the historic city centre where you can listen to stories on these themes told by the people of Mechelen and the city’s key policymakers. This city tour is offered by bike.

Join us in exploring the potential of sports in preventing radicalisation and promoting positive social change. Younis Kamil Abdulsalam, sports scientist with more than 15 years of experience in sports-oriented youth work and doctoral researcher at the University of Brussels, has developed a programme theory for a football-based radicalisation prevention programme. The central mechanism of this programme theory is Dr. Daniel Koehler's theory of re-pluralisation. During this session both Younis Kamil Abdulsalam and Dr. Daniel Köhler will introduce you to the theoretical underpinnings of the programme.

Please note that this session will be hosted in “De Zalm” which is a 1 minute-walk from the Conference Centre, and which is only accessible by stairs.

Do you want to put theory into practice? Join our practical football session at 15:15!

How can we all live together while respecting our diversities? Being part of a diverse society is a huge asset, but it also comes with its own challenges. Mechelen has numerous initiatives and projects that work towards creating a welcoming, liveable city. Mechelen’s aim is to be an inspiring role model for other cities and towns, by demonstrating a positive attitude to topics such as diversity and inclusion.

This guided audio city tour will take you to inspirational places in the historic city centre where you can listen to stories on these themes told by the people of Mechelen and the city’s key policymakers. This city tour is offered by bike.

In Flanders, thousands of people learn Dutch as a second language in adult education. But you don't just learn a language in the classroom. It is important to practice it outside the classroom as well. This way, you get to grips with Dutch faster and get to know different accents and dialects. Informal practice opportunities are the ideal answer to this. During all kinds of activities, non-native speakers get the chance to practice Dutch. Hearing, speaking, getting feedback ... it all comes into play.

Hop on a boat on the Dijle in Mechelen. Meet organisers of a practice opportunity Dutch and get to know a practice opportunity. What are the success factors? What formats can you use? Get inspired! Hosted by the Agency for Integration and Civic Integration.

Following our theoretical session on sport and prevention of radicalisation (10:15-12:00), this workshop aims to put theory into practice, allowing mayors and local government representatives from across Europe, alongside young people from Mechelen, to experience firsthand how to positively influence social cohesion and prevent radicalisation. The 90-minute session includes 60 minutes of sports activities and 30 minutes of reflection, providing an interactive and engaging experience for participants. Don't forget to bring your sports kit!

Do you want to get a theoretical introduction? Be sure to join our theoretical session at 10:15!