It is not enough for us to develop our own tools as practitioners in intercultural dialogue, but we need to make more people on the street aware of the opportunities (and constraints) which an intercultural approach implies. This applies not only to citizens of host countries, but also to immigrants themselves, so that they can progress beyond the generic call for the “rights” of immigrants, to an awareness of the “duties” of citizens, be they of immigrant origin or not. Only by allowing them to fully participate in economic and social decison-making, while being proud of the contribution they are making to the country they have chosen to live in, will we eventually foster a real sense of European Citizenship as a shared value and generate the necessary positive thinking to this end.

I am writing from NGO “The Arman/Aromanian Community fromn Romania”. The main reason of our organization is to maintain and develop the Arman/Aromanian language, traditions and the whole Arman/Aromanian cultural and spiritual specific features.At the same time, the Community proposes to facilitate the contact and connections with Armans/Aromanians who live in the original territory of the Balkan Peninsula, as well as Arman/Aromanian Communities from other states. As many other European languages, many of Latin origin, in danger of disappearance(like Occitan, Sardinian, Friulan), Arman/Aromanian language is the language of a vivid culture, although it is less and less spoken. I think that at European level - via intercultural dialogue - a special attention shoud be focused on lesser used (endangered)languages.

CERES - a not for profit Cornish group - provides cultural heritage links between Cornwall and the wider Europe. It greatly appreciates the invitation to contribute to Rainbow Paper II, and has notified other Cornish organisations of the paper and its significance.

Cornwall possess a distinctive and vibrant cultural tradition and language, stemming from our Celtic inheritance. It is to be hoped - and greatly - that minority cultures such as ours will be considered in the wider Rainbow debate, for they contribute fundamentally to Europe's cultural mosaic and can be put at serious risk by current population changes.

Such a risk is now apparent in Cornwall, due to externally-imposed political and commercial pressures over which we have little control and which are causing a massive immigration of non-Cornish people. We are now becoming a minority in our own land, and the adverse future effects on our identity and traditions will be self-evident.

It is to be hoped that such risks will be noted and understood, for were Cornwall's culture to be lost - along with others similarly at risk - small but significant contributions to the heritage we all share would be lost. It is not too late to consider meaningful measures of support, and Rainbow Paper II could provide a most timely opportunity for these to be initiated.

John Fleet: CERES Secretariat

.

It is a pity that this Introduction can't be edited online as well!

Here are some observations/suggestions:

Second para: much of this is 'generalese', not precise enough. And why are the ideas 'emerging' – by now surely they should be fully formed, no?

Third para: surely this is wrong! The central challenge of interculturalism is not about appreciating multi-layered identities (that many of us think we have), but about exploring, understanding, incorporating difference. And why 'mere' relativism?

Fourth para: You introduce 'diversity' here, which is a bit of a non sequitur unless you talk about difference already, as I have just suggested. Furious use of scare quotes also, you should remove most of them… Contradiction between working across sectors and the later reference to 'the sector'. Clarify.

Sixth para: what exactly is meant by 'ramifications for the arts and culture and hopefully other sectors'? When you clarify, please try to avoid misusing the adverb 'hopefully' – yes, everybody does it, but it is still wrong…

Dear Sabine Frank: Many thanks for your response to our contribution to the Rainbow II paper and for your questions.

As was noted previously, CERES provides cultural heritage links between Cornwall and the wider Europe. It has a long-standing association with the European Cultural Foundation, which has enabled Cornish organisations to participate in the LabforCulture and Cafe Babel programmes, and it works closely with relevant areas in the Council of Europe and the European Parliament. The invitation to contribute to the Rainbow debate was greatly welcomed, it being noted however that the debate will centre largely on the need for culural dialogue between the established traditions of Europe and those of immigrant peoples, for example those from Islamic countries. The issues involved are fundamental, and it is good to see they will be addressed in wide-ranging and disiplined manners. Our aim in that initial contribution was to draw attention to smaller-scale aspects of these issues, which can impact with equal significance on local traditions and culture.

Cornwall is a small Celtic region on Europe's western seaboards. It retains its language and a vibrant and distinctive cultural heritage. But unlike our United Kingdom cousins in Wales and Scotland [together with Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man] Cornwall is not afforded forms of special status and we are administered as a county within the English system of local government, being subject to its increasingly centralising policies. Cornwall is thus especially vulnerable to developments that may not take account of our integrity and historic legacy.

Currently we are being subjected to demands for large-scale housing developments, to be spread over the next twenty years. Essentially the developments are intended for overspill populations from elsewhere rather than for the provision of Cornish housing needs, with the demands stemming from central government requirements for housing targets. Cornwall has long been seen as an attractive area for retirement and second-home owners, and more recently - with the advent of computerised technology - for those wanting to work from their own homes. The effects have been to drive to drive property prices beyond the range of younger Cornish people, noting here that we are one of Europe's poorer regions and have been in receipt of Objective One funding. These inflated levels are forcing many among us to look outside our borders for accomodation and work, an enforcement that bears directly on the inbalance of population mentioned in CERES' original contribution. This inbalance and its adverse effects on our traditions and way of life seem set to increase significantly if current imposed developments are continued.

Meaningful support could include awareness of these cultural problems and the initiation of constructive dialogue relating to them, for Cornwall is not alone in facing similar situations. It would be good to think that such matters could be considered within the Rainbow II debates, but if this is not approriate [noting the paper's global agenda] then in some future forum. Cornwall could well provide a valuable case study.

John Fleet: CERES Secretariat 22 May 2008

I am writing to endorse what John Fleet has said, because it is the remit of our organisation to promote Cornish Culture, and although traditional culture is at present thriving and vibrant, it is in need of professional help. The Cornish Language has thankfully received this, but trditional music and dance, plus other aspects of Cornish Culture such as Cornish Wrestling, are often run by dedicated volunteers. Cornwall has never officially been absorbed into England, but it has just happened gradually and there are many who would dispute the increased centralisation which has followed and centralisation makes it harder to retain distinctiveness. Diversity is so important for culture wherever in the world one may be. President Nyerere of Tanzania said ” to learn from other cultures does not mean we should abandon our own.” He said of culture that it is the spirit of a people and mutual understnding of each others' culture is important.

To follow the above two comments concerning Cornish culture and the general need to protect and promote minority indigenous cultures, but also bearing in mind the purpose of inter-cultural dialogue I would like to reproduce here an article I wrote for the Open Democracy blog -Our Kingdom-

A happy and empowered individual who is respected in his own home makes a much better host.

In his speech at the Cornwall Lecture of November last, Matthew Taylor, Chief Executive of the Royal Society of Arts, called for a new collectivism in Cornwall and beyond, a renewed capacity to work together towards a shared idea of progress. Taylor argues for a citizen-centric, self sustaining and empowered Cornwall where decision making is brought as close to our communities as possible. He suggests that such an inclusive and participatory Cornish society would be able to meet the demands of the 21st century - one such demand being the necessity of immigration.

He says:

”“Wound up with the issue of national or racial diversity is the continuing scale of economic inequality. Behind the picturesque exterior Cornwall is a place of huge divides. Could Cornwall develop its own strategy, engaging not just policy makers but the wider population in asking what might the County do to become the most inclusive part of the United Kingdom?””

I agree - and why not use the well defined Cornish community identity around which to create such a new collectivism? Secure, empowered and celebrated old minorities - ethno regional / national identities - would be much better at welcoming and integrating new minority groups than some hotchpotch and post-imperialist concept of Britishness. If we wish to integrate new minorities, what better way than by first ensuring a self confident, healthy and robust community identity into which they are to be welcomed.

If valued and celebrated, the Cornish, Welsh, Scottish, English and English regional identities would be very productive starting points from which to pursue intercultural dialogue with new minority groups. After all, these existent community cultures will be the day to day reality and environment for the new arrivals. But if we leave them neglected then we are asking for intolerance and xenophobia to take root. Currently we see awkward and uneasy attempts to layer a ‘British’ identity over what is essentially a multinational island. Rejected as it is by many Celts and English people, how can we expect new minorities to take it seriously? Who wants to be British, if not even the Brits do?

Instead, however, we have seen Cornwall denuded of power and its identity ignored with decision making over culture and heritage given to out of Duchy English quangos. The philosopher and writer, George Santayana, wrote “A man’s feet must be planted in his country, but his eyes should survey the world.” A confident nation is an open and welcoming one, but we are a country of countries and policy makers need to take this into consideration.

So lets take the initiative! I for one would love to see our a Cornish forum where Cornish and Celtic cultural groups could come together with other minority community groups and promote intercultural understanding and exchange.