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   The Rainbow Platform rethinks Europe's approach to cultural diversity by pooling the expertise of organisations in the fields of culture, lifelong learning, youth, social affairs, anti-racism, minority rights and inter-religious dialogue. Take part on the online diversity consultation.

Your Europe - Your Say

Rainbow Paper II - Take part now in our online diversity consultation

From now until 16 May you can rewrite how Europe should tackle cultural diversity. Help shape the future by going online and responding to a paper produced by the 'Rainbow Platform' (Civil Society Platform for Intercultural Dialogue, an initiative of the ECF and EFAH). Not only are your comments welcome - you can also rewrite the recommendations and add your own! Just log on to the site Rainbow Platform , quickly register, read Rainbow paper II, and contribute your comments/changes.

The set of recommendations is very much a work-in-progress. Your constructive feedback is absolutely vital. The results will be discussed at a plenary meeting of the Rainbow Platform in Brussels on June 4th 2008 - the same date on which the Platform becomes an officially recognised discussion partner with the EU institutions.

The first Rainbow Paper was released in January 2008 at the launch of the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue and the start of the Slovenian EU Presidency. More than 200 civil-society organisations make up the Rainbow Platform, and they helped produce a paper which discusses how best to practise respect for cultural diversity. A further process of consultation and expert involvement has led to Rainbow Paper II.

This new paper brings many issues of intercultural dialogue to the fore. Should there be a system of monitoring and reporting on the practice of intercultural dialogue, and if so, who should do this? Is it right that the EU should 'mainstream' diversity policies in its various programmes? And what about the intercultural aspect of the EU's external relations? Can there be an agreed 'European standard' for supporting culture?

Let us know your thoughts on these and other matters dealt with in the paper, as well as anything you think has been left out so far. The Platform intends to call on the EU to end the 2008 European Year of Intercultural Dialogue with a set of standard-setting recommendations.

http://rainbowplatform.labforculture.org/site/

About the Rainbow Platform

The Rainbow Platform rethinks Europe's approach to cultural diversity by pooling the expertise of organisations in the fields of culture, lifelong learning, youth, social affairs, anti-racism, minority rights and inter-religious dialogue. Set up by the ECF and EFAH, its influence has been strongly felt already.

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