Launched on 1 January, the four-year REVEIL project offers training across Luxembourg to combat racism and promote intercultural understanding, with the goal of challenging personal biases and fostering lasting behavioural change in both public and professional sectors.
REVEIL stands for 'Renforcer la cohésion sociale par l’interculturalité et la lutte contre le racisme et les discriminations' in French, which translates to "Strengthening Social Cohesion through Interculturality and the Fight against Racism and Discrimination". After the completion of the project, a full evaluation will be conducted. The goal is to assess not only participant satisfaction, but also whether the training has led to tangible changes in attitudes and behaviours.
The project is led by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), in collaboration with the Luxembourg Integration and Social Cohesion Centre (LISKO) of the Luxembourg Red Cross and the association Centre for Education and Dialogue.
The initiative is rooted in the findings of a 2022 study by the Centre for Intercultural and Social Study and Training (CEFIS), which explored racism and discrimination in Luxembourg. The study found a clear need to raise public awareness and offer training in intercultural competence.
Training sessions and personal experience with racism
Since the start of this month, REVEIL training sessions have been open to the public, targeting sectors where multicultural interaction is common. The project acknowledges that racism remains an issue in Luxembourg's multicultural society, and aims to directly address it through structured, reflective learning.
Cécile Jérouville, from the Luxembourg Red Cross, explained that participants are invited to critically reflect on their own behaviours and assumptions, and are provided with materials and tools to challenge their thinking, expand their worldview, and embrace other cultures and ways of life.
Arline Sonita Tchagnang, a project officer at LISKO, offered a personal account of why such training matters. Having arrived in Luxembourg in 2016, she experienced racism and glottophobia – a form of discrimination linked to accent – while studying in the country. She also recalled being turned away from a job interview, where she was told outright: “We don’t work with people like you.”
Sector-specific training opportunities
Various sectors can benefit from the programme, including municipal authorities, youth and childhood services, and the social sector. These groups are offered both general training sessions and more targeted modules relevant to their field. Interested organisations or individuals can register online.
