MINELRES: Europa Diversa Newsletter No.1, July 2003

[MINELRES moderator]

Original sender: Europa Diversa <europadiversa@uoc.edu>


http://www.europadiversa.org

NEWSLETTER No.1 (July 2003)

Europa Diversa is a project which aims to underline the importance of
cultural diversity in the construction of the new Europe. It is promoted
by six Catalan institutions: the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (Open
University of Catalonia), the Fundaci� Jaume Bofill (co-founding
members), l'Institut Europeu de la Mediterr�nia (European Institute of
the Mediterranean), el Centre UNESCO de Catalunya (UNESCO Centre of
Catalonia), Intercultura, Centre pel Di�leg Intercultural de Catalunya
(Centre for Intercultural Dialogue of Catalonia) i el Centre
Internacional "Escarr�" per a les minories �tniques i les nacions,
CIEMEN ("Escarr�" International Centre for Ethnic Minorities and
Nations).

The valuable and unceasing cooperation of the Patronat Catal� Pro
Europa, since the very beginnings of the group, is worth a special
mention.

The general objective of Europa Diversa is to contribute, from a
perspective such as that of the Catalans, to enable European
construction to be based on respect for cultural diversity.

More specifically, as a reflection and analysis group we hope to promote
discussion on a number of issues that we regard as central. As a working
group, we wish to encourage communication and discussion between those
European societies that have to face the new challenge of diversity from
the political and cultural position as a minority in the framework of
the State. And as a lobby, we aim to put to society at large, as well as
to the most directly involved institutions, our conclusions and
proposals.

In particular, there are two areas for discussion which are very close
to us from the point of view of cultural diversity: the reform of the
European institutions (the accession of ten States to the EU; the role
of the regions; delimitation of competences), and the debate on the
Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU and the future European
Constitution.

Click here for more information on our objectives:
http://www.europadiversa.org/eng/grup_objectius.html

Activities: the work done to date

1 June 1999. 
On the occasion of the launching of the Catalan edition of Multicultural
Citizenship (Ciutadania multicultural), a round table was organised with
the author of the book, the Canadian philosopher Will Kymlicka on
"Immigrant Multiculturalism and Multi-nation Federalism". The text of
his main contribution can be read through:
http://www.uoc.edu/humfil/digithum/digithum2/catala/Art_Kymlicka/index-uk.htm

14 - 16 December 2000. 
Symposium on Cultural diversity and European construction. It was held
in Barcelona, following the programme that is to be found at
http://www.europadiversa.org/eng/simposi_2000.html. It was structured
round three topics: Defining a "model" of cultural diversity for Europe;
Defining a multilinguistic model for Europe; and The political handling
of cultural diversity. The website of the Symposium is accessible at the
following URL address:
http://www.uoc.es/web/cat/promocio/simposium/; and the Proceedings were
published in Catalan by Agust� Nicolau (ed.), Europa Diversa. Barcelona:
Centre de Cultura Contempor�nia de Barcelona, 2001.

31 May and 1 June 2002. 
Seminar on "Linguistic proposals for the future of Europe". The
programme is available at
http://www.europadiversa.org/eng/simposi_2002.html. 
The three discussion papers presented at the meeting can be consulted
(in PDF format): 
The regime of official and working languages of the institutions of the
European Union and perspectives in view of the enlargement by Isidor
Mar� and Miquel Strubell; 
The lesser-used European languages and their participation in the
programmes of the European Union by D�nall � Riag�in; 
and The EC, The distribution of powers and the determination of language
policy: Unwrapping a multi-layered paradigm by Niamh Nic Shuibhne. As a
result of the seminar and further contacts we sent both to the
Convention on the Future of the EU and to the Catalan Convention Europa
Diversa's "Linguistic proposals for the future of Europe: (PDF).

17-18 January 2003. 
We organised an international seminar in Barcelona on "European
sub-state minorities and immigration: confluent realities". The
programme can be accessed through
http://www.europadiversa.org/cat/simposi_2003.html.

Click here for more information on our activities to date:
http://www.europadiversa.org/cat/grup_activitats.html

Europa Diversa aims to move into a new phase, setting up a network to
bring together all the specialists, research centres and other bodies
that share our objectives. If we pool resources, synergies, the
comparisons of differing situations, all the members of the network will
be able to help come true a Europe whose diversity is regarded as a
value, an asset, rather than as a problem. We are not aiming at the
greater part of the population, nor to most of those who have
specialised just in cultural minorities or in immigration, in isolation,
but instead to people attracted by, or involved in, the safeguarding
and/or the promotion of the languages and cultures of these groups. With
their input, information and ideas, the network is sure to grow and
thrive, and we shall all benefit as a result.

How to take part in the Europa Diversa network

Anyone, either a person or an organisation, that shares to any great
extent our concerns and aims can take part in the network, opting for
one of three basic levels of participation:

* As users of the services of Europa Diversa: consulting information and
data being disseminated through our website,
http://www.europadiversa.org, receiving - if they so wish - issues of
this electronic newsletter and perhaps taking part in some of the
virtual or on site activities which Europa Diversa shall be organising.

* As collaborators of Europa Diversa: sending in information or data
they feel ought to be disseminated through the website or our
newsletter, helping to identify other people and organisations for
Europa Diversa to contact, or sending us suggestions, proposals or
critical remarks about the Network's activities.

* As members of the Network: if they feel that their activity is in line
with the objectives of Europa Diversa and that, moreover, above and
above the contributions that collaborators may make, they can take on
the role as a node in the network we are building - either in a
particular territorial area, or as a representative of a particular
cultural community, or thanks to their involvement in a particular
specialist field.

* Let us know by email in what ways you would like to take part in the
Europa Diversa Network: as a user, (including a free subscription to the
newsletter), as a collaborator or as a member.

Whatever your choice, thanks for taking part!


This  project has  been       
partially funded by the       
European Commission  DG       
Education and  Culture.       
The  content   of  this       
publication is the sole       
responsibility  of  the
project partners listed
herein, and  in  no way
represents the  view of
the European Commission
or its services.


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