The national network in France is a grouping of associations that are truly transdisciplinary in their respective fields of expertise. From intercultural relations, to youth issues, to art and sustainable development: the network is not only about summing up these different competencies, but acting on the meeting points among them to work on common objectives. Moreover, the network is established in different areas of France, both in the major centres, such as the Paris and Marseille areas, and in other small and medium-sized towns, which is a real asset. The dynamism, ambition and versatility of its members make it a real catalyst for synergies. The establishment of each of the associations at their local level makes it possible to promote the activities and objectives of the Anna Lindh Foundation on the ground.
Maison des Associations, 1A place des Orphelins
67000 Strasbourg
France
29 rue Toussaint
13003 Marseille
France
The French network currently has over 90 members, all civil society organisations active in the field of intercultural dialogue in the Euro-Mediterranean region.
The network was initiated by the René Seydoux Foundation with the support of Thierry Fabre, and was subsequently coordinated by ADCEI and the Mediterranean Women's Forum (Forum Femmes Méditerranée). In June 2021, the members elected two new leaders: ALDA and Les Têtes de l'Art, two associations of Euro-Mediterranean scope, whose aim is to continue to share opportunities for development, activities, training, international and artistic encounters to encourage intercultural dialogue.
France is a multicultural country in which various cultures (regional, from foreign countries, from different socio-professional worlds, from different beliefs or convictions, etc.) cohabit, interact and evolve. This diversity can be understood and analysed from multiple angles, the most present on the political, social and media scene being the issues related to immigration, or to minorities, but also those related to urban and rural culture, to mention only the most obvious examples.
Regularly, economic, social and political crises provoke tensions that resurrect debates on interculturality and multiculturality in a society that has difficulty in accepting a plurality whose issues are often subject to political and economic instrumentalisation. In this context, republican/anti-communitarian discourses and the demand for national protection (in reaction to the phenomenon of immigration and the enlargement of Europe) reappear cyclically on the scene, slowing down intercultural dialogue, which represents a field of research, action and commitment that is more than necessary.
Indeed, it is difficult not to recognise the dangers of discourses from the most conservative tendencies that exploit social tensions in order to accentuate stigmatisation and divisions around the approximate interpretation of cultures, beliefs and origins.
This stirs up social tensions in a historical context where the stakes are high. Indeed, how can we talk about intercultural dialogue without mentioning the impact that the treatment and recognition of events linked to colonisation, decolonisation or post-colonisation can have on social-cultural relations.
To conclude this brief attempt to introduce the main issues of intercultural dialogue in France, it is also important to talk about movements that assume and claim cultural diversity. Perceived as a richness, it generates new artistic and cultural forms in the broad sense. In this sense, there is an active civil society that finds its place in the media and public debates, mobilising for more social cohesion, through associative work, political activism, or research.
