[FR] Transcriptions des vidéos

In this final unit, we see what our experts say about our respondents’ openness and perceptions of cultural and religious diversity within their societies. In sum, a high majority of people from Europe and southern and eastern Mediterranean agree – at 91% and 80%, respectively — that people from different cultural and religious backgrounds should have equal opportunities and rights.

When viewing the idea that cultural and religious diversity constitutes a threat to societal stability, Femke De Keulenaer looks at some individual countries, noting that in Portugal, Croatia, Finland and the Netherlands, 5% or less of respondents agreed. While 71% of Finns strongly disagreed, in the other three countries 45-53% agreed.

She further notes that Jordan ranked closest to the European countries in terms of disagreement, at 62%; while a majority at 89% strongly agree that cultural and religious diversity is important for societal prosperity.

Ricard Zapata-Barrero advocates for the emerging intercultural policy paradigm that deals with diversity as an advantage and a resource, and opportunity for community building, namely at the city-level. 

Aliki Moschis-Gauguet offers a model for intercultural cities  that “…are traditionally ideal laboratories for cross-cultural fertilization…”, with both groups considering cultural and religious diversity an important asset for their society, as previously stated in the beginning of this module.

Building on the existing measures of the Council of Europe and European Commission Intercultural Cities programme (ICC), Moschis-Gauguet concludes with a series of recommendations by urging local authorities to use art and creativity in public spaces in order to engage and foster intercultural dialogue.

She invites the Anna Lindh Foundation to intensify its action in favour of intercultural cities by establishing the Euro-Mediterranean Capital of Dialogue Award in order to praise and acknowledge cities across the region for their successful intercultural policies. She also underlines the importance of the multiplication of exchanges, the extension of the Erasmus programme to civil society including rural areas, the intensification of transnational cooperation and intercultural encounters through school twinning, common intercultural educational projects, the increase of artistic mobility, and finally the exchange of good practices in public services especially dealing with minority groups and refugees.  

Last modified: Saturday, 13 November 2021, 11:03 AM