ABSTRACT
The ICOM call, made in 1997, for museums to become places to address cultural understanding, historical fears and ethnic tensions was very much a sign of the times. The twentieth century proved that historical reference can be used as a means to forge ethnic tensions and heighten fear. Perhaps we should now use our heritage infrastructure to address that. It is through adopting cultural diversity and multiculturalism policy, and linking it to the work of museums, that many think we can use museum collections to explore difference in a constructive manner. As a result, globally the ideas of cultural diversity, multiculturalism and the promotion of good relations are influencing how we develop museum policy and plan new initiatives. When reading the terms, and using them to shape how we think about museums, it is important to keep in mind that they have different origins and subtleties and should not (although it often happens) be used interchangeably. It is also important to be aware that people can use the same words with different intentions. In relation to multiculturalism, for instance, some will prefer the term used as the description of a situation, or lived experience, such as a multicultural society, but will not endorse it as a state ideology.2
