Topic of the event: "Intercultural citizen participation – speak up, get involved, feel at home!” Forum fir d'Zesummeliewen an eise Gemengen in Niederanven

Some 150 participants attended the event, including politicians, municipal representatives and staff, and members of municipal advisory committees on intercultural living together. Together, they represented some 50 municipalities and associations working to promote intercultural living together.

The session was opened by Monique Hermes, Mayor of Grevenmacher, followed by a welcome from SYVICOL President Emile Eicher and Max Hahn, Minister for Family Affairs, Solidarity, Living Together and Reception of Refugees.

In his introductory speech, Kévin Haddad, Projects Director Europe at Missions Publiques and an expert on citizen participation, emphasised that citizen participation plays a fundamental role in building an inclusive society, particularly at the local level. By stimulating citizen participation, municipalities enable their residents to become actively involved in the decisions that affect them. This fosters a sense of belonging and responsibility, contributing to more harmonious intercultural living together.

Afterwards, the participants in Grevenmacher had the opportunity to take part in an "Open Space” with activities and information stands, organised according to three levels of citizen participation at municipal level: public participation, social and societal participation, and electoral participation. Here, they were able to discover concrete good practice in citizen participation and reflect together on how to involve as many people as possible, with a view to removing all kinds of barriers: linguistic, financial or social.

The event closed with a convivial aperitif sponsored by the City of Grevenmacher.

ASTI, SYVICOL, CEFIS, the City of Grevenmacher 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

The Forum fir d'Zesummeliewen an eise Gemengen offers local authorities a platform for gathering, exchanging ideas, creating synergies, providing information, training and support around the themes of intercultural living together at local level. The next session of the national forum is scheduled for the end of 2025, preceded by four regional forums to be held in October 2025.

The documentation for this edition of the Forum fir d'Zesummeliewen will be available shortly atwww.gemengen.zesummeliewen.lu/forum-fir-dzesummeliewen/

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