"Interculture" has become an umbrella-term used to define a vast range of initiatives, all differing in their motivations, intentions and results. There is now an established rhetoric of interculture, which is used in many projects that define themselves as intercultural, but too often use the terminology automatically and uncritically. Nonetheless, there are several projects that in fact increase understanding and communication between different cultures, and improve exchanges between local communities, even if they are not labelled intercultural and are not traditionally involved in dealing with immigration and integration issues. Our research has allowed for these complexities and paid great attention to this type of activities.

Interculture Map’s approach moves away from a simple cataloguing of "intercultural associations". Instead, it analyses various areas (including the less "obvious" ones) where intercultural experience can take place. Bearing in mind that many sectors overlap and many actions cross boundaries, we have created five broad thematic maps in order to facilitate the creation of a European interculture map:

• interculture and the arts
• interculture and the media
• interculture and education
• interculture and quality of life
• interculture and university

In each thematic map actors (who?) and actions (what?) of interculture have been identified, bearing in mind that the first category of "actors" does not include only associations but also foundations, museums and public organizations, and that the second category of "actions" does not refer only to "intercultural projects" but also to art exhibitions, local initiatives, markets, and so on.

The Interculture Map website intends to be a meeting place where points of view can be exchanged and where one can obtain information and make one's own ideas and experiences available to others. The site therefore offers several interactive tools:

• The database includes data and information on projects and promoters within Interculture in Europe. Thanks to a detailed directory, each user can make his/her own "personal map" within Interculture Map.
• Exploring the pages devoted to specific areas of research (interculture and‿media, arts, education, quality of life, university), it is possible to gain in-depth knowledge of the maps we have created for each area of intercultural intervention. Starting from this page one can look up case studies, articles and reports which bring research results together.
• The forum aims to enhance the exchange of information and ideas regarding intercultural research and practice.
• At the page your project, users can take an active part in the research process, by entering information in the database about projects they have been involved in, or that they know of.

Interculture Map has been supported by the European Commission (DG Justice, Freedom and Security) within the INTI - Integration of third country nationals. It is the result of cooperation between researchers and intercultural operators from several European countries (Italy, Belgium, Spain and Czech Republic).