Joining Forces to Live Together Keys to the Intercultural Community Intervention Project Living together 1 and social cohesion ”LA CAIXA” FOUNDATION. THE SPIRIT OF ”LA CAIXA” Joining Forces to Live Together Keys to the Intercultural Community Intervention Project Living together 1 and social cohesion Published by: ”la Caixa” Foundation Scientific Management of the Intercultural Community Intervention Project Scientific Director: Carlos Giménez Romero, Autonomous University of Madrid General adviser: Marco Marchioni Education adviser: Miquel Àngel Essomba Health adviser: María Milagros Ramasco Technical team (2010-2013): José Manuel Álamo Fabiana Basso Lilian Leiva Francisca Lema Iván Alvarado Javier Rodríguez Joining Forces to Live Together Collection Authors of this volume: Carlos Giménez José Manuel Álamo Fernando Pérez del Olmo Technical coordination: José A. Rubio Graphic design: Cèl·lula, Acció Creativa Proofreading: Solució de Continuïtat Translation: Solució de Continuïtat Printing: Quadern Graf, S.L. Thanks Anaquerando Gypsy Assocation Madrid City Council Associació per la Cooperació, la Inserció Social Barcelona City Council i la Interculturalitat (Association for Zaragoza City Council Casal dels Infants Granada City Council Cepaim Foundation working with Migrants Elche City Council Comisión Española de Ayuda al Refugiado Jerez de la Frontera City Council (Spanish Refugee Aid Commission), CEAR Leganés City Council Cooperación y Desarrollo en el Norte de África Getafe City Council (Cooperation and Development in the North of Africa), CODENAF Logroño City Council El Patio Canary Foundation and Tiemar Women’s’ Association El Ejido City Council El Torrent Sociocultural Association Paterna City Council Elche Acoge Foundation Tortosa City Council Federico Ozanam Foundation Salt City Council Fundación Secretariado Gitano (Gypsy Secretariat Foundation) Daimiel City Council Immigrant Shelter, CEAIN San Bartolomé City Council La Rueca Association Madrid Autonomous University Foundation, FUAM Rioja Acoge Foundation Surt, Fundació de Dones Tot Raval Foundation DL: B 18608-2015 .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. Living together and social cohesion 5 Joining forces to live together Increasingly, the whole world and its individual countries (including Spain) are facing the for- midable challenge of managing diversity in terms of culture, ethnic groups, origins, languages and religions. This is a challenge that not only affects each country in itself but also regions and towns, additionally implicating their institutions and organisations and each of their citizens. One of ”la Caixa” Foundation’s commitments since it was set up over a hundred years ago was to take a good look at new social realities and develop programmes for people, with a sense of anticipation and social transformation that can be used as a model for future actions. This voca- tion paved the way for the Intercultural Community Intervention Project. Since 2010, the ICI Project has been developed in 17 territories with high cultural diversity, proposing a model for social intervention and management of diversity focused on local com- munities taking centre stage, with an organised, effective and positive way of tackling the cru- cial challenge of living together and social cohesion. The ICI Project was extended to 40 terri- tories in July 2014. Without connections, it would be impossible to live together. Consequently, the ICI Project, along with local administrations and entities in the territory, promotes setting up programmes for meetings, connections and positive interaction between people with different cultural and religious origins and belongings, to ease social inclusion, equal opportunities, social cohesion and promote living together. Joining forces is a basic yet innovative and transforming idea, involving political and institu- tional leaders, organisations working in the territory and citizens, prioritising joint-responsi- bility and shared commitment, focussing on living together. The ICI Project is promoting living together from this joint endeavour and aims to improve the standard of living within a territory. Its work over the last four years has involved over 1800 professionals, including participation from over 280,000 people. The remarkable results and impacts obtained in terms of improv- ing living together* and social policies in the intervention territories have emphasised that it is possible to adapt the ICI Project’s conceptual and methodological model to different types of territories with diverse socio-demographics. * 2012 survey on local intercultural living together .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................