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Heard from Angela & Nina at IoC Switzerland that the programme for Learning to Live in a Multicultural World: Diaspora and Peacemaking in Europe is ready and will be at Caux, Switzerland, on 26 – 31 July 2011.
I only caught the last couple of days this year but it was well worth it.
Two sessions on the 2011 programme have caught my eye -
Identity
Identity is a crucial issue when cultural diversity becomes a reality. This is not only true for diasporas, but also – and no less importantly – for the host society. Current debates about
religious/cultural symbols, integration or assimilation, about radicalized second – and third generation immigrants, and the fear of loss of ‘European’ values, are revealing the growing
importance of identity. Taking the concept of ‘multiple identities’ as a starting point, the following questions will be addressed: How is the issue of identity related to the growing cultural diversity in Europe? What is the reason for and role of identity politics? What benefits – if any – could the notion of ‘multiple identities’ provide?
Participation and power relations
This theme will explore the mechanisms of exclusion and inclusion. The plenary will focus on the issues of power and power relations, and relate them to the question of social, economic and political participation of diaspora members. What are the power relations currently in place – within diaspora communities, and between them and host communities? What are the forces for social, political and economical exclusion of diaspora communities? How can diaspora communities influence power relations? Case studies will provide practical examples of how existing power structures can be influenced, and political, economic and social participation increased.
Irresistible. Anyone else from the UK coming?
Good to meet Michael Smith of the UK Initiatives of Change this evening at the Global Tolerance FaithClimateConnect virtual summit.
Hot on the heels of an email from Angela & Nina (IoC Switzerland) with more details of the “Learning to Live in a Multicultural World” conference in the Alps 2nd – 7th July this year.
Still wondering how Moral Rearmament got to be Initiatives of Change, but I’ll go with the (highly ambitious) kind of thing Angela & Nina are planning – and who can resist an international summer in the alps?
A ray of sunshine for anyone bothered about the Swiss referendum vote yesterday to ban the building of minarets: Initiatives of Change (Switzerland) is hosting a conference this summer (IoC was behind the film The Imam and the Pastor).
Learning to Live in a Multicultural World Fundamental rights and multiculturalism in Europe Friday 2 July – Wednesday 7 July 2010 at their conference centre in Caux, Switzerland. The cost is amazingly low and even cheaper for 16-23 year olds.
Angela and Nina, who were part of the CEJI course, are involved in organising the conference – so expect a lively and challenging weekend . .
