1. Managing cultural diversity: the Canadian experience
Tzvetana Guerdjikova, Ph.D.
(Toronto, Canada)
NOTE: The presentation is based on the following publication:
Tzvetana Guerdjikova -“The Canadian Mosaic: Milestones of the Canadian Multicultural Policy.” IN: ‘Canada: a view from without.’ Sofia, 2007.

2. Tzvetana Guerdjikova (g_tzvetana@yahoo.com)
Conceptual Frame
The Diversity - main characteristic of the Canadian society
The Canadian approach to managing cultural differences: historical overview
‘Mosaic’ vs. ‘Melting Pot’: two ways of managing cultural diversity
Canada’s policy of Multiculturalism: ‘pros & cons’ summary
Concluding Remarks
SIETAR Congress April 25-29, 2007
Tzvetana Guerdjikova

3. [1] The Diversity - main characteristic of the Canadian society
Canada is a country of immigrants:
1600s: the first overseas settlers came from France, followed later by other Europeans
(during the American Revolution): thousands of American loyalists came
1900s (before the WWI) : a substantial number of Italians arrived
: the second wave of Italian immigrants
today: immigrants per year from all over the world
SIETAR Congress April 25-29, 2007
Tzvetana Guerdjikova

4. Tzvetana Guerdjikova (g_tzvetana@yahoo.com)
Canada today
the second largest country in the world, covering an area of 10 million km2
about people from all over the world, representing more than 200 groups of different ethnic, cultural, religious and linguistic heritage;
two official languages (English and French), but more than 80 languages, spoken ‘at home’ by various groups and communities
SIETAR Congress April 25-29, 2007
Tzvetana Guerdjikova

5. Tzvetana Guerdjikova (g_tzvetana@yahoo.com)
Conclusion:
the diversity is a fundamental and enduring characteristic of the Canadian society;
the mutual tolerance and respect are some of the core values of the Canadian identity;
these values are embedded in the Canadian social and political model.
SIETAR Congress April 25-29, 2007
Tzvetana Guerdjikova

6. [2] The Canadian approach to managing cultural differences
Canada = the first country in the world to proclaim and pursue the multiculturalism as an official policy of the government
SIETAR Congress April 25-29, 2007
Tzvetana Guerdjikova

7. Milestones of the Canadian Multicultural Policy (1)
(1) First steps
1960: the Canadian Bill of Rights
1962: important changes in the immigration regulations (originated the amendments to the Canadian Immigration system in 1967)
1963: the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism
1969: the Official Languages Act
SIETAR Congress April 25-29, 2007
Tzvetana Guerdjikova

8. Milestones of the Canadian Multicultural Policy (2)
(2) the official announcement of Canada's Policy of Multiculturalism
October 8, 1971: the speech of the Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau, delivered to the House of Commons
SIETAR Congress April 25-29, 2007
Tzvetana Guerdjikova

9. Milestones of the Canadian Multicultural Policy (3)
(3) Next Steps
1971: legislative ‘ catch-up’
1982: constitutional recognition in the newly adopted
Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
1988: the Canadian Multiculturalism Act
SIETAR Congress April 25-29, 2007
Tzvetana Guerdjikova

10. Milestones of the Canadian Multicultural Policy (5)
Recent steps
1999 : the Government of Canada officially declared its commitment to "…develop a new approach internationally to support the diversity of cultural expression”
2005: Canada was the first country to accept the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions
SIETAR Congress April 25-29, 2007
Tzvetana Guerdjikova

11. Tzvetana Guerdjikova (g_tzvetana@yahoo.com)
[3] ‘Mosaic’ vs. ‘Melting Pot’: two ways of managing cultural diversity
The Canadian ‘Mosaic’ approach
= each cultural group is preserving their cultural and religious heritage, while contributing to the development of the country as a whole.
The American ‘Melting pot’ approach
= the newcomers should give up their specific ethnic identities, cultural characteristics and traditions in favor of some new, universalized, set of values and symbols (a policy of assimilation)
SIETAR Congress April 25-29, 2007
Tzvetana Guerdjikova

12. Tzvetana Guerdjikova (g_tzvetana@yahoo.com)
Comparison:
When dealing with social diversity issues, any polarized concept is incomplete and insufficient:
The Canadian ‘mosaic’ approach does not imply that the newcomers will keep absolutely everything from their country of origin (i.e. the early years of the Canadian nation can also be compared to a ‘melting pot’).
The American ‘melting pot’ approach does not mean that all the immigrants will automatically acquire a new look and identity (i.e. the contemporary American society looks more like a ‘mosaic-type’ society, rather than a ‘melting pot –type’ one).
SIETAR Congress April 25-29, 2007
Tzvetana Guerdjikova

13. Tzvetana Guerdjikova (g_tzvetana@yahoo.com)
Conclusion
The policy of multiculturalism should ensure that in the public sphere every cultural group is treated equally, while in the private sphere they are free to keep their diverse traditions and religious beliefs (as long as those traditions/beliefs are not in violation of any law).
SIETAR Congress April 25-29, 2007
Tzvetana Guerdjikova

14. [3] Canada’s policy of Multiculturalism: ‘pros & cons’ summary
Acceptance:
multiculturalism = tolerance
Criticism:
the multiculturalism promotes separateness & privileges (Gwyn, Granatstein, Granatstein, etc.)
certain ethnic groups are still marginalized (Henry)
New liberal Pluralism (Kymlicka, Opalski, etc.)
The multicultural policy should satisfy at the same time the interests of the society and the groups.
SIETAR Congress April 25-29, 2007
Tzvetana Guerdjikova

15. Tzvetana Guerdjikova (g_tzvetana@yahoo.com)
Pros & cons (2)
But, the social and political democratization does not provide an ‘automatic’ solution to the diversity problems. The diversity issues persist and some of them even intensify in a democratic and prosperous society.
(Examples: Quebec nationalism; privileges for
some groups, etc.)
SIETAR Congress April 25-29, 2007
Tzvetana Guerdjikova

16. Tzvetana Guerdjikova (g_tzvetana@yahoo.com)
Concluding remarks:
The ‘Canadian mosaic’ cannot be implanted ‘as is’ in any other country. But Canada’s experience can provide important lessons about a modern social policy, based on tolerance and mutual respect – lessons that may help some newly emerged democracies (incl.: those in Eastern-Europe) find their own way to respond to the local ethnic tensions and other cultural diversity challenges.
SIETAR Congress April 25-29, 2007
Tzvetana Guerdjikova