GdańskCampaign "Gdansk connects us"
What is inspiring?
“Gdansk unites us” is a broad communication campaign by the city council of Gdansk. The online portal provides the residents of Gdansk opportunities to come together and participate in different activities, while also shedding light on important facts about migrants in the city. The campaign is an important step in promoting peaceful coexistence and multiculturalism in times of division and a political debate marked by racism and xenophobia.
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How does it operate?
“Gdansk connects us” online portal is part of Gdansk’s integration model from 2016. It uses official communication as a tool to foster cohesion and demystify false narratives around migration. It portrays diversity as an asset, with sections dedicated to figures on migrants, the history of the city’s multiculturalism and an innovative feature contrasting “facts and myths” around migrants and refugees. Another page offers volunteering and mentoring opportunities, as well as information on municipal subventions for inclusive initiatives.
Who initiated the project? How?
The campaign is part of an integration model initiated by the city of Gdansk, namely its former mayor Paweł Adamowicz and a cross-sectoral and interdisciplinary task force on the Immigrant Integration Model of 2016. The campaign addresses a strategic communication need, discussing migration as a source of enrichment for societies in general, and specifically for that of Gdansk.
What is the outcome?
By contrasting facts and myths, the campaign addresses several false narratives about migrants such as “migrants take our jobs” or “migrants represent a cultural threat to the local community”, explaining why it is not true, while offering arguments and data that can clarify people’s concerns. This also promotes migrants’ participation in local communities, in the labour market and in socio-cultural activities or education.