Forum fir d'Zesummeliewen an eise Gemengen au Cercle Cité

Topic of the event: "From Welcome to Belonging: Municipalities as drivers of intercultural living together" 

The 15th edition of the Forum fir d'Zesummeliewen an eise Gemengen (formerly GRESIL) took place on Wednesday, 4 February 2026 at the Cercle Cité in Luxembourg City. The theme of the event was "From Welcome to Belonging: Municipalities as drivers of intercultural living together".

Approximately 170 participants attended the Forum, including politicians, municipal staff and representatives, and members of municipal advisory committees on intercultural living together. Together, they represented around 75 municipalities and associations working to promote intercultural living together.

This edition of the Forum was opened by Max Hahn, Minister for Family Affairs, Solidarity, Living Together and Reception of Refugees, followed by welcome addresses from Lydie Polfer, Mayor of the City of Luxembourg, Corinne Cahen, Alderwoman and President of the advisory committee on intercultural living together of the City of Luxembourg and Emile Eicher, President of SYVICOL.

In her opening speech, Jasmine Carty, a Fulbright-John Lewis researcher at the University of Luxembourg, discussed the challenges of welcoming newcomers into municipalities. She emphasised the importance of responding to their diverse needs, based on their profiles, to foster a sense of belonging and responsibility and to contribute to more harmonious intercultural living together.

During the roundtable discussion, which was moderated by Lena Hartz from ASTI, participants discussed various best practices and projects that municipalities have implemented to welcome newcomers. During this enriching exchange, Lucien Meyers, Mayor of Wincrange, Andreja Wirtz, Head of Gender Equality, Diversity and Intercultural Cohesion in Esch-sur-Alzette, Nico Pundel, Mayor of Strassen, Gilles Thilgen, coordinator of the Gemengepakt in Wiltz, Emanuele Prestifilippo, manager et Design Thinking facilitator at Art Square Lab, and Jasmine Carty, Fulbright-John Lewis researcher at the University of Luxembourg, shared their experiences and best practices.

The event ended with a convivial gathering and a reception hosted by the City of Luxembourg.

The co-organisers of this event – ASTI, SYVICOL, CEFIS, and the Ministry of Family Affairs, Solidarity, Living Together, and Reception of Refugees – would like to thank everyone for

their active participation in this edition of the Forum fir d'Zesummeliewen an eise Gemengen.

The Forum fir d'Zesummeliewen an eise Gemengen

The Forum fir d'Zesummeliewen an eise Gemengen offers local authorities a platform for gathering, exchanging ideas, creating synergies, providing information, training and support around the themes of intercultural living together at the local level. The next session of the national Forum is scheduled for early 2027. It will be preceded by four regional forums, which will take place in October and November 2026.

The documentation for this edition of the Forum fir d'Zesummeliewen will be available shortly at Forum fir d'Zesummeliewen - Exchange and support for intercultural living- together

Press release by the Ministry of Family Affairs, Solidarity, Living Together and Reception of Refugees, the Association de soutien au travailleurs immigrés (ASTI), the Centre d'étude et de formation interculturelles et sociales (CEFIS) and the Syndicat des villes et communes luxembourgeoises (SYVICOL)