Abetter perception of ‘integration’ is vital to make things clearer about the social changes Ireland is undergoing, particularly those that have happened in the aftermath of mass migration, and in the transformation into a multicultural society.
Integration is generally defined as assembling disparate elements so that they work together, or establish a whole structure. In the process of integration, the individual elements must change and adapt to each other as they work together to become a whole.
If a simple example of this is needed from daily life, we can look at our computers that connect us to the internet. We can do a lot with a computer itself – from word processing to playing music to anything else the software will allow – but it can do so much more when it works together with an internet connection. Two individual elements – the computer and the internet connection (be it via a plug-in modem or a wireless router) – integrate to create a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. And all the various protocols and standards must comply with each other 100 per cent to get the best results from this integration.
This may also be translated into politics, as integration needs adaptation, a strong, well-defined set of regulations, and most importantly, reciprocal understanding. For instance, a new resident in Ireland must understand the core values of Ireland as a country, the Irish people, other non-Irish residents and the ‘New Ireland’. At the same time, the Irish Government must understand that all new residents may each have different cultures, beliefs, and back- grounds, and have a sensitivity to this as they adapt to their new environment.
A healthy adaptation should not demand irrevocable changes from either side. Both immigrants and the cultural environment must survive the process with their essential characteristics intact, without harming and by respecting each other at the same time. The smoother the adaptation, the better the integration.
We know that the Irish Government was been highly successful on the world stage, and in recent years has become a critical actor in the global economy. This has happened, I believe, thanks to two-way adaptation – by the adaptation of the Government to the global economy, and by the adaptation of newcomers to Ireland.
A pre-requisite for this adaptation is a well-defined set of rules and regulations that all sides must follow. These regulations must include the duties of the public to the State, as well as the duties of the State to the public. For the most efficient integration, these should be as clear as possible, with no room for confusion. If different standards are applied for different parties, the process of adaptation and integration will become unbalanced, spelling disaster.
Avoiding any such problems is possible by maintaining strong relations and clear communication. And as newcomers, we should not only criticise, but also contribute to the processes of setting standards.
Maybe the best beginning is by making our own requests, rather than waiting for things to come to us.
To be continued…
Cem Sahir Islam is managing director of Turkish Airlines in Dublin
