Enhancing Dialogue Between Nationalism and Multiculturalism

In Europe, the historical home of both the nation-state model and the nationalist ideologies intrinsic to that model of sovereignty—xenophobic, islamophobic, and anti-immigration parties have remade the political map. Indeed, the political Right has currently consolidated electoral power not through active propagation of free-market themes characteristic of the late twentieth century (though they often remain committed to these), but through a harnessing of key nationalist themes. In fact, in many instances, this Right no longer even campaigns on conventionally free-market, pro-austerity politics. Instead, they present somewhat eclectic and contradictory economic positions that are secondary to their overriding commitment to nationalist issues and fears. Key here are the dehumanizing discourses by which typically poor and/or racialized minorities and “outsider” migrant communities are denied basic compassion while also being ascribed principal blame for assorted ills—be they economic, security, cultural, or social in character  

Therefore, nationalistic narratives in a Europe that is day by day turning into a home for many cultures and minorities, that promotes human dignity, freedom, and human rights are worrisome as they are fertile ground for discrimination, hate speech/ crime, disability of social peace, exclusion denial of certain rights and notably cultural rights. The aim of this youth exchange is to foster cultural rights, intercultural learning and counter-nationalistic narratives among young people for better intercultural dialogue in European. Given that, it will bring together in Noisy Le Grand, Paris 25 youth from 5 countries for 8 days + 2 traveling days, coming from France, Hungary, Turkey, Spain, and Poland where nationalism has known a rise in last years. We are targeting youth as they can easily be swayed by such discourses and turned against migrants or minorities (ethnic minorities). Each partner organization is going to select and send 4 participants (youth with and without fewer opportunities from 18 to 30 years old and 1 group leader without age constraints).  

The objectives of this single activity project are as follows: 

- To stress the significance of cultural rights and intercultural learning-dialogue as means to prevent ethnic conflicts and youth radicalization;

- To underscore how youth-led initiatives can discourage nationalism and radicalization and further foster intercultural- dialogue at the grass-roots level in multicultural societies such as France, Hungary, Poland, Spain, and Turkey:

- To foster inclusion, acceptance, and respect for other cultures among participants that will be attending the youth exchange as direct beneficiaries.

- To equip youth with knowledge and help them acquire inter-cultural competencies to counter nationalistic discourse that leads to hate speech/crime, violent extremism, and radicalization.

- To encourage youth participation in civic life as a way to champion and practice intercultural learning and dialogue in the communities they live in;

We trust that through the activities foreseen to take place under this project youth coming from the countries mentioned above shall be cautious of their role in championing inter-cultural dialogue