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International Conference on
"Dialogue among Civilizations"
Vilnius, Lithuania
23 - 26 April 2001

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Remarks of the Director-General of the International Organization for Migration
H.E. Mr. Brunson McKinley
Migration and the Dialogue of Civilisations

Introduction

In this, IOM’s 50^th year, it is a great pleasure and honour for me to be addressing this distinguished company gathered here to analyse and celebrate the benefits of the dialogue among civilisations for creativity, mutual understanding and solutions to complex issues.

 Historical perspective

• The interactions between civilisations have taken many forms over the centuries -- and not always in the form of dialogue.  But the migration of persons is a constant element.

• Conquerors, sailors, explorers, missionaries and pilgrims of all religions, scholars, adventurers, traders, nomads, refugees in search of security, farmers in search of land, workers in search of jobs -- all have marked the world through the centuries.

• The cultures of our world are the product of the interaction of migrants through the millennia.

• Look at the great and ancient civilisations of Asia.  India and China have always accepted and amalgamated outsiders, forging their unique and lasting cultures through a composite of influences from outside -- religious, military, economic.  They are living examples of the power of cultural integration and assimilation.

• Look at the world of Islam, created through the expansion of a militant religion whose proponents unified vast territories and many races around an idea still strong and valid today.   Islam can serve as a living example of the power of multiculturalism.

• Or look at the power of the global economy, based on modern technology, which has made our world smaller and brought its people closer together.  One result has been increased opportunities for migration.  Another has been the unifying force of the marketplace.

Migration is here to stay

Population Change:  The latest UN population forecasts suggest that:

• By 2050, the world’s population will rise from 6 billion today to 9.3 billion.

• Most population growth will be in developing countries.

• By contrast, in developed countries, the population is expected to decrease while aging.  The result will be an increasing demand for younger workers from outside.

Migration:

• Migration pressure will increase in the next 50 years.

• There are currently some 150 million migrants in the world, a figure expected to rise to 230 million by 2050.

• More countries will need to take in migrants to sustain their economic viability and social service systems.

Migration as Policy Challenge

• Migration poses challenges on many levels to governments and societies. All of us need to increase our attention to:

  • Balancing the need for workers with the need for work -- organized labour migration.

  • Assisting the development of societies and economies through rational use of acquired skills and earnings.

  • Managing migration to encourage respect for law and the human rights of migrants.

  • Helping societies cope with the challenges of diasporas and multiple allegiances, including the particular dilemma of statelessness.

  • Minimizing social and political problems through intelligent and humane efforts to welcome strangers among us.

Integration of Migrant Populations

•  Whether as 'melting pot' or as 'salad bowl', every society will increasingly be required to cope with the integration of newcomers.

• Successful integration normally implies assistance to migrants through language acquisition and orientation in social and cultural aspects of the host.

• Religion can help unite migrants from different countries and ease integration problems.   It can also be manipulated to create tensions and problems.

• Different national communities in the same host country have differing integration experiences, thus, even in one country, one single model cannot always be applied.

• What may work best for one individual may not work for another individual of the same national group.

• Several elements are vital in successful integration:

  • Acceptance of change by host communities.

  • Acknowledgement of the positive contributions that migrants bring.

  • Education of the younger generation of host communities and of migrants.

  • The arts as a method of promoting mutual understanding across language barriers.

Conclusion

This conference offers a timely opportunity to focus attention on the lessons of the past and reinforce a world-wide effort to use migration for positive economic and social change.  Our deliberations promise to be fascinating and important.

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