Integration week starts today

The third “Vienna integration week” starts today. More than 270 events within ten days will show where and how integration works in Vienna. An entrepreneur with Bosnian roots is the organiser of the event.

“There are many places in Vienna, where multilingualism, diversity, cohabitation and integration are self-evident. This is where our event takes place and where we show that it works”, Dino Sose explains the concept.

Mr Sose was born in the former Yugoslavia and fled to Munich during the war. He moved to Vienna eight years ago and is frustrated with the debate about integration.

He emphasised that integration works in so many places in Vienna, such as in theatres, in libraries and sport clubs. This is where the events of the integration week take place.

Almost half a million immigrants live in Vienna. They still earn less for the same work than Austrians who have lived here for a long time. Moreover, surveys of the IFES institute and the Chamber of Labour show that they are often unemployed.

The integration week offers language courses, discussions, dancing workshops and exhibitions. “We also have an international breakfast at Brunnenpassage and a multilingual reading lesson, where something is read to children in Russian and German”, Mr Sosa said.

For the first time, migrants will award people or facilities that promote integration. “Mama learns German”-courses by the City of Vienna is one of the nominated facilities.