P&V Fondation’ chosen theme : Intercultural dialogue and linguistic diversity
“How do we get Dutch-speakers and French-speakers to talk to one another?”
As part of the European project, the P&V Foundation has decided to tackle the following working topic: “Intercultural dialogue and linguistic diversity”. It is a topic that enables us to become involved with what has been a burning issue in our country since we were plunged back into an institutional crisis after the federal elections of June 2007. Belgium is threatening to become fragmented; Flemish political leaders are clamouring for more autonomy, in fact even for a confederal system, while the position of the French-speakers remains unchanged. Today, this vicious circle makes Belgium more and more difficult to govern.
The Kingdom’s political structure is a complex one. Since 1993 Belgium has been a federal State, made up of three regions – Flanders, Wallonia and the bilingual Brussels Capital region – and three language communities – Flemish, French (Wallonia-Brussels) and German. Belgium has three official languages: French, Dutch and German. Only Flanders is single-language, while Wallonia includes the German-speaking community.
Structure of the population in Belgium (2008)
Brussels Capital region (bilingual with a French-speaking majority) : 1,048,491
Flanders : 6,161,600
Wallonia (the population of the German-speaking community is 74,565) : 3,456,775
Total : 10,666,866
The gulf is widening between the North and South of the country and demands are hardening on both sides. In addition, clichés are flying back and forth on either side of the language community divide:
· The Flemish are racists, extremists, selfish and austere.
· The Walloons are poor, lazy, revellers and profiteers.
· Brussels is a city that’s too dirty, with too many French-speakers, too many foreigners and too much crime.
According to the media, the country is like a powder keg. It’s a fact that the politicians and media bear a lot of the responsibility for this crisis and the gloves are very much off between the two language “camps”. Although many Belgians have roots in both cultures, French-speakers and Dutch-speakers rarely meet, apart from in Brussels, at the Coast or in the Ardennes. Language problems contribute a great deal to this atmosphere of mutual mistrust. Bilingualism is extremely underdeveloped: there are no newspapers or television stations that cater for both languages. Since 1988, education no longer comes under a federal government portfolio and outside Brussels, learning the other community’s language at school is optional. So it seems that Belgium has lost the bilingualism wager once and for all.
How could Belgium encourage dialogue between the cultures and promote “living better together” in an open, broad society, whereas right now the country’s two main communities are sinking further into an identity-based fallback position?
Given this unpromising background in terms of intercultural dialogue, we believe that consultation with the people on the specific subject of linguistic diversity would be a relevant and sufficiently original approach to take. However, although the country has three official languages, we are deliberately limiting ourselves to the two majority language communities: the French-speakers and the Dutch-speakers.
As part of the European project, the P&V Foundation has decided to tackle the following working topic: “Intercultural dialogue and linguistic diversity”. It is a topic that enables us to become involved with what has been a burning issue in our country since we were plunged back into an institutional crisis after the federal elections of June 2007. Belgium is threatening to become fragmented; Flemish political leaders are clamouring for more autonomy, in fact even for a confederal system, while the position of the French-speakers remains unchanged. Today, this vicious circle makes Belgium more and more difficult to govern.
The Kingdom’s political structure is a complex one. Since 1993 Belgium has been a federal State, made up of three regions – Flanders, Wallonia and the bilingual Brussels Capital region – and three language communities – Flemish, French (Wallonia-Brussels) and German. Belgium has three official languages: French, Dutch and German. Only Flanders is single-language, while Wallonia includes the German-speaking community.
Structure of the population in Belgium (2008)
Brussels Capital region (bilingual with a French-speaking majority) : 1,048,491
Flanders : 6,161,600
Wallonia (the population of the German-speaking community is 74,565) : 3,456,775
Total : 10,666,866
The gulf is widening between the North and South of the country and demands are hardening on both sides. In addition, clichés are flying back and forth on either side of the language community divide:
· The Flemish are racists, extremists, selfish and austere.
· The Walloons are poor, lazy, revellers and profiteers.
· Brussels is a city that’s too dirty, with too many French-speakers, too many foreigners and too much crime.
According to the media, the country is like a powder keg. It’s a fact that the politicians and media bear a lot of the responsibility for this crisis and the gloves are very much off between the two language “camps”. Although many Belgians have roots in both cultures, French-speakers and Dutch-speakers rarely meet, apart from in Brussels, at the Coast or in the Ardennes. Language problems contribute a great deal to this atmosphere of mutual mistrust. Bilingualism is extremely underdeveloped: there are no newspapers or television stations that cater for both languages. Since 1988, education no longer comes under a federal government portfolio and outside Brussels, learning the other community’s language at school is optional. So it seems that Belgium has lost the bilingualism wager once and for all.
How could Belgium encourage dialogue between the cultures and promote “living better together” in an open, broad society, whereas right now the country’s two main communities are sinking further into an identity-based fallback position?
Given this unpromising background in terms of intercultural dialogue, we believe that consultation with the people on the specific subject of linguistic diversity would be a relevant and sufficiently original approach to take. However, although the country has three official languages, we are deliberately limiting ourselves to the two majority language communities: the French-speakers and the Dutch-speakers.
Aucun commentaire:
Enregistrer un commentaire