Chef-lieu programme · Founders

Claim your city, become its chef-lieu.

The first 20 members to bring a foreign city to life become its chefs-lieux for 1 year: the elders who welcome and guide newcomers. Then, every year, the city elects its own.

  • The first 20 of a city become its chefs-lieux
  • A 1-year term, then a yearly election
  • For those who've lived there for 2 years
Chef-lieuFounder

City

🇨🇲 Bruxelles

Cameroonians of Brussels

Seat 3 / 201-yr term
20founding seats
1 anterm
2 ansresidence required
Yearlyelection after

A chef-lieu is the elder of the city.

Not an honorary title: a living role, made of concrete gestures towards those who've just arrived.

Welcome

You're the first face a newcomer sees. A welcome message, an answer to their questions, and they no longer feel alone in an unfamiliar city.

Guide

Where to sort out paperwork, which neighbourhood, which home-country grocery, which association: you share what took you years to learn.

Bring together

You animate your city's community: you suggest meetups, connect people, keep the neighbourhood alive.

Represent

You carry the voice of your local community: people turn to you, and you relay what matters.

How to become a chef-lieu

Path 1 · The 20 founders

Be among the first 20 members to join a foreign city that has no chef-lieu yet: you become a founding chef-lieu for 1 year.

Path 2 · The yearly election

After the first year, chefs-lieux are elected every year by the city's members, directly on the platform. The role is earned and renewed.

Requirement · 2 years in the city

To be a chef-lieu, you must have lived in the city for at least 2 years. You only guide well what you truly know, time on the ground is legitimacy.

Frequently asked questions

What is a “chef-lieu”?

The elder reference of a city: a long-settled member who welcomes, guides and gathers the compatriots of their city. The name is a play on words, the chief… of the place.

Why the first 20?

Because someone has to start. The first to bring a city to life lay its foundations: they become founding chefs-lieux for 1 year, until the community grows enough to elect the next ones.

How does the election work?

Every year, the city's members vote on the platform to appoint their chefs-lieux from eligible residents. A role that isn't inherited, it's entrusted, and renewed.

What if my city already has its chefs-lieux?

You join the community and take part in the next election. Your residence time counts: once you've been there two years, you can stand.

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