Get involved
Learn how you can get involved with Welcoming International as a government, organization, or individual.
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Individuals >
Governments
There are three ways that local and national government offices can get involved with Welcoming International’s work. They are as follows:
1. Become a Local member of an existing national network
For a map of current Welcoming International members, click here.
Local members advance welcoming in different ways, but below are some common activities you can undertake:
- Commit to advancing inclusive, local-level policies and a welcoming climate for newcomers and all residents.
- Facilitate multi-sector welcoming planning in your community to clearly identify local barriers to inclusion, and then lead efforts to implement the plan to reduce them.
- Advance towards your country’s Welcoming standard or framework.
2. Become a Local scaling member in a country without an existing network
Local scaling members advance welcoming in different ways, both within and beyond their community. Here are some common activities you can undertake:
- Test the feasibility of Welcoming approach in your country, vis-a-vis your local community.
- Facilitate multi-sector welcoming planning in your community to clearly identify local barriers to inclusion, and then lead efforts to implement the plan to reduce them.
- Create a local framework for welcoming that can be a model for other cities in your country.
- Help Scale the work nationally by helping identify the partners needed for a nationwide initiative.
Apply for membership by filling out our application form.
3. Become a National Member of Welcoming International
For a map of current Welcoming International members, click here.
National members advance welcoming in different ways, but below are some key activities they generally undertake:
- Build and support a national network of towns and cities – represented by either municipalities or NGO’s – on the journey to becoming holistically welcoming.
- Lead the process of creating and implementing a national Welcoming Standard for municipalities in your country, with the support and engagement of relevant stakeholders country-wide.
- Support a national “ecosystem” of actors to support the national network of localities advancing toward welcoming.
Apply for membership by filling out our application form.
Organizations
Whether you operate at the local or national level, there are three ways organizations can get involved with Welcoming International’s work. They are as follows:
1. Become a Local Member of an existing national network
For a map of current Welcoming International members, click here.
Local members advance welcoming in different ways, but below are some common activities you can undertake*:
- Commit to advancing inclusive, local-level policies and a welcoming climate for newcomers and all residents.
- Facilitate multi-sector welcoming planning in your community to clearly identify local barriers to inclusion, and then lead efforts to implement the plan to reduce them.
- Advance towards your country’s Welcoming standard or framework.
*Please note that in some Welcoming networks, only municipalities can become members, but in those cases you can still engage in the local initiative.
2. Become a Local Scaling Member in a country without an existing network
Local scaling members advance welcoming in different ways, but below are some common activities you can undertake:
- Test the feasibility of Welcoming approach in your country, vis-a-vis your local community.
- Facilitate multi-sector welcoming planning in your community to clearly identify local barriers to inclusion, and then lead efforts to implement the plan to reduce them.
- Create a local framework for welcoming that can be a model for other cities in your country.
- Help scale the work nationally by helping identify the partners needed for a nationwide initiative.
Apply for membership by filling out our application form.
3. Become a National Member of Welcoming International
For a map of current Welcoming International members, click here.
National members advance welcoming in different ways, but below are some key activities they generally undertake:
- Build and support a national network of towns and cities – represented by either municipalities or NGO’s – on the journey to becoming holistically welcoming.
- Lead the process of creating and implementing a national Welcoming Standard for municipalities in your country, with the support and engagement of relevant stakeholders country-wide.
- Support a national “ecosystem” of actors to support the national network of localities advancing toward welcoming.
Apply for membership by filling out our application form.
Individuals
There are also three ways individuals can get involved with Welcoming International’s work.
1. Participate in Welcoming Week
One way to get involved is to participate in Welcoming Week – an annual series of events during which communities bring together newcomers and long-time residents in a spirit of unity to build strong connections and affirm the benefits of welcoming everyone.
In 2019, there were over 2,500 events in over 250 communities with more than 80,000 people participating. Events ranged from intimate potluck dinners to community-wide picnics, from football festivals to citizenship ceremonies, from service projects like local park cleanups to local restaurant tours. Consider events such as art shows, film viewings, panel presentations, city halls – the options are endless!
By hosting a Welcoming Week event, you become part of a growing movement across the globe that recognizes that being welcoming makes communities stronger civically, socially, and economically.
Put your community on the map today by registering your event here and don’t forget to use these multilingual Welcomer signs as a fun and easy way to show community support for everyone while lifting up shared values. For more tools related to Welcoming Week, check out our resource library.
2. Get involved in your community’s Welcoming Initiative, if one already exists.
Individuals can support local initiatives in a number of ways, such as participating in multi-sector planning processes and community events. To find out if your community is part of Welcoming International, take a look at our member map or get in touch with us.
3. Encourage your community to join the Welcoming Network, if it isn’t already a member.
If you know of an organization or government office that would be interested in joining the welcoming movement, please encourage them to become a member of the Welcoming Network by sharing our website with them. Local changemakers are key to helping transform their communities!