The main objective of this collaboration was to learn from key local stakeholders from difference cultural (ethnic, religious, linguistic) backgrounds representing local authorities, business sector, civil society organizations, media and other institutions committed to the design of innovative policies and initiatives aimed at promoting and raising awareness among the public and private decision-makers about the benefits of diversity, which greatly contributes to the dissemination of the notion of Shared Societies at the local level.
The XEIX project (Barcelona, Spain) aimed at fostering intercultural relations around local businesses was selected as the winner of the Diversity Advantage Challenge. The prize recognizes the innovative element of the projects likewise its capacity to promote cultural, social and economy diversity and co-existence among the communities.
Background:
On 27 November 2014, the Jury of the “Diversity advantage challenge” pre-selected 15 initiatives from the 63 applications received during its first deliberation. In January, during a second round of deliberations, the Jury has brought them down to 5 finalists presented below (in alphabetical order of countries).
The Shared Societies Project has been involved in the “Diversity Advantage Challenge”, an initiative supported by the ICC/Council of Europe in an effort to promote a new approach to managing increasingly diverse societies based on the concept of diversity advantage. It aims at raising awareness among the public about the benefits of diversity and to provide a large number of examples of how organizations, businesses and cities which have realized these benefits by creating innovative products, services, ideas and initiatives.
Video presentations of the five finalists are available here: https://www.coe.int/t/DG4/CULTUREHERITAGE/CULTURE/DIVERSITY/