"Musées, migration et diversité culturelle"
Foreword by NEMO
We all know that migration is not a new phenomenon and has always been part of humanity. But we are now facing - at least in Europe - a situation that has no precedent in history. Millions of refugees have come to Europe in the last few years in order to find a new life. Many of them will stay.
Member States are struggling to find ways to deal with a changing society, to adapt to and accommodate a new and notably more diverse society. On the EU level, the topic of migration and refugees is high on the political agenda: We see new instruments being developed, new funding schemes and regulations being worked on. This is a moment - a momentum - when culture can prove how valuable it can be to society. Culture, cultural heritage and in particular museums can offer flexibility and individual, tailored answers to the challenges of integrating migrants and refugees in society. In fact, they can do this much better than many political instruments do. Museums offer a personal, cultural approach to new communities; they support dialogue between cultures and help with understanding one's place in the world.
The good news is that this is nothing new for museums. For decades museums have worked with marginalised communities and minorities. One of their core tasks is to help people find a place where they belong in the world and society through their collections. There is a range of already existing best practice models from the museum sector that focus on work with migrant groups and help to facilitate dialogue between cultures. But not every museum in Europe operates at the same level. There are national and regional differences, different communities and museums work with different financial and human resources and have different responsibilities to fulfill.
It is NEMO's task and goal to strengthen museums in Europe through the exchange of information and expertise. This present publication aims to make museums aware of their potential in the context of a diverse society that is undergoing a process of change and to support them in finding a constructive approach to working with a range of different communities, migrants, refugees and minorities. The publication was originally produced by the "Migration" working group of the German Museums Association in 2014 for the German museum community. However, its findings and guidelines are transferable to the European level and to different types of museums. This is why NEMO decided to adapt and publish this practical guide in English: to inspire museums all over Europe to find a multi-perspective and multicultural approach to their work and their collections in order to contribute to a healthy and diverse society.
David Vuillaume, Chair
Julia Pagel, Secretary General