Whether multiculturalism, multi-ethnicity and multilingualism are an advantage or an obstacle to socio-economic dialogue is a question to which about 100 participants from 20 countries tried to find an answer to through a dialogue with the representatives of ethnic communities and authorities of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina. The participants of the Summer Academy ended their six-day stay in Serbia with a visit to the National Assembly. On the behalf of the Parliament, they were addressed by National Assembly Deputy Speaker Gordana Comic who briefed them on the National Assembly’s work, with a special focus on the parliament’s significant role in the European integration process.
“We have reached a consensus on Euro-integration, which has not been the case since 2008, and have a ruling coalition fully committed to integration and reform. This is good news for Serbia. Though the end of this road would not also be the end of the road to social progress, at least we will be inside", said Deputy Speaker Comic.
Speaking of the diversity characteristic for the Balkans, Comic said that Serbia is at a crossroads of cultures and languages. That is why she believes European Union membership would mean a new era of development for the Balkan states.
Addressing the Academy participants, Vice-President of the Assembly of AP Vojvodina Ana Tomanova Makanova said she believed that while visiting Sremski Karlovci, Kovacica, Belo Blato, Carska Bara, Subotica and Belgrade, they have learned that diversity is an advantage because, she stressed, all the citizens of Vojvodina and Serbia have the same need, to be useful members of the community and through their diversity contribute to the development of a humane civil society based on solidarity.
The participants were also addressed by Prof. Dr Milena Dragicevic Sesic, the Head of the UNESCO Chair in Cultural Policy and Management of the University of Arts in Belgrade, Alexander Ivanov Vladimirovic, Deputy Minister for Economic Affairs, and Dag Ronning, Vice-President of AER Committee 3.
The final document of the Assembly of European Regions Summer Academy, with the main topic of multicultural, multi-ethnic and multilingual regions, states that Vojvodina with its 26 ethnic groups living in peace and unity was the ideal environment for this initiative.
Among other things, the conclusions also note that diversity and multiculturalism can be an important factor of social development and economic growth, with the youth, whose task it is to come up with policies conducive to a society where everyone can live in peace, playing the key role in the process.
The participants of the Academy expect the regional, local, national and European authorities to keep the well-being of all of their citizens in mind when creating policies, thus contributing to the integration of minorities and creation of intercultural societies, that is societies with a live interaction between the diverse communities. They also expect funds to be secured to finance the programmes, primarily educational ones, which would help promote the position of minority communities.
This year’s Summer Academy was hosted by the city of Novi Sad and the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina.