Background
The process of democratization means that more of the decisions that affect people’s daily lives are made at the local level, and that communities have greater opportunities to participate in governance, especially decision-making processes. Broader participation brings new challenges for local decision-makers: they must cope with limited public resources, and the diverse needs and interests of different groups. Thus, they require skills and the capacity to integrate knowledge of ethnicity and diversity, diversity policies, power sharing opportunities as well as conflict prevention and resolution methods into their policy-making activities and service delivery.

Goal
Participants will improve their knowledge and skills in various topics of diversity management meant to support local policy-makers, responsible for managing and leading multiethnic communities, in making informed decisions.

Participants will deepen their understanding and knowledge of

• Diversity, ethnicity and identity and how policy-making affects them,
• Principles of diversity management,
• European frameworks of diversity policy-making

Specific Objectives
Participants will:

• Deepen their understanding and improve their knowledge in the fields of European frameworks of diversity and diversity management in multiethnic communities
• Deepen their understanding and improve their knowledge in the fields of local level policy making for diverse communities, in the employment of power sharing mechanisms and practices, in the field of responsive and equal access service delivery for diverse communities as well as in the field of conflict management for policy makers of diverse communities.
• Deepen their understanding about the impact of local level policy-makers, their activities as well as the presence or absence of diversity policies and measures on inter-ethnic relations
• Assess the need for such trainings in their countries and elaborate action plans to introduce diversity training for policy makers in national programs and specific contexts.