Intercultural dialogue needs to be actively promoted in Malta to ensure that people are truly encouraged to experience and open up to the various ethnicities and cultures to which they are exposed in this increasingly globalised world.

"Malta needs a long-term plan for intercultural dialogue," musician Renzo Spiteri said. Television presenter Peppi Azzopardi continued: "And this plan needs to be active".

Agreeing, human rights lawyer Katrine Camilleri interjected: "It (the dialogue) doesn't just happen".

The three agree that intercultural dialogue - that encourages respectful exchanges across cultures that go beyond tolerance - must be active and the authorities cannot just expect people of different ethnicities and cultures to integrate unaided. Something active must be done.

The three personalities, together with Inizjamed, are Malta's ambassadors for the European Year for Intercultural Dialogue that is being celebrated in all EU countries this year.

The concept behind the initiative is that since Europe is becoming more culturally diverse, the deregulation of employment laws and globalisation have increased the multicultural character of many countries, adding to the number of languages, religions, ethnic and cultural backgrounds found on the continent.

The objective of Malta's project is to increase the awareness of the Maltese people, particularly the younger generation, about different cultures through various mediums and by using the five senses. Various activities will be held throughout the year through St James Cavalier, which is the national coordinating body.

Mr Azzopardi, a former teacher, stressed on the importance of education. "Education must be holistic and the idea of interculturalism should be integrated in various subjects. Schools should offer a hands-on experience to children. It is their right to live in an intercultural environment because that's where they will live when they grow up," he said.

He stressed on the need to work to grow out of the insular and stereotyping mentalities that lead people to fear or dislike "the foreigner" and build prejudices based on people's skin colour and nationality.

Agreeing to this, Mr Spiteri said he witnessed examples of how stereotype-induced labels lead African children, legitimately adopted by Maltese families, to be labelled as irregular immigrants just because of their skin colour.

Although the Year of Intercultural Dialogue is primarily aimed at integrating people within the EU, the influx of irregular immigrants cannot be ignored in this context.

"I think that when we're talking about intercultural dialogue, a person's legal status should not matter... The tragedy is, in a way, that people arriving in Malta are perceived almost only in the light of their status and it's sad because it stops us from looking beyond documents and seeing the human beings," said Dr Camilleri, who works with people from different cultures, namely immigrants.

Of course, she added, there were immigration laws to be respected but intercultural dialogue was about the people not the laws.

"People often fail to realise that all immigrants have their own story. They are individuals and not numbers... I've met many talented musicians among the immigrants," Mr Spiteri said.

The percussionist has worked with musicians from different cultures and musical and social backgrounds. "Through music you transmit a message on a different level," he said adding that this year of dialogue allowed an opportunity for people to think about intercultural dialogue.

"The year invites people to go beyond mere tolerance and respect for the law to actually talk to other people.

Looking at other people's cultures is a way of discovering the beauty and diversity of the world. The most important thing is the actual opportunity to have a dialogue," Dr Camilleri said.

For more information about the European Year for Intercultural Dialogue and about national events visit www.interculturaldialogue2008.eu

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