Comment: There are officially three countries (Canada, Australia and Britain) in the world that have a multicultural social policy in force. Multiculturalism as a social policy was officially established in the 1980s in Canada.
One of the mistakes that critics make about multiculturalism is that it’s the same in every country. Below is a speech by minister of immigration and citizenship, Chris Bowen, highlighting Australian multiculturalism.
When I read it I felt that I was in another world when compared with Finland and Europe.
One matter that shines through in the speech are two key factors that allow societies to reap benefits from their cultural diversity: inclusion and mutual respect.
Do you agree?
___________
Speech to the Sydney Institute
Less than a month ago, millions of Australians celebrated our national day. Among the most enthusiastic participants were our newest Australian citizens. Thirteen thousand people – from every corner of the globe – passionately and enthusiastically took the pledge of commitment to this nation.
To keep on reading click here.
I found this link thanks to @spectrumvic
Enrique, forgive my ignorance, but what exactly do you mean by “a multicultural social policy in force”?
And by the way, this might interest you:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/feb/15/high-earners-exempted-migrant-cap
Extremely selective, isn’t it?
Hi Mateus from Finland. A good question. The issue in Europe is that we sometimes don’t know whether we speak of multiculturalism as simply a society comprising of many cultures or in the same spirit as Canadian social policy. Multiculturalism came from Canada in the 1980s. It is not an easy concept to grasp but Peter Kivisto defines it in the following manner: “Multiculturalism refers to a view that ethnically or religiously diverse societies should protect and promote diversity and should be baed on both individual and group rights.”
But don’t make the mistake of many critics that multiculturalism is the same everywhere. It is different in Australia as it is in Britain.
Some, like Tariq Modood, define it in the following terms: “…multiculturalsim assumes a two-way process of integration but, additionally, it is taken to work differently for different groups.” He argues that we cannot use a one-size-fit all adaption model.
Here is one link that may interest you: http://www.mta.ca/about_canada/multi/
Well, as my grandma used to say the grass is always greener on the other side…
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/anti-muslim-australia-attacked/story-e6frf7kx-1111113298851
Muslims (and the left on their behalf) will always whine about their victimhood.
Fala ai Mateus,
I hope you are doing fine down there. Beautiful isn’t it? With all honesty can tell you that every time I read someone “explaining” what multiculturalism is it just shine to my eyes. How can some one not go for that? But the real question you must ask is – what does this really means? What is the result of multiculturalism in the real world? What is multiculturalism doing to the countries witch had fully embraced it? Does the theory, when put in practice, becomes different?
Let me give you a little glimpse of it. This is a little part of an interview given by a Canadian journalist to a Canadian TV station. Please bear in mind that Canada has been praised here, many times, as where multiculturalism worked. Watch this video, it’s less than 2 mins. If you think what he says is just rubbish, no problem, just ignore it. However if you think he’s got a point, I can give you the full interview witch will tell you a lot more about what is multiculturalism in Europe today.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AA18Yjn9AH8
Oh, right, Tony, this is the guy you tries to be funny when he speaks. How many jokes does he crack this time? But if you look at his statement its the same broken record. What does this have to do with Canada and Australia?
Here is an interesting thing I found on Twitter thanks to @haloeffekti: In US Muslim terrorists seen as representing all Muslims, but white terrorists r portrayed as “crazy fringe individuals” Hmm…
This guy can’t even pronounce Malmö, still less understand migrant communities in Sweden, but Tony the Toby holds him up as an expert. That stuff about blondes is highly typical neo-fascist claptrap that could be straight off the pages of Stormfront.
An expert in the same way as Tony the Toby, with his profound understanding of Finland and the need for immigrants to assimilate, coming from someone who failed to learn any Finnish and bolted for Ireland at the first opportunity. Without the new economy, Tony the Toby would be about as welcome as bubonic plague in Finland. Get ready to clean toilets when the Nokia bubble bursts.
Would you buy a used car from such an expert?
Fortunately we can spot these charlatans nowadays, even in Finland.
lol@the TobyJug
“What does this have to do with Canada and Australia?”
Nothing, I’m just showing to Mateus the difference between the theory of multiculturalism and the reality of it. As any other left-wing ideology, multiculturalism works wonderfully on books and assays.
But interesting enough you didn’t comment about Yvonne Ridley’s opinion about Australia. You guys love to whine how things are bad for Muslims where you are and how wonderful it’s elsewhere.
–Nothing, I’m just showing to Mateus the difference between the theory of multiculturalism and the reality of it.
Sorry, Tony, but you are mistaken. Australia has a center-right government, Canada has a conservative prime minister and in England we have the Tories. Left-wing? Hmmm.
If I were to argue a point I would not put a layman telling me his opinionated and judgemental view of a certain thing. All you are doing here is whining (as usual) about how multiculturalism is this and that without giving us anything concrete.
The issue is that Australia is multicultural and proud of it. It’s greatness springs from diversity.
What did Tories said about multiculturalism? Hmmm…
“…a layman telling me his opinionated and judgemental view of a certain thing.”
Doesn’t this describe this blog perfectly?
“without giving us anything concrete”
I gave you thousand of times… Assimilation… But once you are after social reengineering this word is a sin to you.
“The issue is that Australia is multicultural and proud of it.”
No, the issue is that the Australian Minister of Immigration is praising her child. Just like Thors has been doing in Finland.
–Doesn’t this describe this blog perfectly?
In the first place I have a degree in anthropology and have studied sociology. I have been a journalist for over 20 years and have studied the Finns of Argentina for over thirty years. If you want to read my thesis or any other articles on the topic, I can provide you with the links. Apart from that, I have lived in this country for almost all my life and taken the time to try to understand it. Instead of searching for simplistic answers about a complex matter like society, I do not go around sitting on a high stool judging other groups and supporting parties like the Danish People’s Party, which was condemned by the UN for its racist remarks of Somalis. Here is the link.
The strategy or the far-right/neocons is to search feverishly for for rifts and differences to exploit for political and other reasons. One of those other reasons are their limited view of other cultures. Our European values encourage us to look at matters that unite us as Europeans not bring us apart. That latter aspect, finding rifts and exploiting them, is the master strategy of the far right when it tries to speak about immigrants.
” In US Muslim terrorists seen as representing all Muslims, but white terrorists r portrayed as “crazy fringe individuals”
Well, once this is coming from the country you said yourself should have more freedom of speech than us because “they have sorted their racial issues”, I think we should consider this very carefully. Thanks for sharing it with us.
Arabs in the US are doing very well. They are a part of USAmerica as the Muslims are a religious minority in Europe. As you know, the problems reside in the war that Bush declared after 9/11. Instead of going for the real culprits he started to chase shadows and almost caused our ruin.
“The issue is that Australia is multicultural and proud of it.”
Maybe not all Australians are really proud of it…
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/australia/8031840/Former-Australian-PM-attacks-multiculturalism.html
–Maybe not all Australians are really proud of it…
John Howard is pretty discredited. Wasn’t he, like Aznar of Spain, Bush’s closest ally in the “war on terror?” So for him to speak against “Muslims and multiculturalism” does not surprise me or other a bit.
Not all are proud of it, true, but I think the point is that Australian society is culturally diverse and one must accept that reality. The “m-word” is key.
Sorry but I’m a bit confused. Aren’t we talking about Mark Steyn here? What the Danish Party has got to do with all this? Enrique you should focus more on the subject.
Anyway, let’s see this carefully…
You called Steyn a “opinionated and judgemental layman”. Well, haven’t you already told us that this is a blog, and as such, you have the right to be opinionated and judgemental?
Very well, once we took this out of the way, lets go for the layman. You’re saying here now that you are more qualified to talk about Muslims than Steyn? I’m sorry but I’ll respectfully disagree…
Furthermore, for someone, according to your own description, who has lived in Finland for almost all your life, a country where it’s easer to find a polar bear than a Muslim, and yet you tell me that you know more about Muslim immigration than John Howard, Cameron, Angela Merkel, Nikolas Sarkosy, Ayaan Hirsi, Dr Taj Hargey, Dr Mahfooz Kanwar, Brigitte Gabriel, etc… Hmmm…
Nobody is denying his right to make a point. What is being questioned critically how he does it. In my opinion, it is provocative and generalizes a whole group with the only aim to fuel suspicion.
As far as I am concerned, I personally am very happy with my multicultural background. If people want to bash one group to invalidate another one, I seriously think there is a problem. It is a pipe dream to think that because your are intolerant of one group it will not rub off on others. And hey, if we are a continent of minorities and cultural diversity what is the problem?
Oh yes, I see, they are those that are the bad immigrants. They are the ones that walk around like robots and are brainwashed and told what to do by culture. It’s ridiculous. You should know that cultures don’t work that way. And most Muslims that live in Europe, like most Lutheran Finns, are hard working and an example to the community. For you to throw dirt on their name because you do not understand them is pretty low.
Moreover, looking at the “good” track record of far right parties in Europe in the past, your arguments are pretty incredible. Has anything changed on this front? No. It is the same thing but the group is different. Today Muslims, Roma and others yesterday Jews.
“…if we are a continent of minorities and cultural diversity…”
Continent yes, country (Finland) no, at lest not in any substantial number. We can say that “diversity” in Finland is a microscopic minority, and that’s why can fight to stay like that. After this number grows it becomes impossible.
“They are the ones that walk around like robots and are brainwashed and told what to do by culture.”
No mate, we are told what to do by the law. Quite different, I’m afraid.
“looking at the “good” track record of far right parties in Europe in the past, your arguments are pretty incredible. “
Well, looking at the “good” track of Islam in the PRESENT…
The law, not the culture, tell us that we can’t mutilate our children, force our wives and daughters what to wear, and to whom they should marriage, and the law, not the culture, tell us that we can’t kill them if they disobey.
The law, not culture, tell us that we can’t call Jews monkeys and Christians pigs and that we can’t discriminate against women.
The law, not culture, tell us that we can’t riot on the streets, burn flags, and petro-bomb police cars.
The law, not culture, tell us that we can’t murder those who have “offended” us.
And very importantly, the law, not culture, tell us that we can’t blow to pieces a bus or airplane full of innocent people just to demonstrate our dissatisfaction with the government.
If following all those laws is considered to be a bad immigrant for you, I have nothing else to say, then…
“Mutilate our children?” Funny expression. Did you know that over half of the men in the Unite States “mutilate” themselves; ie circumcision? What about Jews? What about teenagers who pierce their bodies?
All your arguments here have the same problem: They are exaggerated generalizations you use to ostracize a group. We know know that but you still don’t.
–And very importantly, the law, not culture, tell us that we can’t blow to pieces a bus or airplane full of innocent people just to demonstrate our dissatisfaction with the government.
So are you stating that ALL Muslims do this? Do people call Westerners blood thirsty murderers because they bomg and attack other countries like Iraq? Your argument has a major flaw. You are like a locomotive: you pick up steam and then start throwing steam and hot air to the sides rapidly without thinking what you are saying.
If you don’t see difference between female genital mutilation and body piercing, my friend, I rest my case. But nevertheless you could write to these women here (http://www.forwarduk.org.uk/key-issues/fgm) and tell then to stop being so racist.
also
If you don’t know the difference between a military operation against a terrorist state and a terrorist blowing a plane full of innocent people, well, what else is there to say?
The difference here Tony is that I don’t go around classifying people because of their ethnic background. I am interested in who they are.
Martin Luther King, one of my heroes, said that he hoped that his daughters would one day be judged by their character not skin color.