The partnership is made up of 13 project partners from 8 EU countries (Estonia, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Spain and Sweden), divided in the following categories:
- PATRIR (Romania), the project coordinator.
- 7 EU Cities (Cartagena, Cluj, Dietzenbach, Linkoping, Lublin, Ravenna, Riga) duly committed to achieve effective integration of third-country nationals.
- 5 technical partners (Asociacion Ciudades Interculturales, Consorzio Comunita Brianza, Creative Ideas, Pro Arbeit, TREE) supporting cities in the assessment phase which leads to the Intercultural Review Reports, the participatory phase leading to the definition of the strategy and the very implementation of the Strategy.
Partners
The Peace Action, Training and Research Institute of Romania (PATRIR) has nearly two decades of experience working internationally in peacebuilding; early warning systems; strategic conflict and risk analysis; mediation and peace processes; and addressing radicalization and violent extremism. PATRIR is also a member of the Working Group on Prevention of the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC) and the Global Alliance on Armed Violence Reduction and Prevention (GAAV) platforms. At present PATRIR has a strong Migration and Refugee Integration and Support team under the European Peace Department, focusing on the integration of refugees and Third Country National Migrants in Romania and the wider Eastern Europe.
CONSORZIO COMUNITÀ BRIANZA (CCB) is a social enterprise composed of 33 partners: 25 cooperatives, 1 consortium and 7 associations operating in the province of Monza and Brianza (Lombardy Region). Since 2004 the Consorzio Comunità Brianza has the objective of expressing, together with its member of 34 social enterprises, a political, social and economic entity aiming at promoting a project WITH and FOR the local community: every day we strive to design and deliver innovative and supportive responses to the Welfare needs of the community. Welcome area is one the core area of CCB expertise. Since 2011, CCB manages projects offering facilities and integration services to migrants and asylum seekers in the Provinces of Monza and Milan. Central to the project is the development of a wide network of municipalities, associations and volunteers who work together for the inclusion of the people welcomed within the community and who can contribute to the development of a welcoming culture for the inclusion of TCNs.
The Agencia de Desarrollo Local y Empleo, an agency of the Cartagena City Council, is one of the key actors in the local business and social areas, as a driver of the economy and in its role as a service hub for job seekers and for the business sector in both Cartagena and its county. ADLE is at the heart of the local economic development, as it is very active in terms of management of employment and training programmes, promotion of the social economy, employment mediation, recovery of untapped resources, and entrepreneurship projects management. In addition, ADLE is also responsible for the performance and/or the public bidding of public services. As an autonomous public agency, ADLE has the power to take part, in a comprehensive manner, in all employment, entrepreneuship and local development programmes and projects, which makes it a key agent with the capacity to lead and coordinate the City Council’s services and strategies in close cooperation with the rest of the local social and business agents. ADLE contributes to the the growth of all areas of business in the territory and has a key strategic value for the economic and social development of Cartagena. At the same time, ADLE cooperates with all other City Council Departments in their respective areas. In particular, and concerning the management of diversity, ADLE closely cooperates with the Immigration and Development Cooperation Area of the Social Services Department of the City Council.
City Hall of Cluj-Napoca is a local institution governed by principles of administrative and financial autonomy, decentralization of public services, legality and eligibility of local public administration authorities, consultation with citizens in solving community problems. Cluj-Napoca, the “heart of Transilvania” is the second most important city in Romania, being multiethnic and multi-confessional city, an academic city and a dynamic business environment. The young and highly skilled labor force constitutes a strong argument for ranking Cluj-Napoca on top of Europe’s city with the best potential for development. In 2015 Cluj-Napoca was the European Capital of Youth and later, in 2018, became the European City of Sport.
Dietzenbach is the county administrative seat and located in the heart of the district of Offenbach (Hesse, Germany), not far from the financial centre of Frankfurt am Main. About 35,000 people from 115 different nations live in Dietzenbach. With 20% of the population under 18 years of age, Dietzenbach is also a very young town. Dietzenbach works since 2012 with a politically authorized concept for integration. The development based on a public participation of hundreds of citizens who discussed the needs of integration in different panels which includes the following topics: living together; education; work and economy; politics & participation; sport & health. The resulting working groups on these topics regularly take place in the town hall. In addition, a team of integration pilots, who take care of the concerns and needs of citizens with a migration background, is out and about in the city.
Linköping is a safe, welcoming and life-friendly place. Here, young and old, newly arrived immigrants, entrepreneurs and over 32,000 students meet. In Linköping, people, leisure and creativity have room to develop. In the city center there are beautiful squares, with cafes and restaurants and a large selection of shops. Linköping is a sustainable city, both socially and ecologically. That is why we are investing in green travel plans with biking paths and extended public transport. Together with various stakeholders, we build a resource-efficient region and invest in being a smart city, where digitalization and innovations create better conditions for the citizens. And also, we provide good service from the public sector with schools and care. Linköping is growing and changing every day with more citizens, companies and urban development.
Lublin’s location on the cultural and economic edge of the East and the West has influenced its character. We remember about significant heritage ensuing from multiculturalism of the city and we nurture its traditions in many ways. For many generations there have been numerous representatives of national, ethnic or religious minorities in Lublin and nowadays our city has becoming a buoyant academic center attracting more and more foreign students. With its dynamic academic community, Lublin hosts young and active people within its 60,000-strong student fraternity, including over 7,000 foreign students. At the same time people decide to set up their businesses or work in Lublin, contributing to development of local labor market. This unique mixture is what makes Lublin special and we are proud to say that Lublin is a city for all.
Ravenna is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna in the Emilia Romagna region, located in the North-East of Italy overlooking the Adriatic Sea. Rich in history, monuments and works of art, Ravenna is the capital of ancients mosaics. It has been recognized as a world heritage by UNESCO. It was a capital of the Western Roman Empire, of the Ostrogoths Kingdom, then of the Byzantine Exarchate. The territory ruled by the Municipality of Ravenna is divided into 10 districts. There are more than 90 town/villages and other small living settlements: 160.000 inhabitants live on the municipal land. About 12% of the population come from EU and extra EU countries. Ravenna has an attractive and welcoming historic centre, with countless shops and shop windows of traders and craftsmen who exhibit a wide range of merchandise. Its pines and its natural areas – rich in inestimable flora and fauna – form an integral part of the Po Delta Regional Park.
Education, Culture and Sports Department of Riga City Council is responsible for planning and implementation of the policy of Riga municipality in the following areas: education, culture, youth, sports and society integration. The Department has for more than 300 municipal entities under its supervision: 146 kindergartens; 109 schools; 8 hobby centers; 9 art and music schools and 10 sport schools, as well as 3 culture centers; Riga Municipality’s culture institution’s 10 branches; Riga Central Library’s 24 branches, professional orchestra “Riga”, Riga National Sports Hall, and the Education and Information Services of Riga City, thus being able to ensure diverse services for the inhabitants of Riga and its guests.
The Association of Intercultural Cities manages the Spanish Network of Intercultural Cities (RECI), a coalition of 20 Spanish cities dedicated to the impetus of policies of diversity management that are based on interculturality. These cities share methodologies, instruments, and good practices and participate in projects together that are directed to promote the culture of diversity. RECI born in 2011 and is incorporated in the Intercultural Cities programme (ICC) created in 2008 by the Council of Europe. The Association also coordinates the development of Antirumour Strategies, following an innovative methodology whose aim is to prevent discrimination, improve coexistence and take advantage of the potential of diversity by promoting a change in the population’s perceptions, attitudes and behaviour. At the same time, ACI advises public and private organisations in the elaboration, implementation and evaluation of strategic projects, work plans or government measures and carries out tailor-made projects such as diagnoses, strategy designs and training materials.
Creative Ideas is a non-governmental organization from Latvia, established on 2011 in Balvi town, North East of Latvia. We specialize in culture, education, society integration and rural development. We provide informal education, training and mentoring, organise art exhibitions, competitions and creative workshops for various target groups. We work in Balvi and in the capital city Riga. Until now we have involved at least 800 unique persons in our project activities, introduced Latvians to other countries and cultures and helped to integrate more than 500 migrants. Half of our projects have been implemented in international partnerships. We work to help people discovering and reaching their full potential.
Pro Arbeit is a public institution acting as a job center in the County of Offenbach (Hessia, Germany) since 2005. Our legal mandate is to support people in social emergencies. Our main tasks are the provision of benefits to support the livelihood of beneficiaries and their integration into the labor market, so that they can make a living from their own resources. The European Project Management (EPM) is a young innovative team of Pro Arbeit and responsible for the implementation of transnational projects enabling the organisation to participate on a European level. The core task is to design and develop transnational projects for labour market integration and social innovation.
TREE is an agency that believes in the power of engagement as a tool for designing, producing, and promoting social innovation initiatives. We help dreamers to keep dreaming once they open their eyes and we are always hungry for new ideas and forward-thinking projects. TREE believes in the power of engagement as a tool for inspiring and promoting social change. Through their work, TREE engages with people and communities who want to change the world and make it a better place by empowering vulnerable groups as the only way to improve human being’s existence. The agency is based in Estonia and has offices in Brussels and Milan.