The group explored Leicester’s ethnic, cultural and religious diversity, various community skills, and development of structures, cohesion plans, as well as city’s continuous effort to maintain its diverse character which makes it an interesting and liveable place.

Drammen is a small city of 60000 inhabitants situated about 41 km. to the West of Oslo, Norway. It’s 18% minority population hail from Turkish, Somali, Pakistani, Vietnamese, Kurdish and Afghani backgrounds and with several other smaller communities living side by side with the indigenous Norwegians.

The meeting consisted of senior city planners including Mr.Tore Opdal Hansen, elected Mayor of Drammen and other delegates namely, Rev. Ivar Flaten, Mr Tore Isaksen, Ms Irina Micovic Greni, Mr Jonas Muhammad, Mr Tom Reffhaug, Mr Ivar Nygård. The Leicester Group included representation from the Leicester City Council, Adrian Russell, Service Director, Environmental Services, Lisa Handy from the LCC Cemeteries Department, Suleman Nagdi, Yakoob Dassu and Salim Mangera

Mr Nagdi said “In a series of meetings and consultations the visitors had explored the establishment of structures and practice with their counterparts in Leicester and Leicestershire. Their attempts to develop council-supported intercommunity structures could be a pioneering piece of work in Norway. Leicester can be proud of its multiple community experiences, maturing sense of community, living and working together to build a society where citizens can live with a sense of belonging to the city while imparting this learning with a sister-European-city”.