<p>The citizen participation strategy for #Jerez2031 European Capital of Culture is already generating a set of positive results that impact the values, purpose, and internationalization agenda of the bid. This is the case of the inclusion and gender equality project that the city’s Ateneo plans to develop with the island of Gozo, Malta, which was presented during a working meeting with the Mayor of Jerez, María José García Pelayo.</p>
<p>This initiative is especially significant since in 2031, Spain and Malta will share the title of European Capital of Culture, and the realization of collaborative cultural projects between the candidate cities of both countries allows for the establishment of joint proposals that internationally project the values of inclusion and equality. It so happens that both Jerez and Gozo have announced their intention to submit candidacies.</p>
<p>In this case, the intercultural project will unite the city of Jerez with the island of Gozo, in Malta, and focuses on social inclusion, gender equality, and the use of culture as a driver of integration between diverse communities, through a cultural twinning between both candidate cities.</p>
<p>This announcement follows the meeting held by the Mayor with the President of the Ateneo de Jerez, Gustavo Cordero, and the Head of Inclusion, Patricio Pérez, to coordinate municipal participation and strengthen the role of citizens in this initiative. The Ateneo representatives also presented other projects they are working on at both the European and local levels, thus reinforcing their commitment to an open, inclusive culture that is connected to contemporary challenges. In this regard, María José García-Pelayo emphasized that “the Ateneo de Jerez is a living example of the participatory spirit of Jerez 2031, which embraces culture as a tool for social inclusion, equality, and community progress.”</p>
<p>The project, entitled “Promoting Inclusion and Equality through Culture,” establishes a strategic collaboration between the Ateneo de Jerez Cultural Association and the Gozo Regional Council. Both institutions will work together to organize participatory cultural events, equality workshops, and artistic exchange activities in their respective communities.</p>
<p>One of the key focuses will be working with Roma women and immigrants, two groups that face particular challenges in terms of discrimination and social barriers. In Jerez, the integrative potential of flamenco will be harnessed as a cultural expression deeply rooted in the Roma community, while in Gozo, the diversity of its immigrant population from Asia, Africa, and Latin America will be highlighted.</p>
<p>The project is based on the premise that culture is a common language for fostering coexistence, empathy, and mutual recognition. Through seminars, performances, training activities, and public awareness campaigns, the project seeks to generate a replicable European model of sociocultural inclusion. A document of conclusions and guidelines will also be developed that can be used by other European cultural entities to advance social integration through culture.</p>
<p>This project is framed within the values of the European Union and the vision expressed in the New Narrative for Europe, which advocates for a Europe that invests in education, culture, innovation, and social cohesion. In this way, Jerez continues to strengthen the European dimension of its candidacy, building alliances with international cities and cultural networks that consolidate its profile as a city committed to diversity, participation, and social transformation through culture.</p>