An academic-practitioner collaboration initiated by five institutions
- Humanist Institute for Cooperation with Developing Countries (Hivos, The Netherlands)
- Kosmopolis Institute, University for Humanistics (Kosmopolis, The Netherlands)
- Centre for the Study of Culture and Society (CSCS, Bangalore, India)
- Center for Religious and Cross Cultural Studies (CRCS, Yogyakarta, Indonesia)
- Cross-Cultural Foundation of Uganda (CCFU, Kampala, Uganda).
We have joined forces out of a shared concern about increasing intolerance in various parts of the world, including India, Indonesia, Uganda and the Netherlands where the Pluralism Knowledge Programme works.
In the Netherlands, for instance, we observe a resistance to migrant cultures. National identity and the openness of the country to non-Western foreigners are heavily debated. The electoral gains of the anti-Islam party of Geert Wilders demonstrate a shift in the national conscience of the country that used to be known for its tolerance.
Indonesia, a very diverse country with the largest Muslim population in the world, is widely considered a country of ‘moderate Islam’. The popular Reformasi movement in 1998 started a transition to democracy, but also created many dilemmas. Freedom of expression has given space for fundamentalist groups which were previously repressed by the authoritarian government. Decentralization of political and economic authority has also opened space for introduction of narrowly construed shari’a law as a form of politics of identity, and in many cases has imposed limits on the freedom of women in particular. At the national level, the two consecutive general elections have shown that the majority of Muslims voted for secular, nationalist parties, yet there is very strong pressure from Muslim groups for the government to accommodate Muslim interests in public policies.
In India – while being equally diverse as Indonesia – discrimination based on identity (in particular, caste, class, gender, religion, sexuality and HIV status) threatens to erode the very fabric of Indian society. In particular, Hindu fundamentalism has been growing over the last few decades in terms of social visibility, acceptance and political strength. In some areas (Gujarat, Mumbai, Karnataka) this has led to communal violence. There is a growing sense of disappointment in the ability and willingness of the state to act as a neutral arbiter in these conflicts.
In Uganda, the Kampala riots of September 2009 have demonstrated the vulnerability of a country that is struggling with fragmentation along ethnic lines. The 26-year-long rule of President Museveni is increasingly described as a gradual shift to authoritarianism and favouritism. While poverty and conflicts over access to power, land and other resources persist, managing diversity seems to become ever more crucial.
