Voicitys

Voices of diversity - connecting people and policies for more integrated neighbourhoods in European cities

VOICITYS was implemented between January 2018 and June 2019 as a pilot project supported by the Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme of the European Union.

VOICITYS aims were to improve social integration through the strengthening of social dialogue in European neighbourhoods characterized by ethnic and cultural diversity, through improving sustainable communication and integration between different social groups, and through deepening dialogue between policy-makers, stakeholders and citizens as a means of promoting more efficient diversity management.

Our activities focused on four diverse neighbourhoods in four European countries with different histories, political cultures, traditions and experiences with diversity and migration. Our specific objectives
have been:

CHAPTER I.

INTRODUCTION

  • – Mapping diversity in four different urban areas in four different European countries by using a double approach
    based on citizens? voices and stakeholders? voices;
    – Identifying the challenges and opportunities of diversity in the four areas;
    – Formulating policy recommendations for local policy makers and local stakeholders on improving the management of diverse neighbourhoods;
    – Formulating policy recommendations on the European level for integrating diversity management in urban policies;
    – Creation of a concept methodology based on the interaction between bottom up investigation (citizens voice, community reporting) and top down research (semi conducted interviews with stakeholders and policy makers).

The consortium was composed of four partners: the lead partner, Comparative Research Network (CRN) from Germany, Peoples Voice Media (PVM) from the United Kingdom, Mine Vaganti NGO (MVNGO) from Italy, and the Centre for Regional Studies of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (CERSHAS) from Hungary.

The VOICITYS project has been based on a complex methodology that highlights the voices of people, stakeholders and decision makers through a dual research process, and permitting to enhance the dialogue and communication between them through participatory events and discussions.

During the first part of the project, from January 2018 till December 2018, research on local diversity was carried out through two different but parallel approaches:
– The collection of citizens? voices by using the Community Reporting method, led by People Voices Media;

– The collection of stakeholder?s insights and opinion by using semi structured interviews and desk research led by CERSHAS.

The comparison of the results of these two research processes gave the basis for the following step of the project, realised between January and May 2019, which was the formulation of policy recommendations through a participative process realised in each city. The compilation of local recommendations, supported by parallel research and participatory events, permitted us to elaborate some general European-level considerations and recommendations related to diversity management in neighbourhoods.

The following handbook, summarizing the results of our project is also accompanied by a DVD which contains videos presenting our project and summarizing our main research results. These short films can also be downloaded from the VOICITYS website and the VOICITYS You Tube Channel.