Forum for Ethnic-Cultural Minorities Flanders-Brussels

Minderhedenforum

Don’t talk about us but with us

Presentation

• ethnic-cultural minorities in Belgium• Objectives• Flemish policy• Political opportunity structure• Acces points• Representative• Organisation• Strategies

Our objectives

• talk with ECM instead of talking about them

• bringing together ECM

• strengthening the voice of ECM: one united voice = stronger voice

• increase the participation of ECM

• increase the understanding and respect between different groups in society

Forum for Ethnic-Cultural Minorities: Flemish policy

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Inclusive approach

Categorical approach

Forum for Ethnic-Cultural Minorites: political opportunity structure

‘Political opportunity structures consist of consistent – but not necessarily formal or permanent – dimensions of the political environment that provide incentives for people to undertake collective action by affecting their expectations for success or failure.’ (Tarrow, 1994, p. 85)

Forum for Ethnic-Cultural Minorities: acces points

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Formal acces points

member Commission Diversity SERV

member VLOR (Algemene Raad en twee deelraden)member stakeholdersforum VDAB

= respresentatives employers, -employee and focus groups=education systeem,labour union-parents, …= eg. representative respresentartives different target groups

Informele acces points

Contact with Flemish departmentsContact with parlement commissionsContact with political parties

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Forum for Ethnic-Cultural Minorities: respresentative

• Flemish governement

• consists of 17 member federations:total: 1,500 local migrant organisations inFlanders & Brussels

• financed by Flemish government since 2000

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M I N DER H EDEN FO R UM

Forum for Etnical-cultural minorities: organisation

Forum for Ethnic-Cultural Minorities: strategies

Forum for Ethnic-Cultural Minorities: critical success factors

-policy windows-knowledge of file (usp)-advocacy coalition <->

isolation-political opportunity structure

Forum for Ethnic-Cultural Minorities: improvements

-Not respresentative-Not enough political support-Negative perception

Forum of Ethnic-Cultural Minorities

Thank you