La Zarza: a population dedicated to inclusion
La Zarza is a small Spanish municipality in Badajoz, Spain, and a gold winner of the European Capitals of Inclusion and Diversity Award 2023 in the category of local authorities with less than 50,000 inhabitants.
A small town with big energy
Local communities play a key role in the promotion of diversity and inclusion by creating safe, welcoming, and hospitable places for residents to live and thrive in – and La Zarza has done just that. According to Mayor Francisco José Farrona Navas, their hope in submitting their application was “to give visibility to the local actions and policies that our small town hall develops for the benefit of our citizens.” Their efforts have shown Europe that Inclusion and Diversity are just as important for small towns as it is for big cities.
Wide-reaching Diversity & Inclusion initiatives
La Zarza is a role model in the scope of its actions for inclusion, which span everything from sport to transport. Their initiatives address a spectrum of groups and utilise many strands of activity, though they are most proud of their achievements in transport. They feel their free-on-demand transport vehicle is “the best solution to facilitate accessibility to basic services in our hilly town, a real issue for people with reduced mobility and the elderly.” Beyond this, the service has also created new labour opportunities for citizens with functional diversity.
They show evident commitment to D&I and are affecting a number of groups positively through a range of strands of activity. The municipality has proven itself a paragon in hiring people with disabilities and older people and is establishing equal opportunities and respect for diversity as core values for its administration.
The local population of La Zarza has received these initiatives with energy and dedication. Resident participation in multi-annual events has been high, and the municipality has committed to ongoing improvement by setting up survey systems to gain feedback.
They are living proof that many people in small places doing small things can change the world.
The importance of this Award
By applying for the European Capitals of Inclusion and Diversity Award, La Zarza gained the opportunity to engage in a dialogue with their European counterparts on how diversity and inclusion policies can be applied to communities in an effective and transparent way. They hope that this award will help “other small municipalities become aware of the need to address Inclusion and Diversity and develop policies and projects of social benefit.”
La Zarza felt honoured to receive their Award and saw it as “a great opportunity to continue working for the inclusion of all citizens and to create new alliances.” They hope that authorities will allocate more funds to implementing equality, diversity, and inclusion policies in small towns. They are living proof that many people in small places doing small things can change the world.
