Platform presents Rainbow Paper at EYID 2008 closing Colloquium

On to the European Year of Creativity and Innovation 2009: How to maintain political support for Intercultural Dialogue?

The event organised by the French EU Presidency in the Centre Pompidou in Paris was big and prestigious. In a well structured, but vast programme, intellectual heavy weights and their philosophical reflections were in large supply. Presentations of activities carried out in the course of national strategies under the EYID or at grass roots level received proportionately less attention. Representatives from the Platform for Intercultural Europe had ten precious minutes to present “The Rainbow Paper. Intercultural Dialogue: From Practice to Policy and Back”.
At the time of the conference, the Rainbow Paper had been signed by 171 organisations and 129 individuals. This was technically the crowning of its efforts during the past two years.
Now the question is what lasting purpose the Year and the event served and where the carefully elaborated Rainbow recommendations will go. Both Commissioner Figel in his opening address and Director-General Quintin in her closing remarks paid express respect to the work of the Platform. Yet the 'Council Conclusions on the promotion of cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue in the external relations of the Union and its Member States’ (20 Nov), while a breakthrough for the recognition of culture in external relations, deflect totally from the need to address the challenges of local diversity in Europe, which result from migration and the existence of minorities (the focus of the Rainbow Paper).
Political support for practical Intercultural Dialogue will depend on continued advocacy, so the Platform for Intercultural Europe has cause to continue. The Rainbow Paper remains open for signature on http://rainbowpaper.labforculture.org

Platform for Intercultural Europes’ presentation
Unofficial conclusions of the event
Conference programme