“The best man among men is the one who is of service to others.” So said Rotterdam’s Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb – himself a recipient of the 2021 World Mayor Award – as he opened the recent Baha’i International Community (BIC) event on “Co-creating Inclusive Neighborhoods Through Active Participation and Encounter” held in Rotterdam. More than a hundred participants joined the hybrid event to explore how diverse populations can work to transform their communities. The event, organized by the BIC’s Brussels Office, was also co-hosted by the National Program Rotterdam South and the Baha’i Community of the Netherlands.

Rachel Bayani, Representative of the BIC to the European Union, added that the way diverse populations interact in neigborhoods is key to addressing many of the challenges European societies face, such as racism, discrimination and inequality. “We need to learn how to build communities of encounter and support in European cities or villages: communities that can tap into the capacities and talents of their diverse inhabitants and work together towards the betterment of their neighborhoods.” 

Panelists also included representatives of the city of Rotterdam, who highlighted practical concerns faced by local institutions. And one of the panelists, Katharina Bamberg from Eurocities, a network of more than two-hundred European cities, said that: “Recognizing neighborhood involvement and supporting the participation of different groups … is very important for urban development and promoting inclusive cities in general.”

The event was part of a wider series of European and national gatherings exploring diversity and the role of neighborhoods.