Germany

The programme Weltoffene Kommune (“World-Open Cities and Communities”) works to ensure that newcomers, as well as long-term residents, feel welcome in towns and cities across Germany. The initiative is co-led by Bertelsmann Foundation and the NGO PHINEO. At the heart of the project is the Selbstcheck Weltoffene Kommune (“self-check”), which is an indicator-based self-assessment regarding the status of local inclusion efforts for German cities and administrative districts. The self-check serves as a roadmap to foster inclusion and is created by Bertelsmann and PHINEO – in conjunction with many stakeholders – with inspiration drawn from Welcoming America’s Standard. From 2018-2019 the self-check was piloted in 3 German cities, and in 2019 the project received the support of the federal German Commissioner on Integration, Refugees and Migration to guide 40 additional cities and administrative districts in their local inclusion efforts.