El Alcalde de Bilbao inaugura las Jornadas Técnicas del Décimo Aniversario de Auzoak Abian, Proceso Comunitario Intercultural en Irala y Ametzola.

The Mayor of Bilbao, Juan Mari Aburto, has inaugurated the technical sessions of Auzoak Abian under the title «10 years of Community Process. Experiences and learnings» to celebrate the anniversary of this process that seeks to promote intercultural relationships and thus foster social cohesion, coexistence, and a better quality of life for the entire neighborhood.

This is an initiative promoted and developed in the neighborhoods of Irala and Ametzola by the City Council of Bilbao and the association Gazteleku, with the support of the La Caixa Foundation, represented at the inaugural event by Francesc Ventura, Deputy Director of the Social Inclusion Area. In addition, institutions such as the Basque Government, technical and professional resources in the area, associative movements, and citizens involved in improving coexistence are key players in this process.

Representatives from all these areas, more than a hundred people, have participated in the event held at the Rekalde District Municipal Center, with the aim of highlighting the impact of community networking and sharing the experience as a community, reflecting on everything learned in its development to consolidate it and promote its maintenance into the future.

The meeting has highlighted the values and progress of the intercultural community intervention process, which represents a successful experience of community work, where a network of intercultural citizen relationships has been created and strengthened, and spaces for relationship, dialogue, and participation have been generated.

It has also contributed to overcoming the isolation of individuals to deepen their sense of belonging to the neighborhood, strengthened social work with children, youth, and families, promoted community health, facilitated the participation of diverse groups, and ultimately fostered a culture of common work to improve social cohesion.

In the words of the Mayor of Bilbao, Juan Mari Aburto, «this initiative is one of the best examples of how we all build the city and are the neighborhood, and how together we can transform reality to be open and inclusive, favoring not just coexistence but living together in diversity.»

Topics addressed included the opening conference on the key aspects of the intercultural community intervention model, presented by anthropologist Carlos Giménez; followed by a technical session on the experience of shared work from a professional perspective.

After a break, various learnings and challenges from organized citizenship were discussed, followed by the involvement in the process of individual citizens to close the event.

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