This article was written by Vasia Madesi, Consultant at Yellow Window.
Bringing municipalities together to reflect on DEI in practice
The DiGiN final conference in Rotterdam on 25 March 2026 brought together project partners, municipal professionals, researchers, artists and practitioners for an afternoon that felt both grounded and energising. It was a space to look back on two years of work on diversity, equity and inclusion in municipal organisations, while also asking a bigger question: what helps this work stay alive inside institutions, even when the context is difficult, resources are limited and progress feels uneven?
The tone of the day was set from the very beginning. The conference opened with the sound of the Apinti drum, introduced as part of an ancient Maroon tradition of welcoming people not only physically but also spiritually. It was a meaningful way to begin a gathering centred on inclusion, presence and connection. From that moment onwards, the conference held together different kinds of knowledge: policy work, institutional practice, lived experience, art and critical reflection.
Opening reflections on exclusion, power and institutional responsibility
In her opening, Dina Zbeidy from DiGiN partner Leiden University of Applied Sciences invited participants to think seriously about what inclusion means in practice and what happens when institutions decide that certain voices are too uncomfortable to hear. Her reflections on exclusion, power and the limits of institutional responses to injustice gave the conference an important depth. They made clear that the words diversity, equity and inclusion, in short DEI, cannot be treated as neutral technical language. They are shaped by politics, by organisational culture and by the choices institutions make about whose experiences are recognised and whose are pushed aside.
That thread continued in the keynote by Jerry King Luther Afriyie, who spoke with honesty, urgency and clarity about activism, belonging and the long struggle for justice. His intervention connected the work of DEI to broader histories of racism, exclusion and resistance, while also showing what becomes possible when people organise, persist and create spaces where others can find pride, dignity and a sense of direction. His contribution reminded everyone in the room that institutional change does not begin with perfect conditions. It begins when people decide to act, even when the way forward is still taking shape. You can watch part of the reflections online.
Municipal practice in Genoa, Ghent and Rotterdam
The partner panel then brought the conversation into the daily realities of municipal work. Representatives from Genoa, Ghent and Rotterdam reflected on what they had developed through DiGiN and what they had learned from one another. Their exchange showed clearly that there is no single route to inclusive change. Each municipality started from a different point, worked within a different institutional culture and faced different practical constraints. At the same time, some common lessons emerged very strongly.
One of these lessons was the importance of structures that allow people to connect, organise and influence change from within. In Genoa, the focus was on coalition building among employees and on understanding how networks can support safer and more inclusive working environments. In Ghent, the discussion highlighted the role of employee resource groups and the place of long-term strategy in embedding inclusion into the life of the organisation. In Rotterdam, the Inclusivity Panel stood out as a powerful example of what can happen when colleagues from across the organisation are given the space to bring different experiences and perspectives into decision-making processes.
What made this part of the discussion especially valuable was its honesty. The panel did not present institutional change as quick or straightforward. Participants spoke openly about context, internal resistance, organisational traditions and the effort required to build support across different layers of the municipality. There was also a clear sense that the work had generated momentum. Ideas had started to travel. Practices were being adapted. New connections had been formed. The ambition to continue beyond the formal lifetime of the project was present throughout the conversation. You can watch the conversation online.
From commitment to implementation: practical tools for change
That practical momentum was reinforced by Maxime Forest’s presentation of two of DiGiN’s key outputs: the DEI Assessment Tool and the Toolkit of DEI capacity-building materials. His presentation brought focus to a challenge that many organisations recognise very well: motivation is often there, but motivation alone does not tell an organisation where it stands, what should come first or how change can be sustained over time. The tools developed through DiGiN respond directly to that need. They help municipalities assess their current capacities, identify gaps, support internal dialogue and strengthen the knowledge and skills needed for long-term work on DEI.
This emphasis on implementation mattered. Too often, organisations support the language of inclusion without creating the conditions that allow inclusion to be built, tested and maintained. The value of the DiGiN tools lies precisely in their practicality. They are designed to help municipalities work through real questions, in their own contexts, with their own people and priorities. You can watch the presentation online.
Why evaluation matters for meaningful change
The same applied to the presentation of the Evaluation Toolbox by Leiden University of Applied Sciences. Here, the conversation moved to another question that is often left until too late: how do we know whether change is happening, and what kind of change are we actually trying to create? The toolbox encourages municipalities to think carefully about their vision, their intended outcomes and the pathways through which change may unfold. It treats evaluation as part of the learning process rather than as a final administrative step. This is especially useful in DEI work, where progress is rarely linear and where context shapes both the process and the results. You can watch the presentation online.
The role of art, testimony and lived experience
Alongside the project presentations and panel exchange, the conference also made space for artistic and personal interventions that stayed with people long after the programme ended. Music by Naseem Husam Mgheer and the powerful closing performance by slam poet Tilke Wouters brought emotion, vulnerability and political clarity into the room. These contributions created a stronger sense of what is at stake when we speak about inclusion, marginalisation and institutional responsibility. They also reminded participants that policy language alone can never fully capture the lived realities that this work is meant to address.
You can watch part of Naseem’s performance online.
What participants are taking forward
By the end of the day, the words participants chose to describe what they were taking with them said a great deal: courage, concrete steps, strategy, listening, resilience, motivation and “start now”. Together, these words captured the spirit of the conference well. They reflected both the complexity of the work and the determination needed to carry it forward.
Carrying the work forward
As DiGiN reaches its conclusion, the final conference offered something genuinely useful: a shared reflection on what helps diversity, equity and inclusion take root inside municipal organisations.
Strategy matters. So do coalitions, employee networks, practical tools, supportive leadership and spaces where people can speak from experience. Listening matters too, especially when institutions are tempted to move too quickly into procedures and lose sight of people’s realities.
The work does not end here. Municipalities across Europe continue to face difficult questions about representation, safety, organisational culture and accountability. The tools, practices and reflections developed through DiGiN offer concrete support for that journey. They provide a foundation that municipalities can build on in ways that fit their own context, pace and ambitions.
For those who could not join the conference, selected moments from the day and the DiGiN project resources are available on the project website, here and on Zenodo.
We invite you to explore them, share them and continue the conversation within your own organisation.
