Ethnic inclusivity can ensure that everyone is treated with equal respect, regardless of race, creed, gender, or culture.
Societies are becoming more ethnically diverse, due to the migration pressures described above: globalisation, advances in technology, climate change, demographics, and wars. The tensions arising from ethnic diversity have featured in several sections of this book. It is ultimately necessary, and possible, to agree to live together in peaceful pluralism (4.4) – which benefits everybody. In return for respect and equality of treatment, minorities can contribute to the economy and to a stable and vibrant fused culture.
Other aspects of governance can contribute towards ethnic inclusivity:
· Human rights can be seen as a moral standard (4.2.4), they may be embodied in the law (5.4.7), or they may be granted as socio-economic rights (6.7.1). They can confer a degree of political legitimacy to those in power in any society (6.3.7). They should apply to every individual, without exception – to protect minorities, to protect individuals who seek to break free from their ethnic groups, and to demonstrate to the majority that pluralism is not leading to erosion of agreed values.
· Concerns about terrorism have led to hostility towards Muslims in European cities but, as argued by the Economist, there is “A case for vigilance, not despair”.
· Legal measures can be used to prohibit some forms of ethnic divisiveness (5.4.6), adding an element of official coercion to the less formalised pressures of moral influence, but to do this the law must be acceptable to all communities (5.4.3).
· Wise political leadership can help to create an environment in which peaceful pluralism is encouraged (6.7.4).
· Citizenship (6.7.3) should be highly valued, and a path to it should be available to every individual.
· Separatist pressures are problematic (6.6.3), although some elements of regionalisation or federalism may be helpful if an ethnic group dominates a defined geographic area – but each region will still have some pluralism within it.
These additional elements of governance help to encourage peaceful pluralism, but socially-acceptable behaviour between individuals remains the strongest safeguard (4.4.2).
(This is an archive of a page intended to form part of Edition 4 of the Patterns of Power series of books. The latest versions are at book contents).