The Network of European Towns Fostering Intercultural Dialogue was launched on 22-24 January 2020 in Rijeka – this year’s #EuropeanCapitalofCulture, hosted a group of international partners who are meeting to launch together with a Network called: European Towns Fostering Intercultural Dialogue and Combating Discrimination of Migrants and Minorities.

All the project partners came from 14 countries – 11 EU members: Latvia, Poland, Croatia, Greece, Lithuania, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Romania, UK and Bulgaria and 3 neighbouring countries – Serbia, Macedonia, and Albania. Five of them are future and present European Capitals of Culture: Rijeka (2020), Kaunas (2022), Timisoara (2021), Novi Sad (2021) and Plovdiv (2019). The project seeks to raise awareness on the richness of the EU cultural environment and promote key European values such as pluralism and tolerance, facilitated by intercultural exchange, this way contributing to the development of a respectful, dynamic and multifaceted European identity. Key project priority is fostering intercultural dialogue between diverse communities and political actors in Europe, preventing discrimination and combating the stigmatization of migrants and minority groups. All in all, over 3000 participants will take part in the design and implementation of 5 international events in Croatia, Bulgaria, Latvia, Poland, and Lithuania, as well as in 5 online civic debates that will take place until December 2021.

The Network promotes active civic participation on a transnational scale, support local and European policymakers’ and citizens efforts in jointly address challenges of intercultural dialogue and stigmatisation of minorities and migrants.

The first international project Event in Rijeka touched upon subjects as Celebrating Cultural Diversity, the European initiatives White Paper on Intercultural Dialogue, migration and humanitarian crisis, as well as experience sharing from different Capitals of Culture that the Network is rich with.
#interculturaldialogue #interculturaldialoguenetwork #europeforcitizens

European Towns Fostering Intercultural Dialogue and Combating Discrimination of Migrants and Minorities