Belgium/ 4.2 Specific policy issues and recent debates  

4.2.7 Intercultural dialogue: actors, strategies, programmes

Flemish Community

Since 2004, the Flemish government has made "living together in diversity" a priority, out of awareness that the Flemish society is unrecognizably and irrevocably characterised by diversity.

In 2006, the former Flemish Minister of Culture, Bert Anciaux, set up a plan in order to stimulate the cultural, youth and sport sector to work on "interculturalisation". This plan of action focused on ethnic-cultural diversity and aimed at promoting intercultural encounters through investments in an ethnic-culturally diversified and intercultural offer, in intercultural employment policies, including intercultural boards of directors and voluntary work, in intercultural advisory bodies and assessment committees, through partnerships and networks, and in cooperation with education & employment (see chapter 4.2.4).

Follow-up policy measures are currently under consideration. In her policy document for culture (2009-2014), the current Minister of Culture proposed an evaluation of the initiatives taken by her predecessor and has indicated she wants to raise awareness of the topic within the cultural field.

Additional Resources:

Government's overall approach to intercultural dialogue

Database of Good Practice on Intercultural Dialogue

Key Resources

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