Recent News

Policy Paper | Responding to Today’s Refugee Crisis While Maintaining Social Cohesion: Lessons from Cities

This Strong Cities Network Policy Paper examines the role of cities and other local actors in the integration of refugee and other forcibly displaced populations while maintaining –if not strengthening – social cohesion. The paper draws on a Refugee Response Webinar Series, hosted by Strong Cities in 2022, which brought together officials and non-government actors from a number of cities around the world to share their experiences, lessons and promising practices for sustainable and human rights-based solutions. Highlighting key themes and lessons learned from the series and different city-level approaches across the refugee response cycle, the paper includes ten policy recommendations which, if implemented, could alleviate some of the challenges cities face in maintaining social cohesion, while supporting refugees as members of their communities.

Western Balkans Regional Hub Inaugural Workshop

Following its virtual launch at the end of 2022, in February, the Western Balkans Regional Hub held its Inaugural Workshop in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. There, mayors, deputy mayors, presidents of municipal councils, municipal officials and other local practitioners, together with national government, civil society, multilateral and international donor representatives from across the region gathered to discuss the roles, priorities and needs of local government in preventing and responding to hate, extremism and polarisation as part of a whole-of-society approach to addressing these challenges.

New Publication | Young Cities: Practical Guide to Youth Capacity Building for Countering Hate and Extremism

Strong Cities' youth pillar – Young Cities – has released a Practical Guide to Youth Capacity Building for Countering Hate and Extremism. This guide provides a comprehensive overview of Strong Cities’ approach to capacity building and youth empowerment through four core models, which it has developed iteratively since 2015. The guide spans different forms of delivery, online and offline, and offers a range of good practice, inspiration and recommendations for any practitioner who is committed to empowering young people as partners and leaders in countering extremism, hate and polarisation.


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