POSITIVE TOLERANCE AND SOLIDARITY. A PARADIGM CHANGE TO COUNTER THE “GLOBALIZATION OF INDIFFERENCE”

Abstract

The 21st century is witness to a globalization of indifference that derives from an erroneous understanding of the concepts of tolerance and solidarity, which especially affects immigrants. Here, we analyze the importance of immigrants achieving a true cultural integration within the European Union. We advocate for minority rights, and freedom to congregate, worship and to speak one’s own language. This requires a broader discourse on identifying the structure factors that underlie discrimination and creating policies to facilitate equality of opportunity and outcome. The essential task is to decide what constitutes the maximum acceptance of diversity, and what is the minimum acceptance. Tolerance should be considered as being distinct from the sentiment of indifference. One should turn to positive tolerance and the value of solidarity as a relational concept, as these two are the cornerstones for the construction of a democratic Europe that is both coherent and truly capable of resolving the issues concerning migration in the European Union.