Ghent has a very diverse population. All these people/citizens add their own personality, origin and stories. Together, they all form a whole: together we are Amal Gent.

As an Agency for Integration and Civic Integration, Amal makes diversity tangible for every person living in Ghent. Whether you are a non-native newcomer, a born and bred Ghent citizen, a company or an organisation, at Amal, you experience diversity at your own pace. After all, everyone benefits from living harmoniously together in diversity.

Amal has been supporting non-native newcomers in finding their way for about 50 years now. Together with our partners in Ghent, we offer newcomers custom-made assistance. We refer them to Dutch classes, organise lessons with practical tips about life in Flanders, help them in their search for a job, education, leisure activities and many more. This way, people get to know the city and each other, and feel at home. Integration works both ways. That is why we make Ghent organisations and city services more accessible to people with a migration background. We provide advice and support regarding language and diversity policies and offer assistance through public service interpreters and translators.

We bring the people of Ghent closer together. Amal is a very personal proper name. it the same time It is the Ghent dialect word for ‘everybody’ and focuses on collectivity. That is why we invite everyone to be open to diversity. Because living harmoniously in diversity only works all together. This is how we make Ghent a home for us at ‘Amal’.

This is how we are all Amal Ghent!

Who are we?

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Amal only focuses on Ghent citizens. For information on civic integration and integration in Antwerp, Flanders or Brussels, please contact the other agencies.

Antwerp: Atlas carries out this task for the city of Antwerp.
Flanders and Brussels: the Integration and Civic Integration Agency carries out this task for Flanders and Brussels.

For Dutch classes in Brussels, contact Huis van het Nederlands Brussel.

The name “Amal” stands for

Warm and personal contact

Amal is a warm place that gives people space to develop. We want to help people get started, empower them, support them, etc. We take a personal and custom-made approach. This personal touch is very important to us, hence the name ‘Amal’. There is nothing as personal as a given name, and Amal is a proper name in different cultures. We pursue one-on-one contact and closeness. We are all people living and working together with other people.

“We are all Amal in the end.”

Reciprocity

Integration works both ways. Integration is easier if newcomers feel welcome. This is why promoting diversity is an important task for us. We want to persuade a broad public to be open to and participate in diversity. Amal is the name of a person and at the same time Ghent dialect for “everybody”. These two meanings are a beautiful reflection of how reciprocal integration is like. It requires openness from the newcomer and from the Ghent community. The name stands for the individual and for the collective. Because only together can we make Ghent a city where we live together in diversity.

"We are Amal Ghent."

Building a community

We are starting a movement that allows people to experience diversity. Because that is far more important than pompous slogans. When people interact personally with diverse target groups, prejudices disappear naturally themselves. We make sure to keep the threshold low. In the end, experiencing diversity should be both easy and interesting. The name Amal in Ghent dialect is clear: What is diversity? That's each and every one of us! That is why everyone is welcome to participate. Our organisation offers activities tailored to everyone's needs so that everyone can experience diversity. So, join in and experience how diversity can be enriching for you too!

“We love being Amal together.”

A Ghent story

We are carrying out an assignment for the Flemish government, while writing our own warm and positively unique Ghent story. Because only in Ghent does Amal mean both the highly individual (a first name) and the collective (“everybody”). Yes, we are “the Ghent Integration and Civic Integration Agency”. But just call us Amal!

"We are all Amal Ghent."

Amal (She/He/They)

Our name is Amal, with the pronouns She/He/They. By adding our pronouns, we want to be welcoming and connecting to everyone. This way, we make Ghent a home for us at ‘Amal’, also for people who do not feel completely at ease with the labels “male” or “female”.

Our volunteer department

Amal wants to be a warm place for volunteers. Our five core values therefore also apply to them.

Hospitality: we are very approachable for our volunteers. There is always someone there to listen, and coffee and tea at the ready.
Clarity: we communicate clearly and inclusively, and motivate our volunteers to do the same. We help them by providing trainings and tips.
Personal approach: each volunteer is different. We always start from each individual’s abilities, talents and preferences.
Diversity: Amal employs more than 100 volunteers each year, each with their own personality and story. It is important to us that everyone can feel they can be themselves.
Connection: We want our volunteers to meet each other. That is why we organise various activities, trainings and exchanges every year.

Groep van mensen op de binnenkoer van Amal.

Amal’s impact

Every year, Amal publishes an annual report, looking back through figures, stories and beautiful projects.

About Amal