Forum fir d'Zesummeliewen an eise Gemengen in Dudelange

On Wednesday 22 May 2024, the 12th edition of the Forum fir d'Zesummeliewen an eise Gemengen (Forum for living together in our municipalities, formerly Group for Exchange and Support on Integration at Local Level – GRESIL) was held at the Hall polyvalent in Dudelange.

Politicians, municipal representatives and staff and members of municipal advisory committees on intercultural living-together met to discuss the topic "Municipalities against racism! Promoting respect and tolerance at local level".

About 170 people took part, representing around 60 municipalities and 25 associations working to promote intercultural living together. The event was also attended by intercultural living together advisors and representatives from various ministries.

The meeting was opened by Max Hahn, Minister of Family Affairs, Solidarity, Living Together and Reception of Refugees. Dan Biancalana, Mayor of the City of Dudelange, and Emile Eicher, President of Syvicol, welcomed the participants of the Forum fir d'Zesummeliewen. Caty Diop and Madeleine Yougye from the ASBL One People facilitated the meeting.

After the welcome, Sandrine Gashonga from the ASBL Lëtz Rise Up spoke about Luxembourg's colonial history as a tool in the fight against racism, while Camille Perret and Manuella Tiako Penda from the NGO Programmes d'aide et de développement destinés aux enfants du monde (PADEM) led an interactive quiz on stereotypes and the process of discrimination. Sabrina Castello and Myriam Abaied from the ASBL Ally Book Club then explained the concepts of cognitive bias and ethno-racial microaggressions, while giving a few good practices for identifying and combating them. Finally, Jessica Lopes from the Centre d'étude et de formation interculturelles et sociales (CEFIS) presented the results of the CEFIS and LISER study on racism and ethno-racial discrimination in Luxembourg.

During the second part of the Forum fir d'Zesummeliewen, participants had the opportunity to attend a round table discussion on anti-racist and anti-discriminatory actions implemented within municipalities. Sammy Wagner, Mayor of the municipality of Steinfort, Andreja Wirtz, Service égalité des chances of the City of Esch-sur-Alzette, and Cédric Czaika, Service ensemble quartiers Dudelange of the ASBL Inter-Actions for the City of Dudelange, presented examples of concrete action.

ASTI, Syvicol, CEFIS, the City of Dudelange and the Ministry of Family Affairs, Solidarity, Living Together and Reception of Refugees, co-organisers of this event, would like to thank all those present for their active participation in this platform for exchange and encounter.

The Forum fir d'Zesummeliewen an eise Gemengen was set up in 2018 as GRESIL in response to the strong interest and need of Luxembourg's municipalities to network on issues relating to intercultural living together, providing municipalities with a platform for gathering, exchanging ideas, creating synergies, providing information, training and support on issues relating to intercultural living together at local level. The next meeting is scheduled for autumn 2024.

The documentation of this edition will be available shortly at www.gemengen.zesummeliewen.lu.

Press release by the Ministry of Family Affairs, Solidarity, Living Together and Reception of Refugees / City of Dudelange / Association de soutien aux travailleurs immigrés (ASTI) / Syndicat des villes et communes luxembourgeoises (Syvicol) / Centre d'étude et de formation interculturelles et sociales (CEFIS)