DENMARK

1. General authority

Coordinating role:

Ministry of Refugees, Immigration and Integration Affairs (MRII)
(http://www.nyidanmark.dk/)

Policies: When Denmark introduced an Integration Act in 1999, it was considered the first country in the world to take such a step. The Act is intended to ensure that newly-arrived refugees and immigrants can make the most of their capacities on an equal footing with other citizens of Denmark.

• Government Action plan for the promotion of equal treatment and diversity and to combat racism (2003);
• Government integration plan 'A New Chance for Everyone' (2005) comprising initiatives concerned with local efforts towards integration, education and employment.

Council for Ethnical Minorities
(http://www.rem.dk/)

This coordinating body of the local councils consults the Minister of Integration on questions of immigrants and refugees.

EYID-coordination body:

Cirius (see also 3.)
(http://www.ciriusonline.dk/)

National implementation strategy: (http://ec.europa.eu/culture/eac/dialogue/strategies_en.html)

2. Culture

Ministry of Culture (MC)
(http://www.kum.dk/)

The Danish Arts Agency with Cultural Contact Point Denmark
(http://www.kunststyrelsen.dk/)

In compliance with the Danish tradition of self-governance, responsibility for the implementation of cultural policy and cultural projects for cultural minorities, groups and communities lies with the institutes, councils and boards.

EX: At the Danish Royal Theatre, ticket prices for refugees and immigrants are reduced to a tenth of the normal price.

3. Education

Ministry of Education
(http://eng.uvm.dk/)

Coordinating role.

Policies: Common Objectives (Fælles Mål 2003-2005) as compulsory common national aims of the education, including references to human rights and social cohesion, the evaluation of multiculturalism and the results of ICD.

EX:

• Adult vocational training programmes in health and social work with special focus on refugees and immigrants (to better introduce them in the labour market):
• Project entitled ‘This works at our school'(2006-2007): Collection of ‘best practice' and sharing of local solutions to reinforce the primary and lower secondary schools' (Folkeskole) education of bilingual pupils;
• the development programme A school in motion initiated various integration initiatives.

Cirius
(http://www.ciriusonline.dk/)

Cirius is an authority within the Danish Ministry of Education which supports the internationalisation of education and training in Denmark and encourages intercultural understanding, integration and global awareness.

EX: Skoleniverden.dk - a website for schools on how to work with internationalisation as a subject.

4. Youth

Ministry of Refugees, Immigration and Integration Affairs (MRII), (see 1.)

EX: Brug for alle unge ("We Need All Youngsters") is a campaign whose aim is to ensure that a greater number of young people with a non-Danish ethnic background enroll for and complete a youth education programme. Duration: 2002 - 2010.

Cirius (see 3.)
(http://www.ciriusonline.dk/)

5. Sports

Ministry of Culture (MC)
(http://www.kum.dk/)

EX: Gam3 - integration through hiphop and streetbasket (http://www.gam3.dk/), supported by MRII (see 1.). MRII has funding pools to improve participation of people with other ethnic backgrounds in sporting clubs.

6. Other domestic responsibilities of importance for ICD

Complaints Committee for Equal Ethnic Treatment
(http://www.klagekomite.dk/?AFD=1)

The Complaints Committee, established at the Institute for Human Rights in 2003, handles individual complaints of differential treatment on the basis of race or ethnic origin.

PLUS:

The Danish Council for Strategic Research launched a call for strategic research in cultural understanding. (http://fist.dk/site/english/apply-for-funding/calls/2007/strategic-research-in-cultural-understanding)

7. Trans-border / International ICD programmes

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA)
(http://www.um.dk/en)

EX: The government's initiative ‘Partnership for Progress and Reform' for the Middle East and North Africa (so called "Arabian Initiative", pilot phase 2004-2005) promotes dialogue between Denmark and the Arab world and supports existing reform initiatives in the Middle East Region with a focus on democratic institutions, media/free press, human rights, gender, labour market mechanisms and civil society. So far more than 50 Danish organisations and institutions - many of which are political youth organisations and youth clubs - are engaged in dialogue activities with partners in the Arab world.

Danish Center for Culture and Development (DCCD)
(http://www.dccd.dk/)

Administrates a support scheme for cultural exchange between DK and the developing countries, implements and supports development projects and organizes the Images-festivals.

The Danish Institute of Culture (Det Danske Kulturinstitut - DKI)
(http://www.dankultur.dk/)

Promoting Danish Culture abroad, and organizing study and culture trips for Danes to foreign countries.