City of Vienna - Integration and Diversity (MA 17)

Support for new residents and fostering of a respectful coexistence of all people in Vienna

Intitiators
City of Vienna

Occasion
The Magistrate 17 was founded in 2004 to implement a project, initiated in 2003, which aimed at the advancement of integration and diversity politics. This project, “Menschenrechtsstadt Wien” (“Vienna - City of Human Rights“), had been set into motion by Sandra Frauenberger, then member of the city council, and has been implemented by the MA 17 staff.

Target Groups
The MA 17´s programs and activities are generally directed at all residents of Vienna but focus on newcomers, refugees and those entitled to asylum as well as people working or actively engaged in the field of integration and diversity.

Objectives
Key objectives include the support of new residents and the promotion of a respectful communal life of all people living in Vienna, without regard to ethnic, religious and cultural backgrounds. These include, among other, proposals for means and measures which facilitate integration for incomers and immigrants; promotion of measures of language acquisition; promotion of associations and initiatives with integration-related projects; information events, support for volunteers active in refugee assistance and integration work. Programs in 2022 will focus on supporting the self-organization of immigrants.

Topics
Focus is on education, legal issues, discrimination control, advancement of women. Concepts for the advancement of Vienna´s integration and diversity politics are being developed and implemented. Development and fostering of networks and cooperations on national and international levels, in particular with immigrants´ organizations, present another focal point. Topics also include promotion of measures relevant to integration, projects, initiatives and their evaluation. The MA 17 supports associations, cooperations and other organizations active in the fields of fresh starts and integration in Vienna.

Duration
since 2004

Activities
Since its foundation in 2004, a multitude of activities covering a broad spectrum of topics relating to migration, integration and diversity politics has been initiated and supported by the MA 17. Apart from counseling, qualification and advanced training programs, the MA 17 promotes and organizes intercultural and interreligious dialogues. More than 60 projects have been developed and realized in the years 2004 to 2020. Current projects include “Interreligious Forums” (since 2004), “Wien.Forum – Culture of Democracy and Human Rights” (since 2017) and “Vienna against Extremisms” (since 2019). Networking and dialogue projects with different cultural groups supplement the program (the project calendar offers further information on current events).

Projects and focal points – overview:

  • Professional qualification programs
  • Seminars and lectures in presence and online
  • Consulting services in relation to integration
  • Webinars for new residents
  • Online „Sprachcafé“ (a platform for language training)
  • Multilingual lectures by experts from different fields (medicine, education, law and other), broadcast live or on the Facebook site StartWien
  • Promotion and sponsoring of intercultural projects such as the “Multireligiösen Bezirksforen Wien"
  • „Interface Wien: Project DRIO* - Dynamik-Respekt-Individualität-Offenheit” – special workshops for schools

Form of Organization
Government agency

Funding
City of Vienna  

Products

  • „Wiener Melange“ – Toolbox for Integration: Projects realized between 2004 and 2020 (publication „Wiener Melange: Projekte der Abteilung Integration und Diversität“)
  • Intercultural calendar
  • Newsletter „Integration und Diversität“
  • Integration and diversity monitor

Website | Social Media | Contact
https://www.wien.gv.at/kontakte/ma17/

Magistratsabteilung 17 - Integration und Diversität
Friedrich-Schmidt-Platz 3
A-1080 Wien

T: +43 1 4000 81 510
F: +43 1 4000 99 81520
E-mail: post@ma17.wien.gv.at

 

editor: bs 2022