From the start of the preparation of the conference, it was clear that being together and utilising the experiential expertise should become the starting point for the inclusion programme. In order to outline a future, determine strategies, or reshape the design of cities, the public domain and leisure time, the participation of a diverse society was desired from the principle of "universal design". For everyone, by everyone. Not a conference merely talking "about" inclusion, but at its core striving for inclusiveness itself.

For many libraries it is not an easy task to reach young people, but in Antwerp it is getting better and better. Permeke, Antwerp's central library, has had an Urban Bib since 2016, which attracted many young people. At that time youth worker Dries Decru brought hip-hop culture into Permeke, and the young artists and partners who committed to Urban Bib laid the groundwork for a new youth library where young people are given as much space as possible to develop themselves.

The joint industry associations in the cultural and creative sector presented the Diversity & Inclusion Code (CODEDI) on 1 November 2019, a broadened version of the Diversity Code developed in 2011. The content of the CODEDI is in line with the Culture Governance Code and the Fair Practice Code, the two other codes of conduct as instruments for self-regulation within the cultural and creative sector. These three codes of conduct reinforce each other.

“I thought we would get an inclusive society!” That was the cry from the heart of a participant at a conference on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in 2018. The Netherlands ratified the Convention in 2016. Since then, in the perception of many people, little has been achieved to make the country more accessible and inclusive.

In the context of our work in the fields of inclusive education, research and design, we sat down for a chat with Koen Deweer, founder and director of Konekt (www.konekt.be). Konekt radically champions a world in which persons with and without disabilities live, learn and work together. The goal is clear: to allow people with disabilities to live fully in an inclusive society. In doing so, Koen and Konekt focus both on developing individuals’ full potential and on making the environment more inclusive. The origins of his drive lie in his own school experiences, as well as those of his son. Both times he observed how everyone is pushed through a system which is the same for everyone and therefore not set up to utilise personal talents. When someone is not good at something, it may lead to biased advice from teachers: “Something with psychology and pedagogy is probably beyond your depth. Maybe becoming a forester is more suitable.” When Koen noticed the same thing happening to his son, he felt: now we really have to change things.

Complex issues in society require a different logic than the logic and methods used so far. Is it really the experts, policy-makers and trusted institutions from whom we can expect this different logic? At least in project ‘De Ader’, (The Vain) those involved did not wait for this answer. They wanted it to be different and they did do things differently.