PowerPointpresentatie

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Community Cohesion at local level adressing the
needs of Muslim Communities. Genk the local
authority and volunteers teamwork and results.
Some good practices.
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1. About Genk

• Economic activities
• Former mining city (charcoal mines, last one
  closed early 90s)
• Nowadays industry, logistics, Genk shopping
  city
• 2008 /- 64.000 inhabitants (1908 /- 2.000
  inh.)
• of whom nearly half of non-Belgian origin!
• 90 nationalities
• Most important ethnic backgrounds Italian,
  Turkish, Eastern European, Moroccan

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About Genk

• From a small village of 2.000 people to a
  growing, diverse city of regional importance in
  just 1 century
• Since 1920s labor migration in consecutive
  waves
• related to mining activities
• Fastest growing communities Turkish and Moroccan
  
• Main social issues related to diversity in the
  areas of
• Education
• Employment
• Segregation / social cohesion

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2. Adressing the needs of Muslim Communities
the Genk policy

• ! Policy making in Genk
• Ethic-cultural diversity of the population as
  starting point (not to be questioned)
• Inclusion as the key policy principle
• If and whenever possible, needs / problems that
  are diversity-related or even specific for ethnic
  groups, are dealt with within the overall policy.
  
• E.g. diversity-related problems in the area of
  education are dealt with by the education dept.
• E.g. specific needs of parents of ethnic
  background in the area of parenting / education
  are dealt with by the Education Shop.
• However, it is acknowledged that some issues
  require very specific know how and sensitivity,
  and are dealt with in a categorial way
• E.g. islamic Eid-ul Adha is dealt with by
  Integration dept.

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Adressing the needs of Muslim Communities the
Genk policy

• gtThe main long term aim of Genks diversity
  policy inclusion
• AND Genk policy makers acknowledge the crucial
  importance of networking!!
• gt Policy realization in cooperation with local
  self organisations is no exception!
• E.g. education / parenting realization of
  campaign concerned parents strong children in
  cooperation with Turkish community
• E.g. Education Shop outreaching campaigns to
  Moroccan parents are done in cooperation with
  organisations / key figures from within the
  communities

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3. Some elaborated examples

• Socio-cultural / social cohesion policy to the
  next level
• Until 2007
• Lots of efforts to enhance social cohesion
  through neighbourhood development, cultural and
  social projects
• but migrants socio-cultural organisations
  belong to Integration dept, Belgian
  socio-cultural organisations belong to Culture
  dept.
• Change of policy in 2007
• ALL Genk socio-cultural organisations are
  supported by Culture dept!

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Some elaborated examples

• Kind of a small revolution
• For the departments (feelings of unfamiliarity
  loss)
• For the organisations
• The sudden consciousness for at least some of
  them that the others are there too
• encountering each other is a more frequent
  event
• gt Two parallell networks are, slowly but
  surely, forged into one
• Challenge to keep them all in / to make them
  feel at home / creating a sense of belonging

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Some elaborated examples

• Cooperation with Muslim Communities in dealing
  with specific needs and issues
• As mentioned Islamic Eid-ul Adha
• Coordination of temporary slaughterhouse by
  Integration dept.
• Big issue for the communities (non-)compatibility
  of European / Belgian legislation and religious
  prescriptions / cultural traditions
• Integration dept. organises information campaigns
  in cooperation with Turkish and Moroccan mosque
  organisations
• To inform communities about legilations and
  possibilities offered
• To sensitise the communities to comply with
  regulations (very little public support)
• To give them the opportunity to be heard by the
  authorities

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Some elaborated examples

• A long standing issue the quest for an islamic
  burial ground
• A delicate issue, and, here too
• Problems of only partial compatibility between EU
  / Belgian regulation and islamic religious
  prescriptions
• Legislation is seen as strict and
  anti-muslim
• Challenge to local authority
• Complying with regulations (ALSO with respect to
  non-discrimination in burial grounds!)
• And still trying to reconcile regulation and
  religion
• How? Working group is installed
• Comprised by politicians, officers and key
  community members
• Its mission to work out an advise to the
  authority how to install an islamic burial
  ground in Genk without violating the law

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Questions?

• Contact
• Genk Integration Service
• Vanessa Broux (Integration Officer)
• (0032) 89 65 42 42
• Vanessa.broux_at_genk.be