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VALUES

Haye van der Noordaa

2019-2021 This project is about the collaboration between local governments and volunteer organizations

VALUES promotes coordination and mutual understanding between 16 cities and volunteer organizations by bringing them together in 'communities of practice.' Here, officials and volunteers learn from each other through workshops, tours, staff exchanges, and by attending training sessions to identify and implement best practices in the field of integration

Volunteering Activities to Leverage Urban and European Social Integration of Migrants

  • WHO: Eurocities asbl, Migration Work, Centre Européen du Volontariat, Municipality of Amsterdam, Bristol City Council, Statutární Město Brno, Comune di Cesena, Landeshauptstadt Düsseldorf, Agencia para el Empleo de Madrid, Stadt Nürnberg, Stad Oostende, Rigas Domes Izglitibas Kulturas un Sporta Departaments, Sheffield City Council, Ajuntament de Terrassa, TV100, Commune de Toulouse, Comune di Torino
  • WHERE: Amsterdam (NL), Bristol (UK), Cesena (IT), Düsseldorf (DE), Madrid (ES), Nuremberg (DE), Oslo (FI), Oostende (BE), Riga (LV), Sheffield (UK), Terrassa (ES), Thessaloniki (GR), Toulouse (FR), Turin (IT), Vantaa (FI), Zurich (AT)
  • DURATION: 2 years, starting February 2019
  • AMSTERDAM'S ROLE: Amsterdam is a partner in this project
  • TOTAL BUDGET: 90,000 euros
  • AMOUNT FOR AMSTERDAM: 31,250 euros

VALUES was led by Eurocities with the aim of implementing the 'Eurocities Integrating Cities Charter' established in 2010. This charter defines the responsibilities of European cities to embrace the diversity of their populations and provide equal opportunities to everyone. The Charter has been signed by 42 cities. The VALUES project provides toolkits for exchanging best practices and knowledge in this area among partner cities, with a focus on implementation at the local level.

Within the VALUES project, the Municipality of Amsterdam exchanged knowledge with Oslo, Düsseldorf, and Thessaloniki through workshops, exchanges, and a conference. A shared outcome among these cities is the difficulty in determining what is happening at the neighborhood level in terms of integration and how the municipality can best support this.

This is done by building and developing four communities of practice in the following areas:

A. Community building in cities to promote a welcoming culture
B. Innovative volunteering activities in integration to engage migrants and refugees
C. Collaboration between cities and volunteers in migrant integration at the neighborhood or community level
D. Mobilizing volunteers to engage the young migrant population in society

You can find the Eurocities Integrating Cities Charter below:

Het Integrating Cities Charter van EUROCITIES

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Header image: header VALUES