Summary
Thanks to incredible advances in communications, dramatic transport cost reductions and the explosion of international trade, individuals now cross borders and intermingle with people from different cultures on a hitherto unknown scale. There is no argument, approach or policy which of itself can protect society from the consequences of political extremism or religious fanaticism or both, but I believe that the more we can strengthen and make explicit the values - the rights and responsibilities - which come with being a citizen of Britain and the identity of being British, the more we can make democracy and identity compatible in a way which protects and celebrates all manner of those identities, religious and otherwise.
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Extract
The Way We Are
I AM CLEARLY NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO THINKS THAT THE concept of identity is of increasing importance in understanding the challenges facing global politics. Amartya Sen recently published a book on the subject, while Francis Fukayama wrote about it with his customary thoughtfulness in Prospect magazine.
The challenges presented by identity politics are clean disputes over the treatment of differences arising from gender, race, ethnicity, class and - most significantly of all today - religion.The concept itself is more open to debate. Some components of our identity are, for instance, given to us - our race and gender - our physical make-up, right down to our fingerprints. Others are the subject ...See the full content of this document
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