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Zaman Online, Turkey
July 28 2008
The way we were or the way we will be?
by CHARLOTTE MCPHERSON [email protected] Expat Zone
Many nations, including Turkey, face challenges in finding the way
forward in the management of cultural diversity and racial and
religious intolerance. Every nation has members of society who
represent disenfranchised or otherwise marginalized groups -- their
interests, needs and perspectives. If you live in Turkey, you can give
this some thought and identify for yourself who you think these groups
would be.
I had the privilege of living in Australia for two years in the early
1990s. Granted, I lived in the least multicultural part of the country
-- on the island of Tasmania. I must admit this was my first real
exposure to a nation that took pride in being multicultural and was
taking steps to make it work.
Let's just look at how Australia qualifies as a multicultural
nation. It is a young nation compared to most Western nations, but it
has been a multicultural society, encompassing within the breadth of
its ethnic diversity historical moves to incorporate indigenous
peoples, the highly visible Anglo-Celtic ethnic groups, immigrants
from Europe, Australians with Asian backgrounds, refugees from world
wars and sojourners from many other places.
Australia truly is a multicultural society. It has gradually developed
certain laws, institutions and policies for giving ethnic minorities
and national indigenous groups (specifically, Aborigines and the
peoples of the Torres Strait Islands) a voice in the society,
supporting the cultural conditions they need to exercise freedom and
protecting them from social vulnerability and economic disadvantage --
in accordance with its obligations as a democracy.
Perhaps other nations, including my homelands, could learn from the
Aussies. After all, Turkey is facing serious challenges these days and
the United States has to rethink immigration issues. After all, New
York City, Los Angeles, Houston, Seattle and Chicago are home to large
and diverse ethnic groups.
Here is just a glimpse of the land: Chicago has many ethnically
diverse neighborhoods. Just the other day I was driving up Milwaukee
Street in Chicago and watched the neighborhood turn from Hispanic to
Polish in less than two blocks. Devon Street goes from Indian and
Pakistani to Eastern European Jewish (mostly Russian). Albany Park has
a sizable Korean and Middle Eastern population. Rumor has it that in
Albany Park alone, over 40 languages are spoken in the public
schools. There are also large pockets of Puerto Ricans and fairly
large Armenian and Romanian populations.
The US must review some of the main barriers to enhancing social
cohesion in a multicultural nation and revise its policies.
How about Turkey? It may not have so many different nationalities
represented, but it has minorities and special interest groups who
need representation and a voice. Perhaps individuals need to set aside
their strong opinions and explore the interrelated issues of enhancing
national cohesion and, of particular importance, the problem of racial
and religious intolerance.
It is normal for most nations to have some degree of racism and
patriarchal or class-based social structures in which racial
intolerance is the norm. Sadly, prejudice, bigotry, sexism and hatred
still exist in the world.
The lyrics of the song "The Way We Were" describe the thoughts someone
tends to have going through a breakup. The lyrics go something like
this:
We've fallen out of grace again could be the beginning of the end
I can't believe we'd give up so easy,
Don't you miss the way we were?
Don't you wish we made that turn?
Many situations are like a broken record repeating itself. We get
stuck in the past, the way it was. Isn't it better to find a way to
make relationships or situations work? Make some progress? I have
always been under the impression that democratic values help build the
nation and show concern for those who are vulnerable in society.
A lot of nations have much to learn. Australia has in many ways made
it work. They made the turn. The nation has a long-standing commitment
to a pluralist, diverse, democratic society based on freedom,
equality, tolerance and peace.
Well done, mates!
Let's hope other nations will make that same turn -- for the better.
Note: Charlotte McPherson is the author of `Culture Smart: Turkey,
2005.' Email: [email protected]. Please keep your questions
and observations coming:
28.07.2008
July 28 2008
The way we were or the way we will be?
by CHARLOTTE MCPHERSON [email protected] Expat Zone
Many nations, including Turkey, face challenges in finding the way
forward in the management of cultural diversity and racial and
religious intolerance. Every nation has members of society who
represent disenfranchised or otherwise marginalized groups -- their
interests, needs and perspectives. If you live in Turkey, you can give
this some thought and identify for yourself who you think these groups
would be.
I had the privilege of living in Australia for two years in the early
1990s. Granted, I lived in the least multicultural part of the country
-- on the island of Tasmania. I must admit this was my first real
exposure to a nation that took pride in being multicultural and was
taking steps to make it work.
Let's just look at how Australia qualifies as a multicultural
nation. It is a young nation compared to most Western nations, but it
has been a multicultural society, encompassing within the breadth of
its ethnic diversity historical moves to incorporate indigenous
peoples, the highly visible Anglo-Celtic ethnic groups, immigrants
from Europe, Australians with Asian backgrounds, refugees from world
wars and sojourners from many other places.
Australia truly is a multicultural society. It has gradually developed
certain laws, institutions and policies for giving ethnic minorities
and national indigenous groups (specifically, Aborigines and the
peoples of the Torres Strait Islands) a voice in the society,
supporting the cultural conditions they need to exercise freedom and
protecting them from social vulnerability and economic disadvantage --
in accordance with its obligations as a democracy.
Perhaps other nations, including my homelands, could learn from the
Aussies. After all, Turkey is facing serious challenges these days and
the United States has to rethink immigration issues. After all, New
York City, Los Angeles, Houston, Seattle and Chicago are home to large
and diverse ethnic groups.
Here is just a glimpse of the land: Chicago has many ethnically
diverse neighborhoods. Just the other day I was driving up Milwaukee
Street in Chicago and watched the neighborhood turn from Hispanic to
Polish in less than two blocks. Devon Street goes from Indian and
Pakistani to Eastern European Jewish (mostly Russian). Albany Park has
a sizable Korean and Middle Eastern population. Rumor has it that in
Albany Park alone, over 40 languages are spoken in the public
schools. There are also large pockets of Puerto Ricans and fairly
large Armenian and Romanian populations.
The US must review some of the main barriers to enhancing social
cohesion in a multicultural nation and revise its policies.
How about Turkey? It may not have so many different nationalities
represented, but it has minorities and special interest groups who
need representation and a voice. Perhaps individuals need to set aside
their strong opinions and explore the interrelated issues of enhancing
national cohesion and, of particular importance, the problem of racial
and religious intolerance.
It is normal for most nations to have some degree of racism and
patriarchal or class-based social structures in which racial
intolerance is the norm. Sadly, prejudice, bigotry, sexism and hatred
still exist in the world.
The lyrics of the song "The Way We Were" describe the thoughts someone
tends to have going through a breakup. The lyrics go something like
this:
We've fallen out of grace again could be the beginning of the end
I can't believe we'd give up so easy,
Don't you miss the way we were?
Don't you wish we made that turn?
Many situations are like a broken record repeating itself. We get
stuck in the past, the way it was. Isn't it better to find a way to
make relationships or situations work? Make some progress? I have
always been under the impression that democratic values help build the
nation and show concern for those who are vulnerable in society.
A lot of nations have much to learn. Australia has in many ways made
it work. They made the turn. The nation has a long-standing commitment
to a pluralist, diverse, democratic society based on freedom,
equality, tolerance and peace.
Well done, mates!
Let's hope other nations will make that same turn -- for the better.
Note: Charlotte McPherson is the author of `Culture Smart: Turkey,
2005.' Email: [email protected]. Please keep your questions
and observations coming:
28.07.2008