[cma-l] The Diversity Advantage Challenge

[CMA-L]

The Council of Europe promotes a new approach to managing increasingly
diverse societies based on the concept of DIVERSITY ADVANTAGE.



*This stands for: *

 Recognizing that diversity is not a threat – it can bring* competitive
benefits* for businesses, organisations and communities if managed with
competence and in the spirit of inclusion;

  Embracing diversity is not a gimmick for business/organisation/city
branding but* a philosophy of governance, management and decision-making*.



Social and economic research worldwide provides convincing evidence that
diversity and intercultural interaction can improve productivity,
creativity and efficiency in all kinds of organisations, as well as in
cities. Both research and practice suggest that businesses, organisations
and cities can gain enormously from the diversified skills,
entrepreneurship and creativity associated with diversity, provided they
facilitate intercultural interaction and co-creation.



However, the notion of diversity advantage is not familiar to most
Europeans and the attitudes and skills that are necessary to realise the
positive potential of diversity, are not widespread among leaders in
politics, business and civil society.



The DIVERSITY ADVANTAGE CHALLENGE



 is a means to* raise awareness among the public and private
decision-makers about the benefits of diversity *and to provide a large
number of examples of how organisations, businesses and cities which have
realised these benefits by creating innovative products, services, ideas
and initiatives. The challenge will help understand better the conditions
under which diversity generates innovation and the do’s and don’ts of the
process.



 is a contest for the *best real-life stories of the successful involvement
of people of different cultural* (ethnic, religious, linguistic)
backgrounds in the design of innovative products, services, policies,
projects and initiatives. The stories should illustrate how it is possible
to harness cultural diversity to the benefit of businesses, organisations
and communities.



Interested local authorities, enterprises, civil society organisations,
media and other institutions worldwide are invited to share their stories
by answering the questionnaire
<http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/cultureheritage/culture/diversity/form2014_en.pdf>
and sending it to diversity.challenge at coe.int by *31 October 2014*.



For further information, see also Examples of Good Practices of Diversity
Advantage
<http://www.coe.int/t/DG4/CULTUREHERITAGE/CULTURE/DIVERSITY/examples_en.asp>


Questionnaire:
http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/cultureheritage/culture/diversity/form2014_en.pdf


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