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The Migration Crisis is generating major anxieties across the EU with large numbers of migrants pouring into Europe from Syria, and other North African and Mediterranean countries. This crisis will not disappear after decisions are made as to how to physically care for and settle the migrants. Over time, when migrants become immigrants, they will need to be housed, employed, integrated, and absorbed into the larger society. And this is a process that can take a generation or two at the very least. As the experience of France, Britain and other countries show, integration of new immigrants into host communities is a very complex and difficult process.Therefore, this is an issue with long-term implications that has the potential for becoming a continued source of conflict.
Given the contentious and conflicting views around the subject and the propensity with which this can create deep divisions in society, we believe that Europe as a whole, as well as its individual countries, cities and communities, need to develop well thought-out and robust platforms for genuinely addressing these issues.
We, at Meta-Culture, believe that a Community Dialogue mechanism is necessary to strengthen understanding across polarized views on Migration. This can strengthen existing platforms for civic engagement; build resilience against forces of conflict; and create conditions for peaceful co-existence. Talk the Walk: Community Dialogues on Migration is an initiative that has the potential to significantly enrich the conceptual and applied foundations within the field of conflict resolution and peace-building. A sustained Meta-Dialogue process that addresses identity-based conflict will not only provide an invaluable learning opportunity for stakeholders affected by the issue, but also create a model for addressing other conflicts.