Intercultural Dialogue

“Intercultural dialogue is a process that comprises an open and respectful exchange or interaction between individuals, groups and organisations with different cultural backgrounds or world views. Among its aims are: to develop a deeper understanding of diverse perspectives and practices; to increase participation and the freedom and ability to make choices; to foster equality; and to enhance creative processes”.

(from the EU and Council of Europe official documents)

During the launch of European Year of Intercultural Dialogue 2008 in Slovenia, European Commissioner Ján Figel said: ‘In the 21st century, Europe faces a new challenge. We need to foster respectful exchanges of views between individuals and groups of different cultural backgrounds on an equal basis. We want to go beyond multicultural societies, where cultures and cultural groups simply coexist side by side. We need to become intercultural societies where plurality of cultures cooperates in dialogue and in shared responsibility.’

The project MAP for ID starts with the premise that culture is a complex concept, generally referring to patterns of human activity and to the symbolic structures that give such activity significance, including systems of belief, religion, rituals, norms of behaviour or manners, language, etc. However, culture is also a dynamic process. Over time all cultures change and develop. Cultures differ not only between continents or nations, but also within the same family or social group.

This multilayered pluralistic approach to culture should help avoid simplification, defy prejudice, and do away with preconceived ideas of ‘our’ culture or ‘their’ culture. Intercultural dialogue therefore becomes a more complex principle than simply integrating ‘new citizens’ within mainstream culture, and putting it into action can result in much richer, more intellectually challenging practices.

The focus of MAP for ID is intercultural dialogue: that is, the mutual understanding of individuals through knowledge and understanding of respective identities, shaped by social and cultural factors, as well as by ethnicity, and the role of museums to promote this.

The 21st century museum is moving rapidly away from a collection and interpretation policy which reflects the desired identity of nation-states and excludes ‘outsiders’.  Museums are places where different cultures are documented through the material evidence they have produced over the centuries, where cultures are researched, where knowledge is made available to citizens in many different ways.  Museums are ideally placed to operate as ‘third spaces’, where questions are raised and debate is facilitated; however in some cases this requires a cultural shift within museums, especially at managerial level, in order to place an intercultural approach at the heart of their activity.