GENK - history 19th century rural village 1901 the discovery of coal 1917  coalmines W.W.I  1960’s4 migration flows miners 1960 Ford Genk  industry: 3rd city in Flanders (highway, water, rail)  population: 23rd city in Belgium (# )  city structure: center - 3 garden cities – suburbia

Genk – history of population

inhabitants:  9% higher educated  10% unemployed  14% with other nationality (# 90)  66% Belgians with foreign origin (50% births from Turkish/Moroccan origin)  60% T/M marriages through marriage migration  40% children in primary school: mothertongue ≠ Dutch  22% children repeat at least 1 year in primary school GENK – some key figures 2008

GENK – some key feelings / signals  Us Them (Muslims)  Segregation  ‘I don’t belong here (anymore)’  Intolerance

3 objectives:  equal opportunities!  strong social cohesion  multiculturalism = asset

essential:  living together in diversity  citizenship  dialogue & co-creation

2009 = FASE 1

 after 25 years of exemplary efforts  time to talk things through  with people we haven’t reached yet  appointing worries and frustrations  stressing everyone’s possibilities & responsabilities  listing effective actions for all city actors  in a new, open approach

43 challengers…  recruted on a voluntary basis  according a matrix of diversity  choose their own theme(s) and methods  recieve personal training on theme and method  invite 100 inhabitants for a good conversation  together with a professional for support & report

The essence of every conversation: How do we experience living in Genk today? What can I do as a citizen What can we do as a group What can the local gouvernment do?

And thén what ?  2010: The first report: a newspaper gives an overview of the inhabitants’ priorities, suggestions & own actions  : fase 2  new challengers initiate new conversations, focussing on ‘what can every citizen do to push this society forward’?  leading civil servants organise debates with local actors (schools, employers, social housing,…), looking for concrete actions to achieve the main goals of ‘De Genks’  : fase 3  an action programme for all city actors, with the city as an example  a communication strategy to inform all inhabitants  budgets for initiatives that help achieve the main goals of ‘De Genks’

STAD GENK CHANGE DESIGNERS, Brussels