Our vision
The Tervuren community includes more than 5,600 non-Belgians with more than 100 different nationalities. Diversity continues to grow significantly. Above all, this is an asset that helps enrich all aspects of the rich Tervuren life. Our starting point is that we must fully engage in connecting citizens from different neighbourhoods and backgrounds.
Our three priorities
- We need a friendly language policy. We encourage the use of Dutch in all services, but without being repressive. At the same time, we deal with linguistic diversity in an appreciative and respectful manner. Language is not an end in itself but helps with integration. Low-threshold initiatives allow newcomers to practice Dutch. Initiatives such as Café Combinne are further developed by doing activities together as well as talking. Another possibility is for small children to practice Dutch with senior citizens (following the example of Sint-Pieters-Leeuw). The children improve their Dutch and help old people overcome their loneliness. We are also talking to the CVO to see how they can tailor their formal lessons more to students.
- 2023 saw the first village restaurant in the centre of Tervuren. Groen+ put this on the agenda, and since then was one edition in each borough. This way we bring people together in the neighbourhood where they live. We want to increase the frequency of village restaurants: from four times a year to monthly.
- Social cohesion is best achieved close to the people. That is why we are fully committed to community work. Tervuren has had a second community centre since 2022. In close cooperation with Woontrots, community centre De Witte Raaf was opened in the Ravenstein neighbourhood. The Groenveld community centre in Moorsel had already opened earlier. If it were up to Groen+Vooruit, we would open a community centre in every borough in Tervuren (4 in total). Neighbourhood houses are professionally supervised by a community worker, who sets up a network of volunteers with a good feel for the neighbourhood. The diversity in the neighbourhood is approached as an asset rather than a problem. The community centres will eventually become the hub of neighbourhood-oriented care.