EU: Intercultural Dialogue

http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/intercultural/Source/Pub_White_Paper/White%20Paper_final_revised_EN.pdf

Intercultural Dialogue

Leaving together as equals in dignity

Dialogue

– A Key to Europe's Future

Managing Europe’s increasing cultural diversity – rooted in the history of our

continent and enhanced by globalisation – in a democratic manner has

become a priority in recent years. How shall we respond to diversity? What is

our vision of the society of the future? Is it a society of segregated

communities, marked at best by the coexistence of majorities and minorities

with differentiated rights and responsibilities, loosely bound together by

mutual ignorance and stereotypes? Or is it a vibrant and open society without

discrimination, benefiting us all, marked by the inclusion of all residents in full

respect of their human rights? The Council of Europe believes that respect

for, and promotion of, cultural diversity on the basis of the values on which

the Organisation is built are essential conditions for the development of

societies based on solidarity.

The “White Paper on Intercultural Dialogue” presented here, emphatically

argues in the name of the governments of the 47 member states of the

Council of Europe that our common future depends on our ability to

safeguard and develop human rights, as enshrined in the European

Convention on Human Rights

, democracy and the rule of law and to promote

mutual understanding. It reasons that the intercultural approach offers a

forward-looking model for managing cultural diversity. It proposes a

conception based on individual human dignity (embracing our common

humanity and common destiny). If there is a European identity to be realised,

it will be based on shared fundamental values, respect for common heritage

and cultural diversity as well as respect for the equal dignity of every

individual.

Intercultural dialogue has an important role to play in this regard. It allows us

to prevent ethnic, religious, linguistic and cultural divides. It enables us to

move forward together, to deal with our different identities constructively and

democratically on the basis of shared universal values.

Intercultural dialogue can only thrive if certain preconditions are met. To

advance intercultural dialogue, the White Paper argues, the democratic

governance of cultural diversity should be adapted in many aspects;

democratic citizenship and participation should be strengthened; intercultural

competences should be taught and learned; spaces for intercultural dialogue

should be created and widened; and intercultural dialogue should be taken to

the international level.