MANAGING DIVERSITY

Australia Canada and Ireland are all engaged in questions of multiculturalism and in the politics of recognition and reconciliation the opportunities and pressures of geographic regionalism shifts in political agendas associated with the impact of neoliberalism and moves to frame political agendas less at the macrolevel of state intervention and more at the level of community partnership and empowerment In related but distinct ways each state is being challenged to devise policies and offer outcomes that address an unfolding and unsteady synthesis of issues relating to citizenship the role of nationstates in a 39borderless39 world and the management of economic change while preserving an enabling sense of national identity and social cohesionAnalyzing issues ranging from urban planning and the provision of broadcasting services for minority languages to principled debates over basic rights and entitlements these essays offer penetrating summaries of each political culture while also prompting comparative reflection on the broad theme of democracy and difference