European Union should do more about culture, say its citizens
Nearly nine out of ten Europeans say that culture, cultural exchanges and intercultural dialogue should have an important place in the EU, according to the recent Eurobarometer survey of people's views on culture, which was carried out during the spring. The survey covered 26,000 persons from all over Europe and from all walks of life.
Ján Figel, European Commissioner for Education, Training, Culture and Youth, stressed the significance of these results: "For policy makers in the Member States, the message is also clear: more means should be made available to facilitate cultural exchanges on our continent, to promote mutual understanding, tolerance and respect among our peoples. This is all the more important as we approach 2008, the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue."
- 88% feel that cultural exchanges are important, and they call on the European Union to facilitate cultural exchanges for Europeans, and so promote intercultural dialogue;
- 76% of the respondents consider that Europe's cultural diversity is the defining characteristic of Europe, and that this diversity actually helps to increase the impact of European culture;
Enlargement of the European Union, coupled with increasing mobility linked to the Common Market, new and old migratory flows, the new trade ties with the rest of the world has made Europe a very culturally-diverse continent. Education, leisure and globalization in general, have led to increased contacts between cultures, religions, ethnic groups and languages. The ever-increasing cultural diversity of our societies means that we need more and more intercultural dialogue
To foster better understanding and communication between the diverse crowd that makes up European citizens, Brussels has launched a media campaign with the slogan "Together in Diversity". The project has a budget of €10 million, plus money from EU capitals. It will encourage all those living in Europe to explore the benefits of our rich cultural heritage and opportunities to learn from different cultural traditions.
Last update: 24.1.2008