Tolerance of different cultures is no longer enough: Europeans should create an “inter-cultural society” in which interaction across cultural boundaries is the norm, the European Union’s top cultural official said Friday. “We want to go beyond multi-cultural societies, where cultures and cultural groups simply coexist side by side: mere tolerance is not enough any more,” the EU’s Commissioner for Education, Training, Culture and Youth, Jan Figel, said ahead of the official launch of the European Year of Inter-cultural Dialogue 2008.
“We need to give an impulse for a true metamorphosis in our societies, so that we can create an inter-cultural Europe where cultures exchange and interact constructively,” he said.
On Tuesday, top EU officials are set to launch the Year of Inter- cultural Dialogue at a ceremony in Slovenia, the country which currently holds the EU’s six-month rotating presidency.
European officials have already announced events across the 27- member bloc aimed at getting different national, linguistic, religious and other groups to listen to one another.
Seven cross-border projects are set to include artistic shows and discussions on hip-hop culture, video workshops for young people, radio broadcasts on migration in European history, and meetings between storytellers, artists, musicians and primary school children.
They are to be backed by national programmes ranging from a school essay competition in Latvia to a week-long festival examining the relationship between education and cultural dialogue in Germany.
And they are to be promoted by 15 leading figures of European culture ranging from Serbian pop star and Eurovision Song Contest winner Marija Serifovic to Brazilian author Paulo Coelho, and from German-educated Turkish pianist Fazil Say to Polish journalist and Solidarity activist Adam Michnik.
Their combined activities “will emphasize the interaction of cultures, deepening of relations between nationalities and religions, and promoting through dialogue a strengthening of understanding, tolerance, solidarity and a sense of common destiny among EU citizens from all walks of life,” an EU press release proclaimed.
According to a survey published in December, two-thirds of Europeans interact with at least one person from a different culture each day, and over 70 per cent think these contacts are positive.
But conflict between ethnic or religious groups still continues to bedevil many states, with suburban riots in France, political deadlock in Belgium, unrest in the Balkans and the fear of Islamist terrorism in many states all making the headlines in 2007.
Indeed Belgium, uniquely in the EU, has not even launched a national programme for inter-cultural dialogue this year: its three main language groups have each launched their own programmes without apparent reference to one another.
And with religious discord and ethnic tension hot topics on the political agenda, EU officials are likely to have their work cut out for them if they wish to forge a new society in Europe this year.
From EARTHtimes.org / Author : DPA
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I was wondering..
won’t it get to a point, where there is just one european culture, but no culture for each seperate country?
don’t get me wrong, i love the idea..but couldn’t it be a consequence of an “inter-cultural Europe”?
This is something that is often discussed here in Australia. The debate being that people should be allowed to bring the culture/religion of their native country and practice it - as in a true democracy - But on the flip side that that shouldn’t extend to the point where it causes rifts and conflicts and divisions.
If you come from country A and decide to migrate to country B - isn’t it only right that you learn that countries language, culture, attitude. It can’t be one cohesive country if you have no real community spirit. If you refuse to see or hear another’s point of view.
Some people don’t want to do that for fear that it will weaken the bonds that their families have if they mix with other cultures/religions or even badly influence them. This eventually breaks down from generation to generation though.
My personal family has a mix of so many different nationalities, I’ve lost count of how many. Thankfully it works well.
Kathleen xx
I don’t know about Europe.
I’m glad to read this article and wish that this leads to love between everybody…it’s a step closer and still a way to go…i believe in this dialogue, it’s only a pity that politics can destroy it…then it’s important that the promotors keep faith because they stand closer to the people then politicians.
So Paulo and other artists I’m thankful for your participation.
Love
All Ways
Hildegarde
Years ago 1 attended to a course with 12 other people, we were from 12 different countries and we had a language in common, the one we were learning. All of us were refugees and inmigrants in a foreign land and because most of us were alone there, we became a “family”, it was one of the most wonderful experiences in my life.
Dear Paulo,
I am also a little afraid as Walaa Hamdan of this -
“inter-cultural Europe” consequences.
Shouldn’t there be the “inter-cultural world”?
so nobody would feel rejected, off-limits?
Don’t you think that there should be “something” that unites people not continents?
love
Agnieszka
Culture:
Norms, traditions, meant to change.
So what’s the fuss about?
I made a comment on this the other day,but I think there where technical problems,but you are doing a good thing promoting this :-)Blessings Tania
Positive news! Something needed in many countries around the world! I would love to sit in on the meeting and listen and take back what i learned to my country and pass it along!
much love and peace
marie
I have to add something here:
I’m a Spanish woman that spent 10 years in Sweden, I think you can agree with me that the cultures are quite different. That didn’t make me less Spanish and more Swedish, I didn’t loose anything, on the contrary, I got to learn many things that otherwise I would never know about . I understand that people are afraid of what they don’t know… An “inter-cultural world” is possible, people give you and you give them, it is a matter of developing together.