Yesterday, the La Laguna City Council received an award in Brussels during the third edition of the European Capitals of Inclusion and Diversity 2024 Award, granted by the European Commission to promote inclusion and create discrimination-free societies. La Laguna was honoured with the bronze award in the category of cities with more than 50,000 inhabitants for its initiatives that foster diversity and inclusion in terms of gender, race or ethnic background, religion or beliefs, disabilities, age, and LGBTIQ equality.
The Mayor, Luis Yeray Gutiérrez, expressed his joy at “this new international recognition of the social policies that we have been implementing from the city council, demonstrating that our collaborative work with third sector entities is yielding results in integrating and supporting many individuals in need. We are working at the level of European capitals, and this award is a testament to that.”
A delegation from the municipality, including the Councilor for Social Welfare, María Cruz, and and the Coordinator of Disability and Dependency of the Department, Pilar Herrero, travelled to Brussels to accept the award.
María Cruz, upon receiving the award, stated, “This award is a tribute to all the staff of our city council who bravely confront the challenges of the 21st century with great enthusiasm. It also acknowledges the efforts of regions, towns, and cities that tirelessly strive to build a more egalitarian European Union free from discrimination. This award confirms that we are on the right path, working hand in hand with the organizations and partners dedicated to these segments of the population.”
La Laguna was the sole representative from Spain in this award category, where other participants included projects from the cities of Zagreb (Croatia), the winner, Warsaw (Poland), Ljubljana (Slovenia), Piraeus (Greece), Turin (Italy), Växjö (Sweden), Funchal and Almada (Portugal). In the category of cities with less than 50,000 inhabitants, the Italian town of Corbetta emerged victorious.
Furthermore, La Laguna was also acknowledged in a special category for being women-friendly locations and for their dedication to combating gender-based violence, with the Slovenian capital, Ljubljana, claiming the top spot.
