Reykjavík’s Multicultural Congress ‘Let’s Talk’ will be held in the Reykjavík City Theater (Borgarleikhús) tomorrow from 10 to 3 pm alongside elections for representatives to the Multicultural Council of Reykjavík.

Reykjavík City Hall. Photo by Páll Stefánsson.

The Multicultural Council consists of seven council members and seven alternates which role is to act as representatives of the immigrant community.

Voting started yesterday and is ongoing today at Reykjavík City Hall from 10 am to 5 pm and during tomorrow’s Congress. Immigrants 18 years and older were invited to apply for candidacy.

The purpose of the Congress, which includes a number of round table discussions, is to gather information which can be used to improve service to immigrants living in Reykjavík.

The round table discussions, held in nine languages—Cebuano, English, Icelandic, Lithuanian, Polish, Russian, Spanish, Thai, and Vietnamese—fall under two categories with the following questions to be addressed:

What information do immigrants want?

-Community: How does the community work? Values, traditions and habits. Culture and art 
 accessibility for immigrants.
-Democratic involvement: How do we get involved?
-Sports and hobbies: Accessibility for immigrants.
-Media: How are you getting your news?
-Icelandic citizenship: your right and responsibilities.

How do we share information?

-What media are immigrants using to get information?
-How do we reach out to people who are socially isolated?
-The media and coverage about immigrants.
-Institutions: How do they share information?
-Associations connected with immigrants.
-Published Material.

Mayor or Reykjavík Jón Gnarr will open the meeting.

To register for the conference email mannrettindi@reykjavik.is.

Click here for tomorrow’s schedule in English, here for the schedule in Polish and here for information on the candidates running for a seat in the Multicultural Council.

ZR