City of A

arhusM

ayors Departm

ent

The integration policy and citizen involvement

Valencia 30 March 2011

City of Aarhus

City of A

arhusM

ayors Departm

ent

The integration policy and citizen involvement

Valencia 30 March 2011

Background: • Long tradition of involving the citizens – but

increased during the 10 years • Integration policy in 1996 • Law of integration – 1999 – integration council. 

City of A

arhusM

ayors Departm

ent

The integration policy and citizen involvement

Valencia 30 March 2011

Integration Council 

• Since 2000 – election every 4 years. • Direct election by all adults with a non Danish background. • The function of the Integration Council is to advice the

municipality of Aarhus in the integration efforts.  • The Integration Council has to be heard in efforts regarding

integration, before discussion in City Council. • The Council has 16 members, 12 elected by ethnic minorities

living in the city of Aarhus and 3 of them are pointed out by organizations, 1 represent from the business sector.

 

City of A

arhusM

ayors Departm

ent

The integration policy and citizen involvement

The integration policy  Foundation:

• Citizenship• Common responsibility• Involvement of citizens• Differentiating of services• Mainstreaming  

Valencia 30 March 2011

City of A

arhusM

ayors Departm

ent

The integration policy and citizen involvement

Areas:

• Citizenship and antidiscrimination• Education• Employment• Settlement 

Valencia 30 March 2011

City of A

arhusM

ayors Departm

ent

The integration policy and citizen involvement

Process towards a new integration policy • Think-tank • Seminar of ideas with different actors – users,

practicians and partners in the integration field • International inspiration • Citizen involvement 

Valencia 30 March 2011

City of A

arhusM

ayors Departm

ent

The integration policy and citizen involvement

Think-tank • Members: Researchers and among others

members of the integration council • Purpose: To give a helicopter perspective on

the integration area in the future 

Valencia 30 March 2011

City of A

arhusM

ayors Departm

ent

The integration policy and citizen involvement

Seminar of ideas: • 33 participants – invited users, practicians and

partners in the integration field in the city hall for 12 hours in a weekend 

• Prepared by interviews of a wide range of users, meetings etc. 

• To develop lots of ideas to be published in an inspiration catalogue 

• Called user-driven-policy-development

Valencia 30 March 2011

City of A

arhusM

ayors Departm

ent

The integration policy and citizen involvement

International inspiration • Study tour to UK – London. • The municipal directors and high level civil

servants and the chairman of the integration council

• The integration council• Common understanding – common

experiences.

Valencia 30 March 2011

City of A

arhusM

ayors Departm

ent

The integration policy and citizen involvement

Citizen involvement Dialogue meetings with different groups:• Citizens in deprived areas with a high degree of ethnic

minorities • Dialogue with citizens in rather prosperous neighbourhood

with a low degree of ethnic minorities• Dialogue in the schools• etc. 

Valencia 30 March 2011

City of A

arhusM

ayors Departm

ent

The integration policy and citizen involvement

The Integration Council: • Very active in the process • Think tank, study tour, but also

workshops, dialogue meetings. • In the end of the process: Seminar between the

city council and the integration council.Common agreement of the central elements in the integration policy.

 

Valencia 30 March 2011

City of A

arhusM

ayors Departm

ent

The integration policy and citizen involvement

Whats the point ? • Pseudo democracy or real influence ? • Common platform, common responsibility The present – the future.• Implementation of the integration policy• New process ahead – evaluating the integration

policy. 

Valencia 30 March 2011