In 2026, ECCAR launched monthly peer-to-peer consultations to strengthen cooperation and mutual learning among its member cities.
The consultation sessions are an expanded model for knowledge sharing within the framework of the activities of ECCAR’s Working Groups on Anti-Muslim Racism, Antisemitism, Anti-Black Racism, and Equality Data. The format responds directly to feedback from member cities’ reporting in the past three years, which consistently highlight exchange with peers as one of the most valuable benefits of ECCAR membership.
The peer-to-peer model creates a confidential space where municipal staff can discuss concrete challenges from their daily work, learn from colleagues' experiences in other cities, and jointly develop practical solutions. Participation is open to all ECCAR member cities, regardless of previous involvement in the working groups.
Each 90-120-minute session focuses on a specific case presented by a member city. Another city will act as a “consultant”, and others can attend the session as “observers”. Guided by a moderator from the ECCAR Office, participants follow a structured consultation process that moves from presenting and clarifying the challenge to analysing the situation, sharing experiences, reflecting on possible approaches, and identifying concrete next steps.
During the year, session topics will vary based on the needs of the member cities. The first three sessions focus on how to set up a municipal anti-discrimination office, how to work with disaggregated data on ethnicity and race and how to decolonise urban spaces. Throughout the year, the ECCAR Office will communicate the registration process to the member cities, but interested cities can also email the Office at office@eccar.info.
