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Cultural Migration in Autobiography Grundtvig Partnerships 2009-2011

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

e-mail: kszia@komesnet.com.pl http://cma.internetdsl.pl

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Czesław Krzysztof Cieplik

For centuries, people have moved across borders in search of better opportunities. When people migrate from one nation or culture to another they carry their knowledge and expressions of distress with them. On settling down in the new culture, their cultural identity is likely to change and that encourages a degree of belonging; they also attempt to settle down by either assimilation or multiculturalism.

In recent years, migration has come to be recognized as an integral and essential feature of modern life and of an increasingly integrated global economy, holding tremendous development potential for individuals as well as societies of origin and destination. This recognition, however, has not yet been matched by sufficient investment in developing or strengthening the tools needed to realize the positive potential of migration while minimizing potential negative consequences in a holistic, balanced and comprehensive way. Source: The World Migration Report 2010.

This globalization of international migration involves a wider diversity of ethnic and cultural groups than ever before. Migrant integration is essential to effective and comprehensive migration management approaches. Migrant integration involves a number of dimensions. These are: economic, social, cultural, political and legal. Ideally, migrants should be integrated in all these dimensions. However, not all host countries are willing and/or able to support migrants in all these. But migration does not end with the arrival of a migrant in a foreign country. Migration brings change that impacts on the lives and well being of both migrants and host societies.

In our project we tried to show some aspects of migration and some problems of integration. It was possible through the support of National Agencies in partner countries, which approved our project.