Intercultural work in the municipality
Project owner: Statutární město Brno/Statutory City of Brno
Responsible person: Mgr. Lenka Šafránková Pavlíčková
2021
2,000 Euro Prize
CS
Public administration
Diversity
Local Development
More than 36,000 migrants live in the city of Brno. Migrants, city authorities, and residents interact with each other more than ever, yet cultural and language differences make communication difficult. There is also a lack of support for migrants and public institutions — such as city services, medical centres, schools, social services — which can lead to conflicts.
The city of Brno employs intercultural workers who speak and work in different languages. Services such as interpreting, translation, and counselling are needed by migrants and public institutions adapting to the city’s changing urban environment.
Intercultural work in the municipality (“Interkulturní práce v samosprávě”) works with migrants and public institutions in Brno. Migrants hold active roles as agents of innovation. Migrants familiar with life in Brno are trained and work as intercultural workers in municipal public institutions.
The programme provides practical guidance to help public institutions cope with the growing number of migrants in Brno. The intercultural teams can quickly identify and resolve problems in time and find solutions. This leads to mutual understanding and reduces conflicts based on stereotypes.
This programme has great potential to be applied in other cities because it targets the essence and practices of how integration takes place in everyday life. The programme maps everyone’s needs – migrants, city residents, and municipal public institutions – to respond to the needs of migrants and the city with understanding.
The city of Brno shows that it cares about the diversity of its residents. The city offers accessible services for people from different cultures and communities. The programme raises cultural awareness within its city administration and its residents. Intercultural work in the municipality creates new professional perspectives and provides outreach to migrant communities by offering services in different languages. The city of Brno is establishing itself as a pioneer in social innovation. With a vast intercultural worldview, Brno is a role model for other cities, regions, and countries.