Many people in Britain think that multiculturalism has been a failure. There are certainly problems between the various cultures in Britain, and violence carried out by a small number can lead to the whole group being blamed, which of course is wrong. We have seen tensions rise in Britain recently because of what happened in France, and this is worrying.

However, there have been people of different colour and different faiths in Britain for many generations, and if you walk around the big cities, you will see a lot of mixed-race couples, groups of office workers on the Underground from every background you can think of, chatting and laughing and having a good time. It is significant that the highest levels of intolerance are found in areas of Britain where there are not many minorities of race or religion. Living next door to a Muslim or Hindu can, and often does, lead to tolerance and friendship. Racist political parties do not find much support in these areas.

It is important for the future to understand and tolerate people who have other faiths and cultures. Some say that assimilation is the answer, and that you must become completely a part of the country you live in, while others think that integration is best. Keep your own faith and culture but learn to live with the host country’s values. There can never be a simple answer and Britain becomes more and more of a melting pot as years go by and many problems remain unsolved.

Young people, as always, are the key to the future, and schools can play an important role in bringing people together. This is not without its problems as many schools have a large number of children from different backgrounds in the same class, and that presents problems of language above all. If you do not understand what someone is saying, you are often suspicious. Children are much more open than adults and willing to learn some words of their classmates’ language so that they can communicate. A few years ago two white girls at a school which had a large majority of Indian students learnt Punjabi so that they could gossip with their girlfriends! A door opened and families became friends. A good example of how multiculturalism can function – but you have to work at it.