2nd European Forum: Capacity-building for Intercultural Dialogue

The event centred on presentations of the Platform’s record of Intercultural Practice Exchanges. This laid the basis for discussion on how to improve this activity format and how to maximise the value of intercultural practice sharing.

Niels Righolt from the Nordic Forum for Interculture and Danish Centre for Arts and Interculture presenting the first Practice Exchange held in Malmö, Sweden: “Despite intercultural dialogue’s high profile and many grass roots initiatives in Scandinavia, there remains an urgent need to do more to include people who are still culturally excluded.”

The presentations of the Practice Exchanges and the following discussion raised several points:

• Intercultural diversity should be brought to the centre of public, cultural and other work structures and organisations;

• It is necessary to engage new audiences in intercultural dialogue;

• Art and culture have a great potential to influence the image of marginalised people;

• The ultimate goal of intercultural dialogue should be intercultural democracy and the changes it produces in enhancing participation;

• The workplace as well as schools are key site of intercultural dialogue;

• Education is paramount in shaping attitudes.

After the plenary sessions, the participants divided into four groups and discussed the future of the Practice Exchanges on the basis of two main questions:

• How can the Practice Exchange build capacity for intercultural practice more effectively?

• How can they build capacity of members to inform policy-making?

Read the full report of the event.