SIXTH INTERNATIONAL METROPOLIS CONFERENCE

WORKSHOP 15: Multi-ethnic art, culture, neighbourhood transformation and economic activities

Tuesday, November 27, 2001
14:00 - 17:30


ORGANIZERS

Surrendra Santokhi
Senior policy-advisor Major Cities Policy
City of The Hague (local government)
Spui 70
Room D.06.02
2511 BT The Hague
The Netherlands
Telephone:31-70- 353.20.39
Fax:31-70- 353.36.01
(E-)Mail:s.santokhi@bsd.denhaag.nl

Khan S. Rahi
Executive Director, Access Action Council of Toronto/ Co-hair,  Partnership Advisory Council Joint Centre of Excellence for Research on Immigration and Settlement-Toronto
CERIS-Partnership Advisory Council/ Former City
TorontoTaskforce Member on Community Access & Equity
(E-)Mail:aackrahi@web.ca
 2 Carlton Street, Suite 1001
Toronto
ON M5B 1J3
Telephone: (416) 351-0095, ext 216
Fax :(416) 351-0107

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION

Policy relevance 

It is often assumed that  multi-ethnic and multi-racial concentration of neighbourhoods lead to the development of segregated neighbourhoods, which conveys a negative impression on the city life. As a result of that negative perception,  the positive economic potentials and neighbourhood improvements are left out of official planning and neighbourhood development policies. The policy challenge is to move forward the diversity agenda from the problematic thinking to opportunity-creating environment.

Goal, involvement of policy-makers, researchers and NGO's

The workshop presenters will consist of policy-makers, academic researchers and non-governmental organisations, applying an international comparative framework.

Goal:

The goal of the workshop is to address the following questions:

1.                  What changes are taking place in low-income neighbourhoods with the arrival of Muslim migrants: neighbourhood centres and mosques in Gouda and Amsterdam compared

Edien Bartels & Peer Smets (researchers University of Amsterdam)

Abstract:

Since the 1960s onwards, Dutch urban low-income neighbourhoods have been changed enormously. Processes of modernisation, secularisation and individualisation caused loser networks and social control mechanism among the dwellers. In addition, migrants from countries such as Morocco, Turkey and Suriname settled mainly in these neighbourhoods. Their arrival has changed the use of public and private space on the street and in public buildings. Against the background of depolarisation and secularisation, secular neighbourhood centres and religious centres such as mosques have been established. Especially from the 1960s onwards, the neighbourhood centres were created by Dutch government organisations, while Muslim migrants have set up the mosques by themselves from the 1980s onwards. Mosques developed from religious centres only towards religious centres with a social responsibility. Nowadays, neighbourhood centres and mosques, both working with the assistance of volunteers, have specific neighbourhood functions and activities. It can be questioned how the development of mosques can be seen in relation to the development of neighbourhood centres from the perspective of the local dwellers. Moreover, can a mosque and its neighbourhood activities be seen as a step towards modernisation and secularisation, or is it an offspring of new developments? In order to highlight these questions, we will select a neighbourhood centre and a mosque in a low-income neighbourhood in Amsterdam and Gouda. Both institutions will be compared with respect to their staff, volunteers, activities and visitors. Such comparison in each selected neighbourhood and between the two neighbourhoods offer the possibility of looking into their transformation of socio-cultural neighbourhood activities caused by the arrival of migrants in the two Dutch cities of Amsterdam and Gouda.

2.         What impact do Buddhist temples have on the social, cultural and economic activities  in Toronto?

Janet McLellan (assistant professor/researcher, Wilfrid Laurier University,  Canada)

Abstract:

Over sixty Buddhist communities and institutions reside in Toronto, representing a diversity of ethnic, linguistic, national, racial and doctrinal differences. Buddhist places of worship are found throughout the city in a variety of neighbourhoods ranging from the disadvantaged to wealthy enclaves to industrial complexes.  Although their presence has not contributed to organized tourist attraction or business appeal, they  have had significant impact on neighbours and municipal  politics.  This paper describes three different temples - a Sino Vietnamese temple in downtown Toronto, a Cambodian temple in North Toronto, and a huge Hong Kong  Chinese temple complex with multiple branches throughout  the city.

3.   How can the public sector actors turn the histories and identities of immigrants that shape a city into vehicles for better governance?

 (The L'ESCALE Project: City of travel and cultural exchange, Lyon, France)

Stéphane Bienvenue (Local goverment Lyon/France)

Abstract:

In the course of the 20th century Europe simultaneously underwent industrialisation and the decisive phase of its urbanisation. During the same period the expansion of international business and communications brought closer contact between people and exposure to different ways of thinking. The combination of these elements generated major internal and external population shifts, which in turn gave rise to all kinds of changes, exchanges and reactions and had a profound influence on the societies and individuals concerned. These factors are part of the data essential to establishing the contemporary social, political, economic, intellectual and artistic history that prefigures the Europe of tomorrow: multicultural, racially mixed and looking to the world beyond its borders. In the light of this situation the Populations and Migrations Association, working within the framework of Greater Lyon's Prospective and Strategy Division, is working on an approach conducive to the creation of partnerships on a European scale: network-based partnerships between European cities affected by aspects of migration and population and interested in exchanges of questions and savoir-faire (The L'ESCALE Project).

This project is a response to a shared set of pressing problems rooted in the interlocking effects of regional, national and international migration on those major urban centres where most immigrants now live. The project aims to dig deeper into the identity of cities in popular and social terms - an issue fundamental to the unity of cities and societies - while also examining their social and cultural integration policies. By generating exchanges of experience and savoir-faire, those participating in the project will optimise processes conducive to better integration, deeper understanding of the history of migration, and appropriate management of the migrant heritage and its influence on urban change in the new millennium.

  4/5       From the local government policy point of view, what is the relationship and demographic impact of Mosques and Temples on small business enterprises and Mosques and Temples neighbourhoods in Toronto? And how can multi-ethnic and multi-racial cultural environment be incorporated into tourist attraction to promote economic activities in disadvantaged neighbourhoods in The Hague?

Khan Rahi (NGO, local government, Toronto/Canada) & Surrendra Santokhi (local government The Hague/Netherlands)

Abstract:

In this joint presentation two cases of the cities of Den Haag/The Hague and Toronto will be presented to demonstrate the economic development potentials through the multi-ethnic and multi-racial diversity with reference  to the social-economic and neighbourhood role of Mosques and Temples. The city of Den Haag/The Hague will present a case of multi-ethnic and multi-racial diversity as a factor for economic development in disadvantaged neighourhoods, leading to tourist attraction and business appeal. The discussion will focus on  the policy and socio-economic implications of this approach. In the Canadian context, cases of three Mosques in the Toronto area will  demonstrate the role of multi-ethnic and multi-racial diversity and  how over a period of ten years  large numbers of recent immigrants have flocked over these Mosques to connect with the Muslim culture and to cultivate business contacts.

International comparison

This workshop has invited presenters from different countries to present their particular practice in the context of their own specific municipal settings and share the lessons drawn from their concrete social and cultural conditions. The workshop will be useful for service providers, policy-makers, academics and NGOs and it will have international comparative municipal neighbourhood  planning and policy relevance. The workshop will give an brief overview  from the general thematic presentations on the major issues and challenges facing

Minorities/faith communities in their respective countries,  in North America and Europe.  This introductory piece will provide a template of comparison from which we can draw common and contracting features for cross-cultural  understanding of the particular (faith) practices and the social, cultural, economic and political context for each one, with particular references to specific   examples  from the Muslim, Buddhist and other communities in North American and European metropolis centers. This approach will also provide the workshop participants with the opportunity to clearly identify the enormous diversity of both Muslims, Buddhists and other faith groups along ethnic, linguistic, class, racial and migratory status (refugee or immigrant), as well as general numbers and their relative degree of integration, in each city in question.

Guidelines for the presentation and discussion

The total duration will be maximum 3 hours, including four presentations and discussion. Each single presentation will take 30 minutes including discussion. The joint presentations will take 50 minutes including discussions.

Format  for the discussion:

1. Overview of the characteristics of  role of municipalities in accommodating  civic participation of newcomers in different  faith practice contexts.

2. Presentation of  the country and city-specific to explore the experience of municipal neighbourhood planning and public policy addressing the issue of religious diversity issues affecting immigrants and refuges in their efforts to integrate them into civic life.

3. Lessons and recommendations for comparative understanding derived from

 policy perspective involving the municipal context, the model and best

 practices in civic participation through consultative mechanisms.

PRESENTERS:

Stéphane Bienvenue, City of Lyon, France
Edien Bartels & Peer Smets, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Janet McLellan, Wilfrid Laurier University
Khan Rahi, Joint Centre of Excellence for Research on Immigration and Settlement, Canada