Promoting

A Citizenship

CultureJohn PotterConsultant to CSV

Any future large-scale European action-research project should: -

Take account of the larger democratic and cultural challenges of our time by asking the

BIG QUESTIONS about civic identity in a global polity.

Make radical links between education, civic government and

citizenship.

Ensure that citizenship is rooted in

shared experience

1. The Challenge

What must we do to survive & flourish?

End of History?September 11th shattered the dream. In a moment of iconic violence the assault on the twin towers of the World Trade Center tore a hole in any prejudice we might have had that history was at an end and that democratic capitalism necessarily has the last word.

1. The Challenge

What must we do to survive & flourish?

September 11th

The event had radical implications for our British and European understanding of

democracy,

identity and

citizenship.

1. The Challenge

What must we do to survive & flourish?

1. ‘War’ on TerrorismThe ‘democratic response’ to Sept 11th was President George W Bush’s declaration of war on international terrorism.

In this he won the immediate fraternal support of Tony Blair and the British government and the general backing of governments in Europe and the rest of the world.

2. Democracy

War on Terrorism

2. Judge & Jury

Bush sought support for his ‘war’ through a series of bilateral discussions in which he was vigorously assisted by Blair.

There was minimal parliamentary involvement and little interest using the United Nations as more than a forum in which to muster support for nationally determined policies.

2. Democracy

War on Terrorism

3. Homo sacer

The terrorists were portrayed as the new global enemy, stateless international pariahs – homo sacer or ‘unlawful combatants’ - bent on destroying the people and institutions of democratic capitalism.

Such enemies must be sought out and destroyed by every possible means.

2. Democracy

What must we do to survive & flourish?

See: Slavoj Zizek, ‘Are we in a war?’ London Review of Books, 23 May 02

1 International versus global  This concerns political

and legal frames of reference.        

Question: How far is it possible to establish a genuinely democratic world order?

Issues: the role and status of the UN and the Declaration of Human Rights

2. Democracy

Bridging three tensions

2  Visceral v.rational2. Democracy

Bridging three tensions The reaction to 11th September was in part visceral and rooted in past cultural stereotypes.

Question: How far are we trapped in our own cultural and emotional history when we are threatened?

Issues: The need to: (i)  Find genuine common ground

(ii) Identify a distinctive European contribution

3. Shared versus conflicting ideologies

2. Democracy

Bridging three tensions

September 11th became associated with subsequent ideologically charged events, including the Arab–Israeli conflict, Iraq and Pakistan

Question: To what extent is there and could there be ideological synergy (if not agreement) between those who espouse the guiding principles of capitalist democracy and Islamic nationalism?

Issue: The need to shape our legal, political and cultural institutions to deal with this question at the national, regional and global level.

Identity Crisis

Since September 11th public attitudes both in Europe and the United States have shown a marked and growing concern for national identity.

The political stance of the Bush administration has been echoed by a wave of American patriotism.

3. Identity

What kind of people are we?

2 New Right

In Europe the new right is gaining strength from an evident yearning for a social and cultural identity.

This is focused on a revival of an inward looking patriotism rooted in love of country and a hatred of its enemies within and beyond its borders.

3. Identity

What kind of people are we?

Issues

1. FEAR: Since September 11th public and personal life has been backlit by the politics of fear.

2. UNAWARES: These events have caught us unawares. We have neither the institutions nor the habits of mind and heart to cope effectively with these challenges.

3. CITIZENSHIP: In a participating democracy, these issues are intimately tied up with our understanding of our roles, rights and responsibilities as citizens.

Europe4. Citizenship

Europe, Links, Experience

Europe has a central task. It is the only association of states that embraces peoples from erstwhile communist as well as capitalist states.

It has a unique set of relationships with newly democratic and post-industrial regimes throughout the world.

Potentially at least – it will have Muslim membership as well as Judaeo-Christian and secular regimes.

Links4. Citizenship

Europe, Links, ExperienceThree strands of citizenship: In education we have established the links between community involvement, social and moral responsibility & political literacy (Crick Reports)

Partnership: In many places we are building citizenship partnerships between education, local government, business and the community.

Citizenship entitlement in higher education: In Universities like York there are accredited citizenship programmes available to all students

Social & moral responsibility

Community involvement

Political literacy

Experience4. Citizenship

Europe, Links, Experience

Hearts and Minds: Arguable the greatest failure of the European Union has been its palpable failure to engage the hearts and minds of the vast majority of its citizens.

Shared experience: Ensure that citizenship is rooted in shared experience, particularly between individuals and groups from those cultures who, on the face of it, appear most deeply opposed to one-another.

Common CauseProject

Common CauseAim Promote a common cause around democracy, identity and citizenship in three continents and six countriesMethods

• Support, research and disseminate salient models of democratic participation in each country

• Share approaches, underlying values and strategies for success

• Identify and disseminate the implications for public policy

Starting points?Project

Common CausePeople’s College initiativesA people college is being set up in Scotland and a similar initiative is taking place in England

European ResearchSurrey University research into Education, Training, Governance and Citizenship in five European countries. (Possible follow on?)

Local Partnerships

Linking education with democracy and community Development

Any future large-scale European action-research project should: -

Summary

Take account of the larger democratic and cultural challenges of our time by asking the

BIG QUESTIONS about civic identity in a global polity.

Make radical links between education, civic government and

citizenship.

Ensure that citizenship is rooted in

shared experience

Actively explore a partnership project on the theme

Common Cause for democracy, identity and citizenship