Improvement in Europe of mutual understanding between ethnic communities "Daring to live together"

Recommendation 1034 (1986)

Author(s):

Parliamentary Assembly

Origin

Assembly debate on 25 April l986 (8th Sitting) (see Doc. 5539, report of the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Demography). Text adopted by the Assembly on 25 April l986 (8th Sitting).

Thesaurus

The Assembly,

1. Recalling the ‘‘Declaration regarding intolerance - a threat to democracy'' adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 14 May 1981 and its Recommendation 968 (1983), on xenophobic attitudes and movements in member countries with regard to migrant workers ;

2. Drawing attention to the interest aroused in public opinion, and especially among young people, by the Conference on Intolerance in Europe held by the European Youth Centre in December 1980, the confrontation on ‘‘Aliens in Europe : a threat or an asset ?'' held by the Assembly in March 1984, and the seminar on ‘‘Making multi-ethnic societies work'' held in November 1984 by the Steering Committee on Intra-European Migration ;

3. Disturbed by the exploitation of xenophobic and racist themes by political groups and politicians for electoral purposes, and by the disregard of human rights whose defence is the primary role of the Council of Europe ;

4. Observing that :

4.1 the media concentrate on dramatic events which may be caused by racist and xenophobic acts, and neglect the positive experiences of life together ;

4.2 public opinion may consequently have a distorted view of the community relations situation ;

5. Noting that a very large majority of foreigners who have lived in Europe for a number of years have not chosen to return to their countries of origin, notwithstanding policies to encourage this adopted in certain host countries ;

6. Considering that :

6.1 policies designed to encourage the abolition of all forms of discrimination in national legislations must, in order to be effective, be accompanied by a change in attitudes allowing mutual understanding between various ethnic communities ;

6.2 harmony between such communities can only result from social, cultural and educational action ;

7. Observing that the widest possible publicity should be given to national and local projects designed to establish tolerance and mutual comprehension between various ethnic communities ;

8. Intending to organise a series of European Days in 1987 to enhance the constructive initiatives and policies adopted in different member countries,

9. Recommends that the Committee of Ministers urgently invite the governments of the member states to give existing or expressly created national committees responsibility for :

a launching initiatives - and, where appropriate, enhancing those already in existence - aimed at improving understanding between ethnic communities ;

b preparing a review of their activities by spring 1987 with a view to presenting them at the European Days referred to in the preceding paragraph.