Theme 1997: Minorities
These are the CONCLUSIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS of the International Christian Artists Symposium, August 16-22, 1997.
MAIN CONCLUSIONS
- There is a traditional view of minorities; the majority sees a minority as:
- a disturbance of the status quo;
- a struggle for power/supremacy;
- a threat to peace;
- a "group", not as individuals with common interest;
- a threat for their own prosperity.
- a group, and is not seen as unique individuals;
- fighting for their own rights;
- seeing the minority as a threat to their existance;
- fighting for the presentation of privileges.
- 2. This requires:
- a) There is a need for change in education: minorities are an enrichment to life. So we should emphasise the need for multi-cultural studies as part of the curricullum.
- b) There is a need for change in mentality: everybody somewhere is part of a minority (e.g. artists, handicapped, single parents,teenage youth, the new poor; etc.). And by understanding this, is the conclusion: are you really in "danger" or are you being a "danger" for others? This understanding leads to co-existance.
- c) There is a need for change in the point of view expressed in the media. One-sided and traditional (see point I) views we see expressed in the media by majoritygroups should be challenged.
- d) There is a need for a political culture focussed on a society where every one can live in peace and harmony, where people of very different cultural or ethnic origin respect each other and find a way to bring together all those various identities within a peaceful society.
- e) There is a need for a political culture that doesn't look for an enemy or a scapegoat in other ethnic groups when they can not solve their problems. Particularly within a growing European Union, the need for ethnic identity becomes of major importance, as does the way the vari-ous identities fit together.
- As part of the training of the new generations of Europeans should be ideas like:
- the other group is equal important as your own group;
- the other group is not lower (inferiority), just different;
- your group is not better (arrogance), just different;
- by accepting the other (tolerance) we create the right atmosphere for emancipation of every minority group, which supports the well-being of all/the union. This includes the access to media for minority-groups;
- an essential element of the education/training of every human being. (Europeans and worldwide) should be the idea of equality (gelijkwaardigheid) of individuals and groups.
- As Europe has quite a history of intolerance against ethnic, religious, economic, political minority groups we believe that majority-groups have the task to make the first step in showing acceptance, tolerance, solidarity, in creating the environment for liberation and co-existance; and in giving support to fight injustice and discrimination.
- The only future for a Europe so full with minority-groups lies in true democracy that sustains everyone, every individual, every group, without limiting the benefits to a single group or majority. Having the political power can create injustice towards minorities; politicians should ban every form of corruption or policies that favour their own party/group.
- Governments are asked to act against the centre of intolerance, whether these are religious, social, cultural, economic or political by nature. This includes the mobilising of public opinion.
- Where possible cross-cultural communication should be improved. This means having access to TV-channels, visiting museums, theatreshows of other cultures, as well as visiting your "moroccon" neighbour, etc. Easily, people stay to caught up in an "us-against-them" feeling.
- With all possible means the lies of the political ultra-right wings should be exposed. (Lies like: the immigrants take your jobs, etc.). With all possible means the lies of every group misusing ethnicity should be exposed; groups do not recognize the human rights (dangers can be found with christian and Islam fundamentalists; political ultra-left and ultra-right...)
- The actors of the civil society (social centreground) should more as ever play their roles in organising the people.
- As a result the role of political parties, trade unions, churches, organizations, cultural organizations, etc. will increase
- As a result the communication of values and ideas will be helped.
- As a result democracy will be upheld.
- As a result healthy forms of group-identity (as an anti-dote to the mass anonymous suburbs with their high rates of crime) will be created.
- As a result a barrier against the neo-liberal world views and practises (economic, social, political) that undermine the social quality of community will be set up.
- Healthy forms of group-identity, that not always have to be ethnic forms, at the contrary have to be more forms that pass ethnic bounderies.
- Artists (music, performing arts, visual arts, media-arts) can play a vital role in bridging the gaps, because the arts overcome isolation and can show us reality from various view points.
- As much as possible subsidiarity principles should be implemented (that means the power to make your own decisions at the lowest possible level). This refers to a good working situation between the power of Brussels and regional/group-autonomy. It is strongly suggested that nation-al government + Brussels invests in the existing artistic + cultural network, so that the various groups will blossom and arts can show equali-ty in pluriformity.
- Creating a European (and worldwide) atmosphere of tolerance (being the facilitation for a new golden age) is a key task.This issue of (in)tolerance (the working, aspects, implementation) should be discussed in a forthcoming symposium.
- Also minorities need to be educated. They also have to learn that the majorities are not the big enemy.