Engagement and Campaigning workshops

Antirumours Networks for Diversity

Have you ever heard expressions like “Immigrants receive more financial aid to open their businesses, and they don’t pay taxes…”; “Immigrants are overcrowding our health services…” or “Immigrants don’t want to integrate or learn our language…”? Such ideas, generally unsupported by facts and data, target specific groups as ‘problematic’ and generate mistrust and social conflict.

C4i-Communication for Integration, co-funded by the Council of Europe and the European Commission (European Integration Fund), targets prejudices, rumours and stereotypes by using viral information techniques to provide evidence-based answers to common misconceptions. Active participation from citizens as “anti-rumor agents” is a key feature of C4i.

The project is based on a partnership network of 11 cities, working together to implement an innovative public policy to promote life –peace, diversity and social cohesion.

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Engagement and Campaigning workshops

headline Amadora, Spain 15-16 May 2014

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The City of Amadora received C4i Consultants Project, Gemma Pinyol and Daniel Torres, to introduce the C4i project and participate in the Engagement & Campaigning workshops, on 15 and 16 May 2014.

The program of the visit included a meeting with Ms. President, Aldermen and C4I Team, workshops to present the project to the Local Social Network (CLAS) and workshops for a first identification of rumors and prevailing stereotypes in Amadora, with the collaboration of local organizations and employees of the Municipality.

In initial work session was the presentation made Project (Plenary Session Nº 57 of the Local Council for Social Action of Amadora). Attended 43 local partner organizations (46 representatives) that were aware of the main objectives of the Project as well as the methodology for the elimination of Barcelona rumors.

There was an opportunity to clarify questions about the project and partners could exchange views on possible campaigns and disseminating agents of the same within the local community (e.g.: Comic Festival, advertising campaigns sugar packets, intervention proximity of the various local partners).

In the workshop of May 15, there was the participation of 11 local authorities (12 representatives) and, on May 16, attended 6 local authorities (20 representatives, mostly employees of the City of Amadora.

The two workshops allowed the identification of rumors about the city of Amadora particular negative aspects (e.g.: violent city with many robberies, crime), positive aspects (e.g.: good accessibility, Comic Festival) and aspects related to the immigrant population (e.g.: crime, violence and dependence on subsidies).

The project aims to:

Use social networks and viral information channels to provide correct information and explanations on migration and diversity and combat unfounded (but widespread) myths and misconceptions.
Devise a methodology and tools that will enable a wide range of cities across Europe to apply the social communication & networking method in the field of diversity and integration. C4i-Antirumours will transfer to 10 partner cities the innovative social communication & networking method experimented successfully in Barcelona.
Assess the impact of the method among the population in project locations in order to verify its effectiveness.

Partner cities (click on the map)

C4i is part of the living together in diversity action strand of the Council of Europe and builds upon the knowledge base developed in the framework of the joint CoE/EU programme Intercultural Cities.