The “Mein Deutschland” (My Germany) campaign, launched by Deutschlandstiftung Integration in 2019, used the 70th anniversary of the German constitution as an opportunity to build inclusion and support for migrants by emphasizing shared values.
It incorporated a strong storytelling component through its use of personal narratives communicated through images, articles and videos of individuals with an immigration background that can be shared across multiple media platforms.
Welcoming International is an expansion of the non-profit NGO Welcoming America. It aims to foster cultures and policy environments which create welcoming communities for newcomers of all backgrounds to fully participate in the social, civic and economic life of their place of residence. Welcoming International takes a local approach, working with institutions across a community to reduce barriers immigrants face to fully participating, rather than focusing on a single program or service.
The city of Mannheim in Germany is developing a ‘living together in diversity’ alliance across over 300 local actors including schools, cultural centres, sports centres, etc. with a view to jointly deciding, with all including migrants, how society would like to ‘live together’.
In Lyon, the Agence Lyon Tranquilité et Médiation (ALTM), an agency of mediation promoted by the municipality, helped to decrease social tension in Gabriel Péri square, which plays a central role for migrant populations in the city. This initiative deploys uniformed mediators to promote long-term social cohesion in a specific and ‘problematic’ area of the city. This state-led intervention exemplifies how social cohesion can be strengthened through a collective, holistic approach that aims at building bridges rather than promoting exclusionary security measures.
The International Labour Organization (ILO) is provides a series of media training programmes, and has developed a toolkit and glossary for journalists to ensure that journalists are able to (a) share accurate and unbiased information with potential migrants, and (b) contribute to a balanced public narrative on migration.
In addition, each year the ILO hosts a Global Media Competition on Labour Migration to promote and reward quality reporting on relevant themes such as fair recruitment and the future of labour migration.
The Crisis Communication Plan in the field of irregular migration was devised with the participation of a wide range of governmental actors and institutions at local and central levels.
Good communication can be a powerful tool in support of migrant integration. The “Communicating on Migrant Integration” website of the OECD Network of Communication Officers on Migration (NETCOM) makes available articles and good practice examples on the topic.
Governments at the local level, while often lacking a voice in setting immigration policy, are responsible for many concrete aspects of migration, from the organization and use of public spaces to the development of affordable housing, and plans to meet the social, cultural, religious, and other needs of diverse communities. An example of this is the “DiverseCity” campaign in New York, which presents immigration as part of the city’s identity and richness.
Norway has recently launched its new integration strategy 2019-2022 "Integration through knowledge", which places great emphasis on investment in education, qualification and skills.
The aim of the strategy is to increase immigrants’ participation in working life and in society in general, focusing primarily on helping immigrants to access work. The strategy also involves strengthening the effort to prevent segregation and exclusion, instead promoting participation and togetherness.
The Bella Milano initiative in the city of Milan, Italy, has supported migrant volunteers to clean the city and give back to the community, helping to establish a positive rapport in their neighbourhoods. Milan has also organized the ‘Milano Mondo’ media campaign including annual neighborhood festivals.