Intercultural Dynamics Programme - [12/20/2006]

Urbanisation and worldview

The CIDOB Foundation’s Intercultural Dynamics Programme participated in “Making Sense in the City – Culture, Community and Identity in an Urban World”, a symposium held at Ghent University in which participants analysed the processes of sense-making, the multi-dimensionality of Weltanschauungen (worldviews) and the changes in meaning generated by the current dynamics of urbanisation.

The Co-ordinator of the Intercultural Dynamics Programme, Yolanda Onghena, took part in the symposium activities organised by the European Science Foundation CIDOB was also represented in this symposium by Anna Franzil and Yago Mellado, who participated in the sessions, “Urban Context and Inequality or Empowerment” and “Urban Context as Built Environment and Power Structures”, respectively.

Organised by the CICI (Centre for Intercultural Communication and Interaction) of Ghent University, the symposium brought together prominent scholars, students, artists and representatives of different organisations, who reflected on the processes of sense-making and analysed the impact of urbanisation on the cultural, religious and occupational characteristics that tend to give meaning to individuals’ lives.

The symposium was organised by the Director of the CICI, Prof. Rik Pinxten, and inaugurated by Stefaan De Ruyck (Representative of the Flemish Ministry of Culture), Freddy Mortier (Dean of the College of Arts and Philosophy), Gerard Mortier (Director of the Paris Opera) and Paul Van Cauwenberge (Rector of Ghent University). The encounter developed primarily around three main axes: development of new theories in and on the urban context; inclusion and individualisation; and religion and Weltanschauung.

In the academic sphere, there were contributions from, among others, Ulf Hannerz (University of Stockholm), Mohamed Arkoun (Sorbonne University, Paris), Paola Bacchetta (U. C. Berkeley), Faye Ginsburg (New York University), Abdou MaliqSimone (London University), Robert Rubinstein (Syracuse University, N.Y.), Loïc Wacquant (U. C. Berkeley) and Laura Nader (U. C. Berkeley). In this sphere, a possible theoretical framework was discussed, while in the professional and artistic spheres, practical cases and comparative analysis cases at national and international levels were put forward, with points of view contributed from different disciplines and professional sectors.

Collaboration with the CICI is part of the set of co-operation projects the CIDOB Foundation and Ghent University carry out within the framework of the RICEI Network, a project which fosters relations among entities dedicated to intercultural studies.

For further information on the programme, the following web page can be consulted: http://cici.ugent.be/en/symposium/programme .