Asserting the diversity advantage

The city of Copenhagen has raises awareness of diversity advantage at several levels: They demonstrate to public opinion that there are a lot of people interested and willing to work for diversity: a diversity charter has been issued and various organisations have been invited to sign it in order to declare their commitment to diversity. Within a year, 400 associations and companies have signed up. They receive the offers of the city, and get branding as socially responsible organisations with their logos on posters and publications, and they can participate in the city diversity projects. They show companies that diversity is good for business: city and external experts analyse the company and measure how it can benefit from diversity, with financial figures as a proof, or provide quick diversity training that increases employee confidence and creativity (eg in one hotel it turned out that employee diversity increases customer satisfaction and recommendations that increase custom, with benefits of 15 (fifteen) mln DK a year) They show the city administration that diversity management is important to make the city competitive in the global market for talent: 50 per cent of expats leave Denmark before the contract ends, and 90% say that the reason is that their spouse does not feel welcome because the society is not open enough. The city has asked a civil society organisation with long experience in making the relationships that help people settle, the Danish Refugee Council, to train mentors that support expats in settling. Now more and more people want to be hosts and mentors, and companies send their expats to the city mentors, and citizens-mentors become more tolerant because they are exposed to foreigners. The Mayor and Director of integration are also mentors, and this is a way to involve people in diversity work without it being political, but on daily encounters basis.