Global Migration & the New Cosmopolitanism Articles

Contending Modernities at UNESCO


On 19 May our research on community organising in East London was presented to an audience of around 300 people at a UNESCO Conference on Alternatives to Extremism: Cooperation Among the Communities of Different Religious Faiths in Multinational Cities in the organisation’s Paris headquarters. The event was co-sponsored by the Permanent Delegations of Lithuania and the U.K., and the Woolf Institute. It brought together scholars, expert stakeholders, NGO representatives, and ambassadors to UNESCO.

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Catholics, Muslims and Secularists in Quebec: Citizenships in Tension in the Aftermath of the Quiet Revolution


The proposed bill on a Charter of Quebec Values, introduced in 2013, generated great tensions, sparking criticism of the Government of Quebec, and igniting public debate on religion, public ethics, and citizenship. However, the proposed bill also served to broaden citizen participation and acted as a catalyst for mobilization and networking across religious associations and institutions. Read the full article »

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The Un-Dutchable Challenge of Pluralism


In recent years pluralist co-existence has been pushed to the center of political and social discussion in the Netherlands, as once “received” understandings of integration, including various models of multiculturalism, are called into question. For Dutch society, otherwise known for its pragmatism and tolerance, the path forward to a more effective pluralist co-existence remains uncertain. Read the full article »

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Struggling to Mieux Vivre Ensemble: The Sobering Reality of France’s new Plurality


2015 was a devastating year for France. The horrific Paris attacks of January and November gave rise to a climate of fear, suspicion, and social distrust, and present formidable and as of yet unresolved challenges for leaders and social actors to find new and more effective strategies to mieux vivre ensemble (live better together). Read the full article »

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Los Angeles: A Microcosm for National Conversations on Religion, Public Life and Deep Diversity


The city of Los Angeles—a diverse, cosmopolitan, dynamically changing landscape—provides unique insights into how American Muslim and Catholic communities are engaging with the new plurality at different stages of their respective historical evolutions in the ever-changing American religious and legal-ethical landscape. Read the full article »

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The New Western Plurality and Citizen Co-Existence


Over the past generation the unprecedented expansion of migration to Western countries has coincided with the global revitalization of religion. These two developments have raised deep questions about received values and practices of pluralist co-existence in Western societies—questions that are likely to remain at the heart of political and social debate in Western societies for some years to come. Read the full article »

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Local ‘Political Friendships’: The Key to Making Multiculturalism Work


The business of creating a more practical multiculturalism and overcoming the challenges presented by diversity is more complex than it first seems. My research set out to investigate how projects in the UK are bringing diverse groups together and forming what Harvard scholar Danielle Allen has called ‘political friendships’ across difference. Dialogue is all very well, but without tangible common action it is hard to create any sense of shared destiny. The future success of multiculturalism will not be won by lofty new theories or more debates on national identity, but by encouraging real relationships at a grass roots level between people of every background and belief. Read the full article »

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Community Organising and Congregating Values


The experiences of Christian, Muslim and Secular leaders involved in Community Organising in East London highlight the importance of learning from and accepting otherness. Although they have differing worldviews, they are able to compromise and work together for the common good in their community. However, the congregating of these values is not without its compromise and tension. Read the full article »

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