European Year of Intercultural Dialogue

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Intercultural dialogue has long been a principle supported by the European Union and its Institutions. The year 2008 has been designated "European Year of Intercultural Dialogue" by the European Parliament and the Member States of the European Union. It aims to draw the attention of people in Europe to the importance of dialogue within diversity and between diverse cultures.

1 Definitions
2 Antecedents
- 2.1 European Years
- 2.2 European Activities
3 The purpose of the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue
4 Actions expected ...
- 4.1 ... at European level
- 4.2 ... at National level
5 References
6 External links

[edit] Definitions

There is no single and universally accepted definition of "Intercultural Dialogue". However, a forum organised by the Council of Europe in November 2006 suggested the following:

"an open and respectful exchange of views between individuals and groups belonging to different cultures that leads to a deeper understanding of the other’s world perception".^[1]

Other definitions or usages have been closer to concepts such as inter-religious dialogue^[2] and often to active citizenship learning.^[3] In a number of countries the phrase refers to dialogue between indigenous people and immigrant peoples,^[4] and it can also be used as a metaphor for forms of contact between countries which are not based on military power.^[5]

The text adopted by the European Union on the "European Year of Intercultural Dialogue"^[6] does not use any specific definition, but it underlines the role of intercultural dialogue in:

respect for cultural diversity in the complex societies of today

the role of dialogue and greater mutual understanding in developing equal opportunities for all

supporting the EU's commitment to solidarity and social justice

enabling the EU to forge partnerships with other countries and make its voice better heard in the world.

[edit] Antecedents

[edit] European Years

The European Year of Intercultural Dialogue has a number of antecedents in the European Union's policies.

There have been a number of "European Years", beginning in 1983 with the European Year of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises and the Craft Industry. Recent and planned European Years include:

1983 - European Year of SMEs and the Craft Industry

1984 - European Year for a People's Europe

1985 - European Year of Music

1986 - European Year of Road Safety

1987 - European Year of the Environment

1988 - European Year of Cinema and Television

1989 - European Year of Information on Cancer

1990 - European Year of Tourism

1992 - European Year of Safety, Hygiene and Health Protection at Work

1993 - European Year of the Elderly and of Solidarity between Generations

1994 - European Year of Nutrition and Health

1995 - European Year of Road Safety and Young Drivers

1996 - European Year of Lifelong Learning

1997 - European Year against Racism and Xenophobia

1998 - European Year of Local and Regional Democracy

1999 - European Year of Action to Combat Violence Against Women

2001 - European Year of Languages

2003 - European Year of People with Disabilities

2004 - European Year of Education through Sport

2005 - European Year of Citizenship through Education

2006 - European Year of Workers' Mobility

2007 - European Year of Equal Opportunities for All

2008 - European Year of Intercultural Dialogue http://www.interculturaldialogue2008.eu/

2010 - European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion Press Release

No further European Years have yet been announced, although Commissioner Jan Figel', who originally proposed the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue, has reflected publicly about the possibility of designating 2009 as a European Year linking Education, Culture and Creativity.^[7] A full list of European Years is maintained by the European Parliament [2]. It will be seen that many of these years, particularly the more recent ones, are in the educational and social fields. In general they have been designated and run directly by the European Union and its Member States; however, some (such as 2005) have been designated and run by the Council of Europe and others (such as the 2001 European Year of Languages) were joint operations between the two bodies.

[edit] European Activities

Many of the activities of the European Union both contribute to the development of intercultural dialogue and, conversely, require it.

Activities such as the promotion of educational and training exchanges^[8] enable young people and academics/teachers/trainers to move around the European Union and require them to operate in cultures and living circumstances different from those they know best. They thus require an openness to learn from (or at least, to survive in) another culture, and they help people develop the capacities that encourage this. Similarly, the fundamental freedoms of the European Union are built on the idea that people, goods, services and capital should be able to move around the Union freely; their realisation by individuals and companies both requires and encourages intercultural dialogue.

[edit] The purpose of the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue

The purpose of European Years generally has become similar to that of the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue:

"to contribute to giving expression and a high profile to a sustained process of intercultural dialogue which will continue beyond that year" (Article 1 of the Decision establishing the Year)

European Years generally respond to a perceived need to promote an issue in the public eye; to support relevant public organisations and NGOs in their work; and to provide limited resources for some trans-national work at European level. Recent Years have concentrated more on raising the profile of the issue concerned, less on funding projects through dedicated budgets; they have rather sought to make their issue a funding priority in existing programmes (such as the Lifelong Learning programme cited above, whose Call for projects^[9] includes this priority at different points: see for example sections 1.1.3 and 4.2.4). This system avoids the need to dedicate specific budgets to the European year, or enables them to be spent on projects with higher visibility.^[10] Dedicated budgets for recent European Years have been around €12 million between the Year itself and the preceding (preparatory) year.

For this particular European Year, Commissioner Jan Figel' has suggested three specific objectives:

"raising the awareness of European citizens and of those living in the Union;
developing social and personal habits that will equip us for a more open and complex cultural environment;
finally, intercultural dialogue is linked to a more political goal: creating a sense of European citizenship".^[11]

[edit] Actions expected ...

The legislation designating the year calls for the following types of activity:^[12]

activities at European, national and regional levels promoting Intercultural Dialogue and the various objectives of the Year. These should be connected to civic education and to learning to appreciate others and their differences the legal text refers to "A limited number of emblematic actions on a European scale aimed at raising awareness, particularly among young people";

information and promotion campaigns, particularly in connection with NGOs, and focussing on young people and children

surveys and studies to evaluate the Year and to prepare for its long-term follow-up.

[edit] ... at European level

In response to this mandate, the European Commission held a three-month consultation (or "Call for ideas"^[13]) about what the Year should entail. This was followed by a Conference and Exhibition on the European Year and on the future of Intercultural Dialogue^[14] to help identify good practice. It is now considering how these outcomes should be put into practice.

[edit] ... at National level

The legislation requires the EU Member States to nominate a national coordination body "responsible for organising that Member State's participation in the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue" (see article 4). This should have been done within one month of the adoption of the legal decision at European level (ie, by 18 January 2007); but not all Member States have so far done so and the European Commission has not yet published the list of those bodies so far nominated.