Challenges and Opportunities for Coexistence in Multicultural Rural in Navarre (Spain)

Abstract

The proliferation of international migrations, especially intense in the last two decades, has had a noticeable impact on the daily coexistence of rural spaces. Faced with the historical predominance of urban perspectives, this text reflects on how the increase in compositional heterogeneity in these villages presents specific challenges and opportunities in the relational space. To this end, 14 discussion groups held in five small Navarrese towns (Falces, Larraga, Cintruénigo, Irurtzun and Lakuntza) that have developed participatory processes for diagnosis and promoting intercultural coexistence are analysed. The results indicate, on the one hand, that displacements have an amplified impact in rural spaces frequently characterized by strong relational models (strong ties, sense of community, predominance of coexistence, etc.). On the other hand, the increase in cultural diversity in places with social frameworks, practices and social imaginaries that differ from urban ones makes it necessary to identify distinctive challenges and articulate specific interventions to improve intercultural coexistence.