Accompanying the Eurozine conference 2013 in Oslo, entitled "Making a difference: Opinion, debate and activism in the public sphere", this focal point explores some of the aspects of building -- making -- a space for public exchange of opinions and worldviews. A place where anyone can make a difference.
Harbour cities as places of movement, immigration and emigration, as places of inclusion and exclusion, develop distinct modes of being that not only reflect different cultural traditions and political and social self-conceptions, but also contain economic potential and communicate how they see themselves as part of the larger structure that is "Europe".
In recent years, the possibility of a "grand narrative" that includes both East and West in a common European story has been discussed intensely. In a new Focal Point, Eurozine seeks to broaden the question beyond the East-West historical divide. How are contested interpretations of historical and recent events made active in the present, both uniting and dividing European societies?