As the capital of Europe, Brussels became home to a mixture of nationalities. The European institutions are employing about 40, 000 Europeans from all countries of the Union. Some 20,000 lobbyists, 1,400 journalists and over 5,000 diplomats are active around the institutions. Brussels counts almost 300 regional representatives, 2,500 other international institutions, more than 2,000 international companies and 150 international law firms.

However, the various population groups in Brussels don’t always have the opportunity to connect with each other. Because of the socioeconomic advantageous position of most expats, the segregation of this group is seldom raised as an issue, even though a great potential for enriching interactions exists between this group and the other inhabitants of Brussels.

Initiatives of citizens and organisations in Brussels can according to the King Baudouin Foundation bridge the gap that exists between expats and others inhabitants of Brussels. We believe that a multiplication of small initiatives can have a substantial impact on the larger picture.

The King Baudouin Foundation therefore launches for the third time a call to expats and Brussels based individuals and organisations: if you have an idea to bring expats and others together, you are invited to submit an application for financial support.

More information can be found here:

Nele Verbruggen
Programme Officer
King Baudouin Foundation
Brederodestraat 21, B-1000 Brussels
T: +32-2-549 02 43
verbruggen.n@kbs-frb.be
www.kbs-frb.be