II. Principles for integration Recognition of diversity and multiple identities 5. Diversity is a feature of all contemporary societies and of the groups that comprise them. The legislative and policy framework should allow for the recognition that individual identities may be multiple, multilayered, contextual and dynamic. Many contemporary societies are marked by an increasing degree of diversity in their populations. Meanwhile, migration – both immigration and emigration – is contributing to changing demography. It is important to take the potential effects of these phenomena on the position and situation of national minorities into account. At the same time, the different segments and groups that compose societies are also heterogeneous themselves and should not be considered as immutable and monolithic. Individual identities can be and in fact increasingly are multiple (a sense of having several horizontal identities; for instance, belonging to more than one ethnicity), multilayered (various identities coexist and overlap in the same person, such as ethnic, religious, linguistic, gender, professional and the like), contextual (the context might determine which identity is more prominent at a given moment) and dynamic (the content of each identity and the attachment of individuals to it is changing over time). In order to build and sustain just, stable and peaceful democracies it is necessary to recognize the distinct characteristics of groups, while also acknowledging the heterogeneity and fluidity within those groups. Societies are enriched by diversity and the resulting pluralism if and when relations among groups (minority and majority) as well as between groups and the authorities are based on trust and mutual respect and co-operative interaction and active engagement. Intra-community and cross-community links should be encouraged, as they strengthen the cohesion of societies, decrease tensions and prevent the risk of conflict. 14 Guidelines on Integration of Diverse Societies