S605-e5

The Cultural "Distance"

"Cultures"-5

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Governance of multicultural societies

Governing territories where cultures, and therefore peoples, that are too distant, coexist often means confronting a complexity that can escape us; it means being confronted with radicalities and blindness that force us to question our way of living together.

Culture plays a central role in this reflection. It allows us to propose a model of governance capable of ensuring the continuity of an indigenous people and the sustainability of their culture.

But what does "living together" really mean? We need to clarify these confusing cultural processes of assimilation, integration, coexistence, and separation. Perhaps we should dare to name the possibility of a society's "disintegration."

Measure a distance

We need to measure the distance between two cultures, between two peoples. Not to judge or rank them, but to understand what separates them and what brings them together.

For example: What are the core values of each culture and in what order of importance? How does each culture view life and death, time, the short and long term, chronology, history, knowledge, family, marriage, divorce, the status of women, abortion, the death penalty, the dead, and the elderly?

What status and power does it grant to religion in the governance of its state? What is the relationship to proselytism and apostasy? What is the relative importance of an individual in relation to his or her community?

This tool aims to bring about a consensus on the experience of a people.

How does he experience his proximity or distance from another people? What is his hierarchy of values?

The expected result is an indication of the cultural distance between two cultures on a scale of 1 to 4. This result would give us an idea of the possibilities of cohabitation on the same land.

How to measure?

This measurement can be made based on common, well-understood and well-accepted cultural criteria, including those cited above, in each of the two cultures concerned. It is also possible to obtain this measurement through a consultation of the people accompanied by explanations. Provided that the answers are not limited to a simple "yes" or "no," but to a number between "1" and "4," which reflects the complexity of relations between cultures.

The result would give us four possibilities: assimilation, integration, contractual coexistence, or separation. Each of these four possibilities requires clarification and specific governance to be addressed later.

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