District is a member of nationwide integration forum

The aim of the Robert Bosch Foundation's nationwide Integration in Rural Areas Forum is to pool and pass on the views of rural regions on the topic of migration and integration. The district of Waldeck-Frankenberg is also part of the network of municipal stakeholders.

In this forum, representatives from district administrations discuss challenges, concepts and strategies for municipal integration work in a protected environment - and develop solutions together. The participants in the forum are united by their commitment to the successful coexistence of all people living in rural areas. The kick-off event recently took place in Berlin, in which the district of Waldeck-Frankenberg also took part. Prior to this, there was an intensive development period in which the district was also involved.

Pooling voices, positioning rural districts
"With this forum, rural areas are creating a counterpart to the so-called quality circle, in which mainly urban areas are represented and address the topic from their perspective," says District Administrator Jürgen van der Horst. It is important that rural areas are listened to and included in the topic of migration and integration. "The forum allows us to pool our voices and position ourselves clearly in the interests of our rural districts," says Karl-Friedrich Frese, First District Councillor. "The fact that the district of Waldeck-Frankenberg is a founding member also shows that we are well networked across district boundaries and are in demand for our expertise." The Migration and Integration Centre plays a central role in this. Maintaining it and expanding its content is important for local structures.

Developing new paths together
In this context, both heads of department would also like to thank the Robert Bosch Stiftung and the University of Hildesheim, who have supported the process over the last few years as part of the "Land.Zuhause.Zukunft." programme and will continue to do so after the forum has been established. The aim is not only to provide a common voice, but also to familiarise themselves with solutions and approaches from other districts and to develop new approaches together. Furthermore, experiences are to be pooled and passed on so that rural areas can benefit from them across the board. In future, the Integration in Rural Areas Forum will also cooperate with the German County Association as an expert group for integration-related issues.

Keywords:

Integration Integration Conference Migration and Integration Centre Land.Zuhause.Zukunft.