The Role of Cities in Integration

Cities are at the front line of integration challenge. Active involvement of local governments in integration enables progress, innovation and development. The experience made by local governments and mayors in managing cultural diversity should feed in to effective policy making at national level.

This is why IBIS puts a special focus on urban centers, regions and territories with significant cultural diversity, as strategic spaces in which people of different cultures can learn, exchange ideas, develop and learn to live together. Cosmopolitan cities offer a unique opportunity to build experiences drawn from cooperation across cultural, religious and other socially constructed divides. These experiences can be mobilized as resources in dealing with intercultural relations at international levels (across countries and continents).

• Useful links on Cities and Local Governments
  
  And also Cities of Migration, UCLG, Intercultural Cities, Intnl Metropolis Project, The Hague Process on Refugees and Migration and many others.

 

• UNAOC event: The Inter-Ethnic City: Management and Policies for a Better Integration of Migrants” held at UNHQ on September 28th, 2009Jointly organized by the Permanent Missions of Italy and Canada, Alliance of Civilizations and International Organization for Migration, the Roundtable examined good practices and processes for better integration at the level of cities as experienced by local administrators, policymakers, civil society organizations and academics. This event showcased practical policies and facilitated networking of representatives of municipalities and other relevant institutions while providing visibility to the issue.
  More here
• Read here about a few examples of Cities dealing with integration:
  • Mexico City
  • Cairo
  • Rio de Janeiro
  • Singapore