Viennese Mélange - A Toolbox for Integration and Diversity: Projects from 2004 to 2024

The publication "Viennese Mélange - A Toolbox for Integration and Diversity" offers an overview of the projects and services of the Department for Integration and Diversity (MA 17) from 2004 to 2024.

The collection contains ongoing and completed projects and is intended to serve as a toolbox for activities and measures in the field of integration and diversity. It aims to provide national and international stakeholders access to the Department for Integration and Diversity experience and stimulate new ideas and developments.

Projects from 2004 to 2024

In 2004, the Department for Integration and Diversity started its work, building on the experience of the Vienna Integration Fund, which existed from 1992 to 2004.

The promotion of a culture of democracy and dialogue, project funding and further training courses for the City of Vienna's employees were among the Department's first areas of activity and have remained important aspects of the city's integration work to this day.

The years 2005 to 2007 were marked by the development of integration and diversity monitoring, the networking of associations with municipal district organisations and the establishment of various regional and district forums initiated together with other municipal district institutions.

In 2008, the StartWien programme was launched to support the arrival and orientation of new residents in Vienna and to help them learn German.

From 2009 to 2012, the Department for Integration and Diversity mainly initiated new projects to promote respectful and good relationships as well as capacity building and empowerment of migrants and migrant associations.

In 2012 several projects with a broad impact were launched such as the "Citizens' Dialogue", the "Vienna Charter of Living Together" and the "Vienna.Diversity.Knowledge" lecture series. From 2013, the focus was on projects relating to multilingualism and further education for residents.

In 2013 and 2014, the Integration and Diversity Department, accompanied by a high-level steering group, coordinated the process which led to the adoption of the "Vienna - City of Human Rights" Declaration by Vienna City Council at the end of 2014.

From 2015 to 2019, the Integration and Diversity Department increasingly initiated projects, which focused on post-arrival and orientation services for new residents of Vienna and refugees, on supporting them in learning German and on measures revolving around culture of democracy, human rights and the prevention of any kind of extremism.

Since 2015, the Department for Integration and Diversity has been a member of the Vienna Network for Democratic Culture and Prevention (WNED) and supports the City of Vienna in implementing measures to protect youth and young adults from extremism.

Department for Integration and Diversity is also active in international networks such as the European Coalition of Cities against Racism (ECCAR) and the Eurocities network.

From 2020 to 2021, the digitalisation of services was at the centre of the Department's activities. Due to the restrictions caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the Integration and Diversity Department extended and further developed its online formats.

Between 2022 and 2024, new demographic developments, such as the arrival of family members from Syria and the arrival of displaced persons from Ukraine, required the redesign and expansion of the StartWien support programme. At the same time, new formats for dialogue between the City of Vienna and the various communities were developed and implemented. From 2004 to 2024, a total of more than 70 projects have been developed and implemented.

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