International Conference on Multicultural Issue and Minorities in a European Context
27/11/2008
Identity and Multiculturalism.
People
throughout history have always grouped themselves into clan, tribes, nations
and many other forms of communities where they have developed their own
identity and cultural traditions.
The
present multicultural situation in
During the entire European history we have experienced
intolerance towards diversities, which have been conceived as enemies.
Many innocents “lost their life because their only
fault was to be different from their murderers”.
Culture and identity are two inseparable life
components. Anyway identity is not a dogma and it develops in time and through
circumstances.
Recognize “the others” and cross the divide.
We often appreciate and enjoy different cultures and
traditions, but when it comes to concrete relationships we think that our own
culture is the best and “the others” should follow our life>We like and enjoy Roma music and songs, but don’t like to have
something to do with them.
It is not enough to appreciate the culture of
“the others”; we need to pay attention to it and engage ourselves in mutual
respect and cooperation.
Crossing the divide means to overcome
preconceived beliefs and act on the bases of mutual understanding. It mightn’t
be easy , but it is necessary to avoid the failure of our “European building”.
Not the Fukuyama’s “End of History”, that reads diversities as exclusion
either the Huntingtons’ “Clash of Civilizations”,
that sees “The West and the Rest” fit with the “European vision of “Unity in
Diversity”. With the logic of “us” and “them” nothing can
be built.
Coalition-building
across borders by civil society’s actors
has promoted new paradigms of human and
social relationships influencing formal
institutional decision-making processes.
Diversity
is necessary for human flourishing, just as biodiversity is essential for the
survival of our planet.
Our
genetic code indicates that by and large we are made from the same matter.
Recognition of regions and local authorities at European level has made
EU more aware of European diversity.
At
the beginning of the European Integration process the only voices were those of
the central governments. The tone of essay-writing of the eighties was a refusal of
The
“regional movement” of the 1970’s and 1980’s, the establishment of the
“Committee of Regions” and the introduction of the principle of subsidarity
with the Maastricht Treaty significantly enhanced the perception of
multicultural diversity in
The
Regions must make more effort to strengthen one's role within the CoR and not
just to favor their representations in
Diversities means ethnic and linguistic minorities too.
If we really want to consider linguistic and
ethnic minorities as a European
cultural richness we need to be coherent. In many cases we aren’t.
The
Minorities
must feel safeguarded, both on legislative and administrative level and have
the feeling that the general social environment around them pays attention to
their special condition. Otherwise there is always a potential source of
tension.
If
we want to build a fabric of cohesiveness and mutual understanding among
diversities we need to put on it bricks soaked with security.
The
Golden Rule in negative: “Do not do unto others what you would not want others
to do unto you”, should be put in positive: “Do unto others what you would like
others to do unto you”.
Minorities
are sometimes concentrated in a specific territory an sometimes scattered all
over a country or, in our context, all over
EU
must act in agreement with national authorities.
Mistrust poisons human and institutional relationships and nourishes
negative attitude against diversity.
Mistrust
and suspicions among diversities “poison” every kind of relationships and
prevent the mutual understanding for building a peaceful European future.
Trust
and confidence enable dialogue to occur. Mistrust inhibits any cross-cultural
collaborative effort and growth of cultural of peace.
“Crossing the divide”, whatever it is, it is
the first necessary step to learn how to appreciate diversity and to promote
trust and confidence.
Genuine
dialogue requires careful nurturing, tolerance and conviction that it is
possible and useful.
Ignorance
and arrogance are the major roots of stereotyping, prejudice and violence.
Dialogue must be a mutual learning and information can help this
process.
In
approaching dialogue we need to put aside our desire to sell our ideas at any
cost; we need to pay attention to other conviction, to other approaches.
The
old rule ”Information is precondition of participation” is more topical than
ever.
Journalists
must be humbler and not think that they are the only holders of truth.
Information and communication also mean to learn the “art of listening”.
We
need bridge-builders committed to dialogue, recognizing that in our diversities
we have common values.
It
is also the communicators’ ability to present differences not as a threat but
as an opportunity. Local and regional media are of utmost importance to promote
participation in the European integration process and fostering dialog among
diversities. We need to give more elements of motivation for a better and
useful European communication, realizing that about more than 70 % of our daily
life is related to European rules.
Special
motivations and hope must be given to the young generations; we need to make
them dream. Sad is a nation whose young people have no dreams.
The
Communist system has deprived millions of citizens of Central and
To
reach any goal we need to be willing to do it, and to have willpower; otherwise
we are just losing time and energy, and