Dear members of Culture Action Europe, dear friends and supporters,
The European project is currently being attacked from many sides. Nationalistic tendencies are increasing in scope and visibility.
The increase in the arrival of refugees and migrants to Europe is unprecedented – and instead of demonstrating solidarity and engaging in the development of intercultural societies, many countries, guided by fear, are putting up barriers.
We are convinced that openness, successful integration and practical problem-solving are the only way forward. Arts and culture have a key role to play.
We would therefore like to supply political decision-makers with an inventory of good-practice examples and strategies for developing sustainable intercultural communities and integration.
This will also allow us to highlight your work to said decision-makers, develop guidelines for action, and enable you to situate yourselves on a European agenda. The outcome of this inventory, guidelines and advocacy action will be developed during the CAE Members Forum in March. This action will take place in the framework of Culture Action Europe’s Intercultural focus, directly following from our co-initiation of the former Platform for Intercultural Europe, whose crucial work we are proud to promote.
We wish to highlight the arts and culture sector’s work in the field of intercultural dialogue and the promotion of integration: both in the past years with communities present in Europe for a longer period of time, as well as the more “emergency” action/ reactive approach when engaging with migrants and refugees arriving in Europe today.
Can you please answer to the following questions (in a mail or via the questionnaire attached):
1. If asked for a personal statement/story on your experience of the value of interculturality in society, what would you answer?
2. Can you give key examples of your activities in the field of intercultural dialogue:
a) with communities before the “migrant crisis”?
b) with and for refugees and migrants as an immediate answer to the ongoing “crisis”?
c) Are there any examples of interactions between both types of activities and actions (a) and b))?
Feel free also to answer in French, if this is easier for you. Should you feel more at ease orally, we are also pleased to arrange for a telephone/skype interview.
Please send your responses by Tuesday, 16 February 2016 to projects@cultureactioneurope.org
