Adeje, the municipality in Tenerife with the greatest diversity of nationalities, wants to turn that plurality into one of the pillars of its social development. The town hall has begun work to create an Intercultural Council, a permanent participative body that will channel proposals from the various resident communities and strengthen coexistence in a town where people from 123 countries live side by side.
First steps towards a lasting forum
The initiative began to take shape during the first preparatory meeting for the Nationalities Gathering ‘Adeje Vive, Adeje Convive: 20 years building coexistence’, an event organised by the Citizen Participation Department that will take place on 21 September at the Adeje Auditorium. The aim is for local residents themselves to play a part in designing a space for dialogue capable of giving continuity to integration efforts beyond a one-off event.
A truly cosmopolitan community
Diversity has been part of everyday life in the municipality for years. Adeje has around 50,000 inhabitants, of whom more than 27,000 hold foreign nationality (more than half), according to the latest figures from the municipal register. That means more than half the population comes from other countries, a distinction that makes the town one of the most cosmopolitan places not just in Tenerife but in the whole of the Canary Islands.
This growth is closely linked to the municipality’s economic weight. Its powerful tourism industry has attracted workers and families from numerous countries for decades, creating a society in which very different cultures, languages and traditions coexist. Britons, Italians, Germans, Belgians, Venezuelans, Cubans, Colombians, Moroccans, Ukrainians and Argentines all form part of a human mosaic that has transformed the town’s identity without diluting its character.
A permanent platform for dialogue
With this in mind, the town hall considers it necessary to create permanent structures that encourage participation and mutual understanding. The future Intercultural Council aims to become a stable forum for dialogue between the different communities, making it possible to identify needs, share initiatives and promote projects related to integration, coexistence and citizen participation.
The project takes as its reference the ‘Adeje Vive, Adeje Convive’ campaign, launched in 2006 to foster respect between cultures and ease the integration of an increasingly diverse population. Two decades on, the council is reviving that spirit with a more participative approach, in which residents themselves define the priorities and lines of action.
From celebration to lasting change
The Nationalities Gathering will serve precisely to take that first step. Over two hours, representatives from different cultural communities will share proposals, experiences and life stories in a space designed to highlight the richness that diversity brings to the municipality. The council’s intention is that the meeting should not be reduced to a symbolic celebration. The future Intercultural Council will maintain contact between groups and residents, drive new activities and consolidate a permanent network of collaboration that helps strengthen social cohesion.
With this initiative, Adeje aspires to turn one of its main demographic characteristics into an opportunity to keep building a municipality where multiculturalism is not merely a statistical detail, but an element of identity and coexistence.
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