Interculturalism and inclusion

Reykjavík is an intercultural society

Reykjavík's society is constantly evolving and becoming increasingly diverse, particularly in terms of origin, nationality, religion and worldviews. People move more between countries due to increased globalization, with nearly 25% of Reykjavík residents having foreign origins.

An intercultural society calls for changed emphases in most aspects of the community. The fundamental elements for intercultural societies are: respect for diversity, equality, and meaningful intercultural interactions.

Inclusion

In an intercultural society, diversity is seen as a natural part and emphasis is placed on inclusion. Inclusion involves recognizing and respecting diversity and always taking it into account. Inclusion aims to empower all people for participation and enable a diverse group of people to be involved in decision-making.

Diverse public life

One of the guiding principles of the City of Reykjavík is that the Reykjavík community can utilize diversity in human life and culture, where knowledge, open-mindedness, equality, and mutual respect characterize the interactions of people from different origins. All City institutions need to adapt to an intercultural society and implement the City of Reykjavík's policy on intercultural society in their action plans. They should consider immigrants both as users and providers of services, taking into account the needs of immigrants without treating them as a homogeneous group.