multiculturalism

Vilnius, Вiльнюс or ווילנע: spotlight on Lithuanian capital’s tiny ethnic communities

Lithuania has enjoyed a rich multicultural heritage since being part of the Grand Duchy. Independence was restored for the third time in its history after the collapse of the soviet union in 1990. The motto of this second republic echoes the European union, which the northern country became a member state of in 2004 - ‘Tautos jega vienybeje!’, or ‘strength through unity’ (to the EU’s ‘united through diversity’). A Spanish-Italian-French-German-Russian-British team of journalists and photographers take the temperature of multiculturalism in ‘Vilna’ by focusing on the Jewish (0.3%), Belarusian (1.3%) and Baltic Roma (0.1%) populations. In the capital, Vilnius, dynamic 'foreigners' gradually make a name for themselves in institutions as varied as universities, NGOs, bookshops and nightclubs. In images, we draw multicultural parallels with the buildings which occupy just under a third of the city’s area (Image: (cc) Severin Sadjina/ flickr)

• Read the special edition Vilnius, Вiльнюс or ווילנע: spotlight on Lithuanian capital’s tiny ethnic communities
• Ladies what oppose Belarus in Vilnius
• From San Diego to Vilnius: all Jew you need for a library in Lithuania
• Kirtimai: Lithuania's Roma on education and 'missing England'
• Nightlife in Vilnius: ethnic minority benders

Multiculturalism in Italy: a Roman cocktail

Is Italy racist? This is the question posed by European media, some of which don’t hesitate to point to a lethal dose of racism particularly following the murder of two Senegalese in Florence. However, four journalists and a photographer sent to Rome by cafebabel.com chose instead to talk about the multicultural imprint of a nation which counts 5.4 million immigrants from non-EU countries. Of course, it’s not all sweetness. The Roma continue to battle for a decent future, while young Italians are fleeing a country which is losing its identity. However, second generation immigrants are aware of the civic role which they can play, while the piazza Vittoria in central Rome is a multicultural epicentre, a mixed drink shaken up in the most open of kitchens. In the view of these diverse facts, cafebabel.com is serving up a Roman cocktail which will warm you to embrace the ‘other’, turning away from the bar-side brawls stirred up by press-gang headlines. (Image: © Ehsan Maleki)

• Read the special edition Multiculturalism in Italy: a Roman cocktail
• Second generation Romans in multicultural Italy
• Multiculturalism in Piazza Vittorio, Rome
• My beautiful camp: Italy's Roma success stories
• Multiculturalism in Italy: emigration and exodus

Did you hear the one about the Turks who've been in Germany for fifty years?

1961. Hundreds of thousands of invited Turks start making their way to Germany to work: the so-called ‘guest workers’. The bilateral agreement between Turkey and Germany changed German society. To the German government the Turkish migrants were nothing more than compensation for labour shortages in Germany. However, as author Max Frisch famously announced just four years on: ‘We called for workforce and people came’. Fifty years later more than 2.5 million people of Turkish origin live in Germany. It is only recently that the integration debate has stalled, that third generation Germans are insulted as foreigners and that public ‘islam-bashing’ is officially back thanks to German former European central bank chairman and best-selling author Thilo Sarrazin. Is it time for a U-turn on all things multi-cultural?

• Read the special edition Did you hear the one about the Turks who've been in Germany for fifty years?
• Sila Sahin, Turkish-German actress and first 'muslim playboy model'
• Older migrants of Europe: forgotten until when?
• Meeting 4 of 500, 000 'Almanci' German Turks who returned 'home' over last 30 years
• Islam and Europe: a five step waltz

Self-identification, multiculturalism and erasmus in the EU

In a world where the physical borders are a blur, no wonder the mental ones are blurring as well. With nationalists turning to the 'protection of Europe' rather than the 'protection of the homeland', it is fair to say that the erasmus generation is the face of future Europe. United within itself, far past the division to Germans, French, Poles, or Italians, it's an identity in its own right - even for me

by Alexandra Belopolsky @ // 05/04/11

multiculturalism, ukraine, angela merkel, politics, thilo sarrazin, identity, orange revolution

Confused, Cameron? Don’t abandon multiculturalism just yet

There's nothing particularly new in the British prime minister's 5 February claims that multiculturalism has failed. But there is something worrisome about his speech, and not only because other English-speaking countries are looking to Britain as they debate the merits of their own multiculturalism policies. View from Canada

by Daniel G. Ross @ // 10/02/11

multiculturalism, opinion, politics, canada, david cameron, united kingdom, society

Cameron vs. multiculturalism: British, Belgian, Spanish, Romanian press react

In a call for ‘muscular liberalism’ at the Munich security conference, the British prime minister blames multiculturalism for exacerbating Britain's problems with radical islamists. While cautiously commending Cameron's objectives, Europe’s press criticises his methods on the grounds that they play into the hands of the extreme right

by eurotopics @ // 08/02/11

multiculturalism, angela merkel, politics, david cameron, euweek, united kingdom, integration

Che Sudaka: 'Barcelona was what it was and, sadly, is not anymore'

This is the story of a six-piece Barcelona-based band composed entirely of South Americans. We chart their journey from illegal street buskers to successful European band in Paris

by Puri Lucena @ // 27/10/10

multiculturalism, barcelona, festivals, brunch, solidays, europe, culture

Angela Merkel: 'multiculti' German society failed, but islam 'has a place'

The German chancellor's statements on 16 October have provoked the Slovakian, British, Dutch and Polish media - both immigrants and host societies have to work on integration, or the extreme right will win. Press review

by eurotopics @ // 18/10/10

multiculturalism, angela merkel, politics, germany, euweek, society, integration

Romain Galati: 'In ten years people will be speaking more languages'

To mark the European day of languages on 26 September 2010 we spotted a project where learning languages and promoting integration went hand in hand. Meet the founder of Language Exchange International (LEI)

by Yvonne Pöppelbaum @ // 23/09/10

multiculturalism, languages, society, integration

Citizenship exams: spotlight western Europe

There's no European-wide citizenship test - it's obligatory by law in national governments only. The Brits and French started in 2005, followed by the Netherlands in 2006 and Germany in 2008, though Italy and Spain don't command it by law. Overview

by cafebabel.com @ // 13/09/10

multiculturalism, italy, politics, germany, discrimination, poland, united kingdom

Esma Redzepova: 'Roma are cosmopolitan'

A mother of 47, a career spanning 20 albums and 40 years and songs in Serbian, Macedonian and Romany. At the Sin Fronteras festival in France, the Macedonian 'gypsy music queen' brings a bit of Roma culture to a country which is planning to export large numbers of its gypsy population 'back' to Romania and Bulgaria by the end of the month

by Julia Korbik @ // 13/08/10

multiculturalism, politics, paris, brunch, greece, culture, nobel price

Boobquake: best of European cleavage expressions

When the French refer to a curvy woman's best assets, they note that 'there are a lot of people on the balcony', whilst the Spanish remark that a woman has a 'great breast-onality'. Eyebrow-raising expression of the week

by Matthieu Amaré @ // 11/08/10

multiculturalism, italy, tower of babel, germany, languages, europe, united kingdom

Popping into Chinatown in Manchester

Known as a Chinese village of north England, the neighbourhood is one of the most peculiar in Manchester, being the second largest tourist spot of England after London. One of the odd distinguishing factors of multiculturalism is the local community enclosed in its borders

by Virginia Fernández @ // 15/06/10

multiculturalism, university, cities, chinatown, manchester, gastronomy, england

Carme Riera: why Catalan’s 'days are numbered'

Whilst in Lisbon for BeBalears, the Balearic Islands cultural week, the Barcelona-based writer and Spanish literature professor discusses how she struggled to write in her native tongue and analyses the erasmus effect

by Fabio Scetti @ // 13/04/10

multiculturalism, literature, barcelona, carme riera, culture, spain, lisbon

Far right, far out!

The far-right movement in Europe is resembling a round of shooting stars. In early March, Dutch politician Geert Wilders made big gains in local elections. The Lega Nord (Northern League) in Italy and Jobbik in Hungary too are clocking up the seats in their national parliaments. French ultranationalist Le Pen's daughter Marine continues his legacy. There's also the question of a European underground though, who are cultivating populist anti-islamic, anti-globalisation and regionalist discourse. What is taking place in a Europe of 2010?

• Read the special edition Far right, far out!
• Casa Pound Italia: Neo-fascists on the rise
• Bloc Identitaire: lowdown on France's new far-right
• The Netherlands, France, Italy: rise of Europe's right-wing
• Germany's far-right: style and tea party shakeup
• Understanding nationalist ideology in Hungary: 'enormous potential for violence'

Paris suburbs: cliche piled upon cliche

It's a common European stereotype to define the French suburbs by their one-time violent rioting. But those events took place five years ago. On a visit to the 'banlieue' of Paris today we meet three residents who tell their story - a father-of-three, a social worker and a budding regional election hopeful

by Andreu Jerez Ríos @ // 23/03/10

multiculturalism, politics, paris, discrimination, poverty, housing, suburbs