Maria SCHILLER - A European intercultural approach in the face of economic decline: what can we learn from post-industrial cities?

Theoretical Context:
Starting out from my Phd research on governance of cultural diversity in European cities, my paper will tackle the more specific and very topical question how changes in the economic structures of our societies and the withdrawal of the welfare state system can be dealt with in contemporary governance approaches and policy developments on cultural diversity. The wane of multiculturalism and the decline of the welfare state have posed several challenges to multicultural, intercultural and diverstity policies in the past years. In the face of the recently emerging economic crises however new and even more profound challenges to the feasibility of diversity policies can be expected and it is necessary to scrutinize current policy approaches on their abilitiy to provide answers to the emerging questions.

Middle-sized, post-fordist cities, which often have received high numbers of guestworkers in the past seem as highly relevant in this regard, as they allegedly do exhibit some experience with the difficulties of the withdrawal of the economy and might thus also provide examples of good practice within this context. The „Intercultural Cities“ programme of the Council of Europe , which is currently half-way through its pilot phase, features an interesting selection of 12 European cities (Greenwhich/UK, Izhvesk/Russian Federation, Lublin/Poland, Lyon/France, Melitopol/Ukraine, Oslo/Norway, Patras/Greece, Subotica/Serbia, Neuchatel/Switzerland, Berlin Neukölln/Germany, Tilburg/The Netherlands, Reggio Emilia/Italy), with very different situations and histories of diversity. Yet this programme aims to develop and establish a common vision and policy approach of „interculturality“ and to create a network of intercultural cities which later should be expanded to other cities in Europe. While some of the participating cities have been depicted as role models for a very well established welfare system, some of have profound experiences with de-industrialization and the struggle to promote a policy for cultural diversity despite few economic resources and economic hardship among its inhabitants.

I would like to analyze the current engagement of the Council of Europe in promoting an intercultural policy for European cities and scrutinise if this approach is prepared to handle possible difficulties due to economic recession and if it is able to offer answers not only furthering intercultural exchange but also to very substantial questions of economic advancement and change.

Methodology:
In a first step I will thus prepare an in-depth analysis of the policy documents („White paper on intercultural dialogue“) and project material of the „Intercultural Cities Programme“ (Concept Paper, Policy Grid, Resource Pack, Intercultural City Profiles). In a second step I will try to illustrate my analysis on a case study of one city (which will be either through fieldwork in the Czech-German borderland in the framework of the European city seminar or through some investigations/literature review on one of the cities of the intercultural cities programme – most likely Tilburg).


Literature:
Council of Europe
2008 White Paper on Intercultural Dialogue: „Living together as equals in Dignity“

Council of Europe
2008 The intercultural city: what it is and how to make it work: Concept Paper

Council of Europe
2008 Intercultural cities: Resource Pack

Council of Europe/ Phil Wood/ Comedia
2008 Ten Steps to an Intercultural City Policy: Guidance for policy-makers with good practice examples

Council of Europe
2008 Intercultural city profile: Greenwhich/UK

Council of Europe
2008 Intercultural city profile: Izhvesk/Russian Federation

Council of Europe
2008 Intercultural city profile: Lublin/Poland

Council of Europe
2008 Intercultural city profile: Lyon/France

Council of Europe
2008 Intercultural city profile: Melitopol/Ukraine

Council of Europe
2008 Intercultural city profile: Oslo/Norway

Council of Europe
2008 Intercultural city profile: Patras/Greece

Council of Europe
2008 Intercultural city profile: Subotica/Serbia

Council of Europe
2008 Intercultural city profile: Neuchatel/Switzerland

Council of Europe
2008 Intercultural city profile: Berlin Neukölln/Germany

Council of Europe
2008 Intercultural city profile: Tilburg/The Netherlands

Council of Europe
2008 Intercultural city profile: Reggio Emilia/Italy