Davis Grant Dye ENGL 2100 S.

Pike Onine Spring 2014 MULTICULTURALISM IN FRANCE - SCRIPT

We live in a time where nations have come together to imagine a world as they wish it could be. Where flags fly with pride, not prejudice. Where men and women are not judged by the circumstances of their birth or beliefs, but only by the depth of their character and imagination. As a parade of nations and as human beings, we gather together to make these self-evident truths, that what unites us can be far greater than what divides us, and that we are beaten only when we stop believing in what we wish we can be. In todays world, we use many words that can define and divide us. One word that stands out among the rest is multiculturalism. What is it? Where can it be found? And how does it affect us? Multiculturalism is the doctrine that several cultures can coexist peacefully, that every culture is morally valid, and that no one culture has the right to impose its values on another. Where can it be found? We can find it in five specific areas: 1) in social media and online places such as facebook or twitter, 2) in literary arts in the form of magazines and newspapers, 3) at social gatherings, 4) in airports and in national security agencies, and 5) in government offices and by the words of politicians. Through these developments it is clear that multiculturalism has had some effect on many aspects of daily life: the food we eat, our social lives, the buildings around us, the people we associate with, the governments that govern us, and most importantly, our own outlook on the world. The country I have chosen to study this topic in is France. If we travel there, not only do we get see Paris, the beautiful City of Lights, but we can see the needs, values, and attitudes of the government, politicians and people of France. France is a country that has an area of 551,500 square kilometers. This area is broken down into 96 departments or counties containing a total population of 65,951,611 people. People migrate to this country at a rate of 1.1:1000, meaning that for every thousand people there are one to two immigrants. Regardless of the race or creed of that individual, French society, much like its Tri-color Flag, is based on three core values: Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity (or Brotherhood). The Parliament of France agrees with the notion that it is the right, not the responsibility, of the people that enter the country to preserve their culture, language, history, and identity.

Former President Nicolas Sarkozy has said that, If we come to France we accept to melt within one community, that is, the national community, and if we do not want to accept this, we cannot be welcomed in France. The current President, Francois Hollande has stated that he will remove the word race from the French constitution that currently reads: France shall be an indivisible, secular, democratic and a social republic. It guarantees equality before the law for all citizens without distinction of origin, race or religion. As a citizen of France you are defined by three factors: integration, individual adherence, and that you are the primacy of the soil; the most important social unit of society. A broader term that is used to cover all of these issues, and one that we use to help describe multiculturalism, is diplomacy. Diplomacy in French society and throughout the world is key. There are a few initiatives we can take to help people from around the world and in France come together. First, we can host more carnivals, feasts and parades to embrace other cultures holidays, events, and histories. Second, we can host more sporting events, much like the Olympics, where athletes can come and show off their skills to the rest of the world. And third, we can host interfaith devotionals to bring us closer together through song and prayer. We can market these events through day-to-day interactions and activitiesbulletin boards in coffee shops, memorandums in local businesses, newspapers, libraries; where ever there is that spot you can fill the need. Through these Diplomatic Multicultural Initiatives, we produce the products of Interpersonal & Technological Communication; The Power of Popular Culture; Multilingualism, Translation, & Interpretation; and Assimilation, Integration, & Immigration. Basically, this means what I said at the beginning of the presentation, that as a parade of nations and as human beings, we gather together to make these self-evident truths, that what unites us can be far greater than what divides us, and that we are beaten only when we stop believing in what we wish we can be. Depending on where you live in France [and around the world] your views on the subject of multiculturalism can be very conservative or liberal. Too often people have preoccupied themselves with the identity of the person that was arriving from another country but not enough of the identity of the country that was receiving them. We have to respect everyone within their differences. The people of France [and the world] need this change so that their attitude and views do not fall into a more liberal state, and so that their values, much like their Tri-Colored Flag, liberty, equality, and fraternity (brotherhood) do not diminish. Thank you!