National Assembly Cape Town: 8 March 2007  

 Madam Speaker,

At the forthcoming meeting of the International Parliamentary Union in Indonesia, 147 Parliaments from all over the world will be discussing the very subject we are debating today, namely promoting diversity and equal rights for all through universal democratic and electoral standards.

It is therefore incumbent on this House today to air its views on the subject so that our delegates could take informed stands in Indonesia on behalf of our Parliament.

Madame Speaker,

Democracies across the world are increasingly being confronted by the realities of accommodating cultural and ethnic diversity. The idea of a nation state, with one homogenous population group, is dead and buried.

Even the most traditional nation states of Europe such as Germany and France are being challenged by minority language and religious groups. The greatest challenge faced by the European Union is how to build a European-wide identity, while at the same time recognising multiculturalism.

France recently had some of the most severe ethnic demonstrations and public violence in its history. Belgium is battling to remain a single country with Flemish and French speakers moving in separate directions. The United Kingdom is gripped with fear that large parts of London and other cities have lost their British character. Spain is feeling the weight of waves of illegal immigrants from the north of Africa. Australia last year stood witness to public violence when Muslim and White youths embarked on open conflict and fighting over access to Sydney beaches. The USA is spending billions of dollars to keep immigrants from the south out of the country. The dream of a democracy in Iraq is in tatters due to inter-community conflict and hatred.

Madame Speaker

We have learned some lessons from our international experiences and I quote some examples-

1. Protection of individual rights alone is not enough to ensure survival of cultural identities.
2. Recognising cultural diversity is a strength and not a weakness.
3. Winner-takes-all electoral models are not equipped for ethnic diverse societies where voting is in many instances along fixed group lines. Special measures have to be enacted to encourage coalitions and cooperation.
4. Language, cultural and religious diversity is a reality that must be recognised in the legal framework and policy measures of states.
5. Recognition of diversity does not imply discrimination against individuals on the basis of race or any other aspect.
6. The state has a duty to protect cultural diversity and to enable groups to maintain and develop their unique identity. This must be done on a non-racial basis.
7. Failure to accommodate diversity is arguably the greatest threat or "fault line" in young democracies.
8. A range of constitutional and legal techniques as well as policy measures must be used to build national unity and recognise diversity for example -
. Provincial and local government must be resourced to serve local needs,
. The electoral system must accommodate the diversity of views and opinions,
. The bill of rights must recognise that many individual rights only come to fruition within the context of a community,
. Governments at local, provincial and national level must be formed on coalitions to give minorities a voice in the executive.
We have to be careful not to be held captive by an outdated, old-fashioned approach to cultural diversity.
Majority dominance is not a guarantee for democratic stability and those that believe so are ignoring the lessons of history.
Democratic stability is ensured by giving all a space in the sun.
By allowing children to speak their mother tongue.
To be taught in the language of their fathers. To learn and practice the traditions of their ancestors.
To hear their cultural music on public broadcasters.
To see their leaders in government.
To take decisions over things that matter to them.

That is democratic government for the new millennium.

Thank you