Living with Diversity

Faced with a growing cultural diversity, the European Union is drifting towards antidemocratic and intolerant mentalities and practices with regard both to groups of population of foreign origin as well as to social and cultural minorities that are since long ago well-established in the continent. Xenophobic rhetoric and proposals of extremist elements are often accepted by mainstream political forces, thereby legitimating discriminatory treatment against, and exclusion of anyone who is deemed to be “different” according to some yardstick of supposed national or European values and identities.

 

Besides analysing and denouncing this “Berlusconisation” of Europe, the debate “Living with Diversity” aims to approach this increasing social and cultural diversity as an opportunity for revitalisation and hope in an aging Europe that is evermore closed in on itself. The debate also aspires to contribute towards bringing out and reinforcing sensibilities and attitudes that favour an alternative vision and practice, in other words, working towards an open, inclusive and generous Europe.

 
Thursday 4 March

4.30 p.m.

Illiberal Practices in Liberal Europe

Michel Agier, antropologist, Director of the Centre of African Studies of the EHESS, Paris.
Albena Azmanova, political analist and Professor of International Relations at the Brussels School of International Studies, University of Kent.
Iain Chambers, theorist, Professor of Sociology of Cultural Processes at the Oriental University in Naples.

Presented and chaired by Laura Balbo, President of the association Italia-Razzismo and Professor of Sociology at the University of Ferrara.

7 p.m.

The Image of the Other in Contemporary Discourse: Media, Art and Culture

Gema Martín Muñoz, lecturer of Sociology of the Arab and Islamic World at the Autonomous University of Madrid, author of Irak, un fracaso de Occidente (Tusquets, 2003).
Nefise Özkal Lorentzen, writer, journalist and documentary director.
Les Back, lecturer of Sociology at Goldsmiths College (London).

Presented and chaired by Teun A. van Dijk, lecturer at the department of Translation and Language Science at the Pompeu Fabra University of Barcelona, author of Racismo y discurso en América Latina (Gedisa, 2007)

Friday 5 March


11 a.m.

Living with Diversity

Ash Amin, Professor at the Department of Geography and Director of the Institute of Advanced Study at Durham University.

General discussion among all panellists

Presented and chaired by Pep Subirós, writer and philosopher.

4.30 p.m.

Xenophobia. The Remains of Race. From Genotypes to Biocultural Phenotypes

Stefano Rodotà, Italian politician and jurist.
Geneviève Makaping, Director of the Calabrese newspaper La Provincia Cosentina.
Ruth Wodak, Professor of Discourse Studies at Lancaster University, author of Métodos de análisis crítico del discurso (Gedisa, 2003)

Presented and chaired by Ash Amin, Professor at the Department of Geography and Director of the Institute of Advanced Study at Durham University.

7 p.m.

Difference and Togetherness in a New Europe

Paolo Flores d’Arcais, lecturer of Philosophy at the University of Rome La Sapienza, director of the magazine Micromega and author of ¿Ateos o creyentes? (Paidós, 2009).
Joan Subirats, Professor of Political Science at the Autonomous University of Barcelona.
 

Presented and chaired by Josep Ramoneda, Director of the CCCB.