[+] Key characteristics of the Municipal Integration and Development Initiative (MIDI)

Inclusive and participatory. HUMBOLDT-VIADRINA’s proven concept of inclusive and participatory discussions, so-called Trialogs, is the hallmark to identify answers to this central question. Trialogs bring together actors from all three stakeholder groups: the political sphere, the business sector and organized civil society (incl. trade unions) as well as academia, media. Their different functions, backgrounds, experiences and levels of power cover a wide spectrum of essential societal perspectives. It is crucial to understand their different positions and underlying arguments in order to identify solutions (i.e. investment opportunities) that are widely acceptable. Otherwise, solutions could be seen as top-down/government imposed, lacking the support or even triggering resistance of the wider public. Stakeholder orientated. The actual investment projects will not be carried out in the power centers of the European Union, such as Brussels, but need to make a real difference “on the ground”. Thus, this initiative will focus on the municipal level, starting with municipalities in France, Germany, and Poland in the spirit of the “Weimar Triangle”. Building on existing cooperation, the regions of North Rhine-Westphalia, Nord-Pas de Calais and Silesia will be the initial focus. Due to the current situation, Greek communities are also included. This approach will stimulate cross-border and interregional cooperation, learning from each other, strengthening European solidarity and cohesion, and deepening the integration through common projects. Focused on good labor relations. This initiative aims at identifying local investment projects that bring both economic benefits as well as high-quality jobs, safe workplaces and that establish trustful labor conditions. By facilitating the “negotiating processes” between all stakeholders a consensus is reached that embraces the most important interests. This setting creates more trustful labor relations, particularly in countries where non-communication and mistrust have traditionally been predominant between relevant stakeholders. For example, the character of social partnerships in the German labor relations has always been an important factor for successful economic activities and a predictable working environment. Other country’s experiences and academic studies confirm the importance of satisfying labor relations for economic success. Thus, the aspect of good labor relations must play a very important role in the reform process. Bottom-up integration. The image of the European Union has suffered in recent years and many citizens are still pessimistic about the future of the 28-nations Union. Fostering cooperation between municipalities of different countries and enabling them to develop viable projects and demonstrate good practice and solutions to break through communication barriers, the initiative will contribute to European integration through a bottom-up approach. Eventually, this initiative will establish “replicable models” for multi-stakeholder decision-making processes on the local level.   In short, the Municipal Integration and Development Initiative (MIDI) will

• bring multiple and often conflicting perspectives together, embracing differing societal positions and rationales;
• build a trust-based environment, ensuring that – despite divergent power positions – every position and concern is heard;
• go beyond the mere citation of often-heard status positions, extracting instead the underlying arguments behind these positions; and
• analyze different arguments, identifying common grounds for consensus and unfold alternatives and their implications before the actual (investment) decision is taken.

Activities of the Municipal Integration and Development Initiative (MIDI)