Unity in Diversity V.1

Volume 1. Building on and accommodating diversities.

This volume is one of five books that cover the proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Federalism. This conference, entitled Unity in Diversity: Learning from Each Other, was held in New Delhi between 5 and 7 November 2007, and coincided with the Diamond Jubilee of India's independence in 1947. This was the fourth in a series of major international conferences organized in partnership between host governments and the Forum of Federations. The earlier conferences were held in Canada in 1999, Switzerland in 2002, and Belgium in 2005.

The Forum of Federations was established by the Government of Canada as the secretariat for the 1st International Conference on Federalism held at Mont Tremblant in October 1999. This event provided the first opportunity for experts and practitioners from around the world to ponder the relevance of Federalism in an Age of Globalization. Following the Mont Tremblant conference, the Swiss government invited the second conference to be held in Switzerland. A joint initiative by the federal and cantonal autho rities, the 2nd International Conference was held in August 2002 at St. Gallen under the title Federalism in a Changing World: Learn ing from Each Other. At the conclus of the Swiss event, the Belgian prime minister invited the next conference to Brussels. This third conference was held in March 2005 in Brussels under the title Federalism: Turning Diversity into Harmony, Sharing Best Practices. The conference was timed to coincide with a series of events aiming to celebrate the 175th anniversary of Belgium's independence, and the 25th anniversary of federalism in the country.