Interacció 2008 seeks to reopen the debate on diversity and interculturality, convinced that the new dimension of the phenomenon demands a response from local authorities. To this end, Interacció 2008 proposes the following objectives:

Show a theoretical and practical panorama of the state of local cultural policies on interculturality.
Reflect on the need for the municipal departments and services of culture and citizen participation to respond to the challenges of diversity with their own programmes and policies.
Observe the evolution of the cultural policies of diversity, as well as good practices, and propose new future paths and objectives from a municipal perspective.
Create a space of understanding, meeting and exchange between culture officers and professionals.

It is therefore time to construct a theoretical and practical framework which allows us to confront the creation of intercultural policies from the cultural field. Interculturality implies, however, mobility and fluidity in the approach to culture itself. This affects the new arrivals, but even more the local inhabitants. With interculturality we will all become locals, but also, to some extent, new arrivals. Interculturality, just as it is defined by UNESCO, refers to the equitable interaction of different existing cultures and the possibility of generating shared cultural expressions, through dialogue and mutual respect. It therefore speaks of an equitable interaction, without pre-eminence or domination by anyone. In addition, cultural expressions must be shared; in other words, there must be no interlocutor who imposes them, but rather they must be the fruit of collaboration and exchange.

Furthermore, we must not forget that 2008 has been declared the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue (EYID) through decision no. 1983/2006/EC of the European Parliament and the Council (18th December 2006). This international framework is ideal, therefore, for the Diputació (Provincial Government) de Barcelona to make a firm commitment.