Ministry of Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan Baku International Multiculturalism Centre Azerbaijani Multiculturalism Textbook for Higher Education

Multiculturalism as a way of life

A country that advocates multiculturalism raises it to the level of state policy, making it an integral part of state ideology. The next stages in the development of multiculturalism as a social phenomenon concern its transformation into state ideology and

state policy. The state plays the main role in the accomplishment of these stages.

The transformation of multiculturalism into a way of life is the highest stage of its development. At this stage civil society plays an extremely active role in spreading multiculturalism in society. The ideas of multiculturalism are gradually consolidated in the public consciousness. The President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, says that the transformation of multiculturalism into the way of life of the Azerbaijani people is an important priority:

‘The prevailing climate in Azerbaijan, the interreligious and inter-ethnic relations and values of multiculturalism are a way of life for us. But if we look at other countries, we can see that this is not the case everywhere. On the contrary, conflicts, wars, clashes break out on ethnic and religious grounds and blood is shed on the grounds of creed.’

President Aliyev appreciates that multiculturalism as a state policy and way of life in Azerbaijan is a great achievement and notes that these two factors create a positive climate in the country.

Multiculturalism is a positive phenomenon, as it represents the presence of many cultures, of ethnocultural diversity, in society. It signifies a process of differentiation in the development in society and is a sign of development. In addition, as well as signifying ethnocultural diversity, it is also a policy to manage that diversity. The most distinctive feature of multiculturalism as a major policy designed to manage ethnocultural diversity, and what gives it the edge over other policies (assimilation, isolation), is that it seeks to protect and even develop the ethnic, racial, religious and cultural diversity in a united society. The policy of multiculturalism has the edge over the policy of assimilation, because it prevents the extinction of ethnocultural diversity, on the one hand, and creates the necessary conditions for the integration of the ethnocultural values of the national minorities with those of the titular ethnos, on the other. As a result, the policy of multiculturalism creates the

Section I

Chapter 1

27

Azerbaijani Multiculturalism

conditions for the integration of all the minority peoples into the society in which they live.

As for the management of ethnocultural diversity in Azerbaijan, it should be said that this diversity has been managed in the country for centuries on the basis of the principles of multiculturalism. In this regard, President Ilham Aliyev said at the opening ceremony of the Fourth World Multicultural Dialogue Forum:

‘Multiculturalism is a state policy in Azerbaijan. At the same time, it is our way of life. Though multiculturalism is a relatively new term and sometimes difficult to pronounce, its ideas have always existed in our country. Irrespective of the historical period and political system, our people have always actively defended and propagated multiculturalism within the country and beyond its borders.’