International Symposium on THE FUTURE OF MULTICULTURALISM, Warsaw (10 June 2015)

The term ‘multiculturalism’ has many meanings. It refers to the ‘obvious fact’ of widening cultural diversity in all developed societies (vs ‘monoculturalism’), to a normative- philosophical standpoint approving such diversity (vs nationalism), and – most importantly – to a strategy of immigrant adaptation-cum-integration that supports ethnic diversity (vsassimilationism). It is mainly this third meaning that comes under heavy criticism at the time of mass – often uncontrolled – migrations, ethno-racial rifts, and security scares in Europe and America.

Critics of multiculturalism question its effectiveness, sustainability and desirability. They see it as a harmful social engineering blamed for undermining cultural cohesion and for promoting social segmentation(ethnic ‘ghettos’, conflicts, hostility); as a naïve liberal ideology (‘multiculti’) unreflexivein its prise of diversity; and as a recipe for de-nationalisation.Multiculturalism – attributed by critics to starry-eyed liberals and/or socially disconnected elites –weakens national cohesion, fuels ethnic divisiveness andthreatens national identity.

Such criticisms undermine confidence in multiculturalism and make its future, especially in Europe, highly uncertain. But they also reflectwidespread misconceptions about what ‘multiculturalism’ means and implies and – more importantly – they ignore the deep historical roots of multiculturalism, especially in CEE, as well as the experiences of European and non-European ‘migrant societies’ (Australia, Canada, the United States), whose governments applied (some elements) of multicultural strategies of nation-building. These experiences show ‘integrative multiculturalism’ as a largely successful strategy.

An informed and fair assessment of multiculturalism – and its likely future, especially in Europe– requires a more historically and comparatively comprehensive discussion than the one dominating in the European media. We hope that this symposium helps in triggering such a discussion.

The Seminar takes place on Wednesday 10 June, 9.30 am – 12.30 pm in Collegium Civitas, Palac Kultury  iNauki, 12^th floor, Room 1254

Program:

9.30 – 9.45      Welcoming and Introduction – Prof. Jan Pakulski

9.45 – 10.15    Prof. Andrew Jakubowicz, "Different strokes…: comparing national histories and multicultural realities”

10.15 – 10.45  Prof. drJanuszBalicki, UniwersytetKardynalaStefanaWyszynskiego, ‘Reflections on British Multiculturalism’

10.45 – 11.00 Coffee/tea break

11.00 – 11.30 DrMaciej Kozlowski, ‘Reflection on the Multicultural Republics’

11.30 – 12.00 Prof. Jan Pakulski, ‘Multiculturalism and Its Discontents’

12.00 – 12.30 Discussion and Concluding Remarks

Moderator:

Prof. Jan Pakulski, Collegium Civitas, University of Tasmania

Speakers:

Prof. dr Janusz Balicki, Uniwersytet Kardynala Stefana Wyszynskiego, ‘Reflections on British Multiculturalism’

Prof. Andrew Jakubowicz, "Different strokes…: comparing national histories and multicultural realities”

Dr Maciej Kozlowski, ‘Reflection on the Multicultural Republics’

Prof. Jan Pakulski, ‘Multiculturalism and Its Discontents’

PROF. DR HAB. JANUSZ BALICKI is a leading Polish expert on migration and migrant adaptation, Director of Inter-Institute Center for Migration Research at the Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University in Warsaw. His research on migration and migrant adaptation is widely known in Poland and abroad. His publications include:

Balicki J., Imigranci i uchodźcy w Unii Europejskiej. Humanizacja polityki imigracyjnej i azylowej, Wydawnictwo UKSW, Warszawa 2012, ss. 367; Balicki J., Wells A., The Pendulum Culture? Integration of Young Muslim Immigrants in East London, Trafford, Bloomington, IN (USA) 2011, ss. 236; and Balicki J., Imigranci z krajów muzułmańskich w UE. Wyzwania dla polityki integracyjnej, Wydawnictwo UKSW, Warszawa 2010, ss. 401.

DR MACIEJ KOZŁOWSKI, Writer, journalist, diplomat, political émigré, prisoner of conscience. For many years  editor of the prestigious weekly Tygodnik Powszechny in Kraków. Author of numerous articles and books. Among them “Landscapes before the battle” (historical essays awarded by underground Solidarity Prize) “The forgotten War” ( Story of the Polish-Ukrainian War ( Book of the year award by weekly Polityka “ Poland the Story” “The Emissary Story of Jan Karski”. Since 1990 in the Polish Diplomatic service. Between 1990 – 1994 served as DCM, then Charge d’affairs of the Polish Embassy in Washington. Between 1999- 2003 ambassador of Poland in Israel. 2003- 2013 Director of Department and  ambassador at large for the Polish-Jewish relations in the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Professor at the Collegium Civitas in Warsaw. Lecturer in many Polish and foreign universities.

PROF. ANDREW JAKUBOWICZis an Australian academic and Professor of Sociologyat the University of Tachnology in Sydney. Since the early 1970s, Jakubowicz's work has focused on race relations, theories of cultural and ethnic diversity, disability and media. He was foundation director of the Centre for Multicultural Studies at the University of Wollongong, Australia and foundation chair of the Disability Studies and Research Institute. Jakubowicz has taught at universities in the United States, Europe and Asia; he is co-director of the UTS Centre for Cosmopolitan Civil Societies. In 1994 he led the research team that produced "Racism Ethnicity and the Media (Allen and Unwin), and more recently has been involved in multimedia documentaries such as Making Multicultural Australia (1999-2004) and The Menorah of Fang Bang Lu (2001-2002). He also wrote with K. Seneviratne, K. 1996, Ethnic Conflict and the Australian Media, ACIJ, UTS 1996.

PROF. JAN PAKULSKI MA Warsaw, PhD Australian National University is Professor Emeritus at the University of Tasmania, Visiting Professor at Collegium Civitas, Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia (ASSA), Affiliate at Stanford Centre for Poverty and Inequality. His publications include Social Movements (Longman Cheshire, 1991), Postmodernization (Sage, 1992; with S. Crook and M. Waters), The Death of Class (Sage, 1996; with M. Waters), Postcommunist Elites and Democracy in Eastern Europe (Macmillan, edited in 1998 with J. Higley and W. Wesolowski), Globalizing Inequalities (Allen and Unwin, 2004),Toward Leader Democracy (Anthem, 2012; with Andras Korosenyi), Violence and the State (University of Manchester Press, edited in 2014 with M. Killingsworth and M. Sussex) and Political Leadership in Decline: Careers of Australian Parliamentarians (Palgrave 2015).