Signing of the "Gemengepakt vum interkulturellen Zesummeliewen” by the municipality of Lorentzweiler

At the official ceremony, Marguy Kirsch-Hirtt, Mayor of Lorentzweiler, emphasised that municipalities are the first point of contact for citizens, and that it is therefore important to offer every one of them a high-quality welcome. The municipality of Lorentzweiler is already promoting several initiatives to encourage residents to get to know each other, notably in collaboration with the municipal committee on intercultural living together (CCVEI). However, as Marguy Kirsch-Hirtt pointed out in her speech, this commitment can be further strengthened by the signature of the "Gemengepakt”.

The president of SYVICOL, Emile Eicher, also emphasised that promoting a harmonious living together is one of the key competencies of municipalities. "We are living in tumultuous times, during which it is all the more important that we foster a climate of mutual understanding, dialogue and respect. The "Gemengepakt” provides municipalities with a ready-to-use tool for promoting intercultural living together, and we, as SYVICOL, are here to support you in this process”.

In his speech, Minister Max Hahn thanked the political leaders of the municipality of Lorentzweiler for their commitment to living together and for their recognition of diversity as an asset for Luxembourg society. "With the signing of the "Gemengepakt”, concrete actions can be developed to ensure that residents feel more "at home” and are actively involved in the social, cultural and political life of the municipality. My ministry will be working closely with you in this process and offer municipalities the opportunity to exchange ideas and learn from each other”.

By signing the "Gemengepakt vum interkulturellen Zesummeliewen”, the municipality of Lorentzweiler is expressing its commitment to a multi-year process based on three pillars, namely access to information, the participation of all people living or working in their area, and the fight against racism and all forms of discrimination.

In this process, the municipality is assisted by the advisors on intercultural living together working for the Ministry, in close collaboration with the partner organisations CEFIS and ASTI.

The "Gemengepakt" (municipal pact for intercultural living together)

The law of 23 August 2023 on intercultural living together created the "Gemengepakt" (municipal pact for intercultural living together), which helps to implement intercultural living together at local level.

Since the law on intercultural living together came into force on 1 January 2024, 35 municipalities have signed the "Gemengepakt".

By signing the "Gemengepakt", a municipality or group of municipalities, SYVICOL and the Ministry of Family Affairs, Solidarity, Living Together and Reception of Refugees commit to close collaboration, with a view to a multi-annual and participatory process that emphasises access to information, the participation of all people living or working in the municipality and the fight against racism and all forms of discrimination.

The "Gemengepakt" is divided into thematic cycles, which take place in five stages:

• Political commitment
• Assessment of the current situation
• Citizen workshops to develop concrete actions
• Implementation of concrete actions
• Evaluation of the work carried out

The "Gemengepakt" is based on the pilot project "Pakt vum Zesummeliewen" (2021- 2023), in which 32 municipalities took part.

The implementation of the "Gemengepakt" is closely supported by the Ministry, its

official partners ASTI and CEFIS, and five advisers on intercultural living together. The latter provide their expertise and share good practices between the participating

municipalities. Other partners, in particular local players, are called upon to get involved and participate in the development and implementation of intercultural living together in their municipality.

Under the "Gemengepakt" initiative, various forms of assistance are available to municipalities:

• an annual grant of up to €30,000 per municipality to cover the costs of a municipal pact coordinator,
• an annual grant of €3,000, €5,000 or €8,000 to cover the costs of implementing the municipal pact (depending on the number of local councillors) and
• an annual grant of €5 for each resident of the municipality and each cross-border worker whose place of work is in the municipality and who is a signatory of the citizens' pact at 31 December of the current year.

For more information, visithttps://gemengen.zesummeliewen.luor send an e-mail to gemengen.zesummeliewen@fm.etat.lu

Press release by the Ministry of Family Affairs, Solidarity, Living Together and Reception of Refugees and the Syndicat des villes et communes luxembourgeoises (SYVICOL