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Intercultural Communication

Healing

My presentation during the conference in Monopoli-Italy

All different all equal conference
6-10 June2007 Monopoli, Italy

Topic: Current trends in Xenophobia in Europe and strategies to fight against it.

Author: Emmanuel Berinyuy Ngaikpu

Origins of the word:
Xenophobia is a fear or contempt of foreigners or strangers. It comes from the Greek words (xenos), meaning "foreigner," "stranger," and (phobos), meaning "fear." The term is typically used to describe fear or dislike of foreigners or in general of people different from one's self.

Understanding what xenophobia is:
As with all phobias a xenophobic person is aware of the fear, and therefore has to believe at some level that the target is in fact a foreigner.
This arguably separates xenophobia from racism and ordinary prejudice in that someone of a different race does not necessarily have to be of a different nationality. In various contexts, the terms "xenophobia" and "racism" seem to be used interchangeably, though they have wholly different meanings.

For xenophobia there are two main objects of the phobia. The first is a population group present within a society, which is not considered part of that society.
Often they are recent immigrants. But xenophobia may be directed against a group which has been present for centuries.
This form of xenophobia can elicit or facilitate hostile and violent reactions, such as mass expulsion of immigrants, or in the worst case, genocide
The second form of xenophobia is primarily cultural, and the objects of the phobia are cultural elements which are considered alien. All cultures are subject to external influences, but cultural xenophobia is often narrowly directed, for instance at foreign loan words in a national language. It rarely leads to aggression against [individual] persons, but can result in political campaigns for cultural or linguistic purification.

Trends in Xenophobia.
The Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights state unequivocally that all humans are born free and equal in rights and dignity.
Xenophobia has been conditioned by the experiences of Economic and cultural discourses, slavery, colonialism, apartheid and genocide and is linked to poverty, underdevelopment, economic disparity and social exclusion.
Regardless of the contexts, xenophobia remains a violation of the rights contained in these universal instruments.
In many parts of Europe, the evolution of xenophobic tendencies have greatly evolved from an overt manifestation of hate to, a very hypocritical magnitude. Just like other aspects of discrimination, xenophobia is becoming more and more difficult to detect in public spaces despite the fact that it is growing more and more. This phenomenon is clearly visible in some EU states where legislation against discriminative tendencies are stronger. However states with weaker anti discrimination legislation still face tendencies and trends worthy considering to be overt manifestations of xenophobia.
A marked difference has also been highlighted in many countries showing that in an area where the majourity or almost half of the population are migrants compared to the local population, there are very few open xenophobic incidents (Brussels, Paris, London, Amsterdam), unlike in areas where the local population feels dominant. EG Antwerpen,
This visible and overt xenophobia can be analysed at the supra national and collective level, it is more visible and vibrant within extreme right communities and gatherings.
At supra national level supporting by governments in power set political agendas that favour the growth of xenophobic tendencies.
Collective manifestations of xenophobia: During sporting activities, Political rallies of extreme right or neonazi parties and conventions, musical concerts. Other citizens simply vent the' frustrations on immigrants

Why the rising trend?
The post-11 September 2001 proliferation of writings and publications that legitimize the culture of encouraging discrimination and racism and develop concepts such as the clash of civilizations, which have the potential to heighten ethnic and racial tensions by way of culture.
Migration: The new waves of migration from other continents (such as Africa and the former Eastern countries) triggered by the new globalisation order, have been seen by die-hart xenophobes and far right extremists as a canker warm in the society, and must to be halted! These xenophobes see nothing more beyond their noses and their immediate surroundings, than the immediate threat of migrants. The xenophobic manifestations ignore historical immigration patterns and their benefits for recipient states. Europe and North America have been destinations for migrants for centuries, conditioned by different factors at different historical periods. It is but clear that international migration is nowadays perceived by many in the northern hemisphere as unwanted and difficult to control at the same time, populist discourses have diagonally linked migration(migrants) to crime and other social vices.
Economic down slide of certain countries, or the need to catch up with other developed neighbouring countries.
Conformism
The key role played by political organizations and parties in every region in Europe in the rising tide of racism, discrimination and xenophobia by preaching conservative conformist ideologists is alarmingly high. These organisations set their hard political agendas with cricket cries that migrants must conform to locally set norms and values. This fear of non-conformism to these cries instigate hate.
The Cultural decay discourse.
Just in line with the neo-conformists’ assertions, other groups claim to be deeply threatened by the “foreigners” present in their societies . These fake, unfound and baseless fears are based on the fact that the foreigners neutralise the european cultures to zero, imposing their own foreign cultures to the detriment of the home ones. It is claimed that the presence of foreigners in europe is threatening domestic peace, national identity and homogeniety

Consequences of xenophobia
The media magnifies reports of increasing poverty, unemployment, degrading welfare supposedly caused by refugees while largely ignoring the countless reports of rapes, beating, killings, general harassment by the some national police forces and skin heads.
These atrocities ccur because xenophobia has instilled the thinking that refugees are Problems and not people…
Xenophobia kills Patriotism and plants the seeds of ignorance and hate destroying the people and all compassion to protect the state. Every person is entitled to live, no human should be banned and no human created by the hands of God is illegal.
It only divides the people by the borders, by the countries. It perpetuates the existence of both psycho social and cultural borders, grooming groups to be introverted, living next to each other, but not with each other. These divides if not controlled, would sow the same seeds of drawing borders within foreigners who eventually would start hating each other.
It’s only another obstacle blocking any chance of equality.
It instigates a negative power game, not only between the mainstream society and the foreigners, but also within the foreigners themselves who in due course of wanting to belong, start seeking the slightest similarities between them and the mainstream group, while despising other foreigners that are visible different.
If xenophobic tendencies are not regulated and halted in some countries this can stimulate a spill-over effect on neighbouring countries and the effects can be devastating.
From common violence to Genocide. Rwanda, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Mass expulsion and deportation. Holocaust , The inhuman and derogatory deportation refugees and asylum seekers with the borders of Spain Italy
Promotes isolationism in urban areas leading to inner city decays or urban sprawls. It has become a visible phenomenon is many cities and even some rural areas that when more and more foreigners start renting or buying houses in quarters or areas inhabited by locals, there arises a point whereby the locals sell their houses and move away further into the country side. After some years the population switch can be highly visible. Why do the local people move?

Strategies to fight against xenophobia.

Anti discrimination Legislation
States must exercise greater control over racist and xenophobic statements and ideas — especially when they are expressed by representatives of political parties or other ideological movements — and ensure that such activities are stopped. In France, President Jacques Chirac promised "strong" and "resolute" action to resolve neglected problems, fight intolerance and roll back xenophobia.
Freedom of expression cannot be used to justify incitements of these kind. The law should also prohibit any party or movement from promoting racist and xenophobic ideas. Moreover, internet sites with racist contents should be prohibited and monitoring procedures introduced to this effect.

Monitoring, reporting, documentaing and information processing
Information, data collection and documentation of incidents, movements and propaganda materials are key to responding to immediate problems as well as to avoiding long-term disasters. Just as the need for early warning systems for weather-related catastrophes is now firmly established, a preventive monitoring system against potentially explosive xenophobic, racial, ethnic or religious conflicts is warranted as well. Early warning systems that monitor developments in communal violence can detect changes through the recording of racist incidents, the spread of hate literature or the mobilization of groups for war.
The collection and processing of information on cases of violence, discrimination and unfair violations of individual and group rights need to be conducted by autonomous, complementary and mutually balancing institutions such as statistical bureaux, universities and schools, community groups, legal bodies, international organizations and research establishments. Monitoring, processing and dissemination of information to policy-making bodies and the public at large should be conducted by organizations at the national, regional and international levels. It is now widely accepted that the mass killings and genocides that were allowed to take place in Rwanda, the Balkans and other areas could have been prevented by information-gathering and dissemination systems that would have alerted the world public. The key steps to prevention — establishing universal principles and standards; monitoring developments; recording cases, events and trends; assembling, processing and relaying information to all concerned — need to be institutionalized.

Education.
Some newspaper surveys in Belgium show that xenophobic tendencies are more preponderant within uneducated youths, dropouts than amongst higher educated graduates. Just like in most European Union states, education these days plays a vital key in determining your place in the job market and on your whole personal philosophy in general.
There are two basic reasons underlying this:
1. Youths and adults with low education, dropouts or unemployed often find themselves competing for low paid jobs with the migrants, thus feeling threatened because of this competition. Also linked to the above point, one other interesting phenomenon in Belgium is the higher xenophobic tendencies within secondary technical education than their peergroups in general ecucation. (Knack 23 may 2007)
2. Most migrants migrate in order to make a living and be independent, and not to depend or be profeteers on any social welfare system. Extremist ideologies preach and put forward the arguement that migrants are profiteers, lazy, and social parasites. They argue that competition ensuing from the migrants’ presence is detrimental to the socio economic and political system, but fail to see overriding advantages of such competition...

Promoting democratic political vigilance
The rise of racism and xenophobia in many countries can be explained by the capacity of the extreme right to shape the national political agenda around nationalist, xenophobic and racist ideas and policies under the guise of protecting national employment and combating immigration. In order to win elections, many political parties are promoting political platforms espousing these ideas and policies. A careful study of political debates in several States, in particular in Europe, will show without doubt the steady and powerful penetration of the platforms of xenophobia and discrimination of the extreme-right parties in the agendas of the traditional democratic parties, from the right and the left. The post-11 September atmosphere is revealing the profundity of their impact, with the intellectual and ideological legitimization of these platforms in the writings and discourse of leading scholars and writers. The theory of the inevitability of a "clash of civilizations" is slowly but steadily becoming an ideological reference point for political leaders.

Developing an intellectual and ethical strategy against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance
The eradication of racism requires going beyond basic political and legal strategies. Racism is a huge iceberg whose visible tip — its expressions and concrete manifestations — hide its deep-rooted causes. The roots are embedded in beliefs, value systems, traditions, perceptions and individual and collective feelings, in other words in culture. The culture of discrimination is not an unidentified flying object coming in from outer space, but a long and elaborate construction, built up through time and space, constructed on an intellectual and "scientific" foundation and made substantial through processes of education, image and identity-building. Consequently, combating it requires archaeology and deconstruction; understanding its processes, its mechanisms, and its spoken as well as its non-spoken language. The urgency of adopting a strategy to this end is justified by the fact of the resiliency and the living reality of racism in acts of daily life and the deep, negative perceptions and images of communities in States that have already adopted elaborate political and legal strategies to combat lasting legacies of racial prejudice.
In this context, States should develop awareness-raising and education programmes to promote tolerance and diversity and combat violence and exclusion, at both local and national levels. More particularly, consideration should be given to the dissemination of such messages of tolerance through magazines, cartoons, games, films and other highly popular youth media.
The media!
Media should be encouraged to promote democratic norms and values to foster anti xenophobic tendencies. Media should avoid racial profiling and the game of “shift-of blame”. Instead of media linking the degrading socio economic and cultural situation of a country to immigrants or refugees, which therefore generate or stir xenophobic reactions from the public, it is time they better look for ways of promoting the need and importance of migrants in the rebuilding of socio economic structures.

Recognition and awareness
The current realities of racism, ethnocentrism, xenophobia and related intolerance should be acknowledged as major threats to peace, security and human development. Paragraph 115 of the Durban Programme of Action, which underlines the key role that politicians and political parties can play in combating racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and encourages political parties to take concrete steps to promote equality, solidarity and non-discrimination in society, inter alia by developing voluntary codes of conduct which include internal disciplinary measures for violations thereof, so their members refrain from public statements and actions that encourage or incite racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance", should be the cornerstone of all political programmes in the States Members of the United Nations.

Taking the responsibility
States must implement comprehensive plans of action which include massive conscientisation because political pronouncements and policies do not necessarily translate into a progressive consciousness

Civil society organisations
Civil society must be promptly and carefully educated about de effects of xenophobia. Civil society organisations should form more alliances and expand networks than ever before in the struggle against xenophobic tendencies. Considering that civil organisation are in constant contact with the masses at grassroots, they should be able to play the role of xenophobe watchers, thereby understanding changing trends in order to make legal recommendations To sum it all civil society organisation should play the role of civil ‘vigilantes’

Support to civil organisations.
Without appropriate, financial, legal, material and moral support both from the government and citizens, the work of civil society would be a mere throwing of water on a ducks back.

Housing policies should promote diversity in unity.(Interculturalism)
The promotion of cohabitation of peoples of different cultures in a one space through social housing policies should be included in social policy agendas and debates of the various countries. Cases have been noticed in France, Belgium and Holland where social housing for low income families have shown discriminatory tendencies, clustering foreigners in old and dilapidated houses, while the newly constructed houses are given to the local people. These cases have also been recorded in some Eastern European countries bearing a high Roma population.
Promoting an intercultural society through equal housing opportunities should be the cornerstone of housing regulations in the European union.

Situation of minorities in belgium

United conference!Never Again! European Conference Against Racism and FascismKrakow (Poland) November 19-24 November 2003

The situation of minorities in Europe-Belgium
By Emmanuel Berinyuy N.

This little kingdom of Belgium is the heart and arena for socio-economic and political deliberations in Europe. With its beautiful historic and cultural metropolitan centres, Belgium is considered one of the best and hospitable nations in Western Europe. It hosts a multitude of people of all races, most of them cramped in the large cities. These cramped areas do attract attention just as they are avoided. To the attracted visitors, these mixed races in Belgium give a flare and image of hospitality and multiculturalism. But to some of the citizens (indigenes) the multiculturalism is a burden and nothing to reckon with.
It would be an overstatement to mention that the situation of minorities is or has dramatically improved during the last months in Belgium. Minorities continue to live in wanton fear, insecurity capped with insurmountable prejudices, isolation and more so, discriminated against.
Economically, following the increasing bankruptcy of companies and the increasing unemployment rate, the incidence of unemployment within the minority community has greatly increased. We already live in a society whereby the minority would only be employed in very mean paid jobs, or jobs where there is absolutely no or little competition from the white Belgians. Or would only be employed when all other Belgians have been employed.
The system and its machinery continue to plunge the minority community into secondary positions.
If we have to follow the far-rightist slogan, "Eigen volk eerste" (own people first), then we immediately slump into the trap contrary to the various Human rights conventions that preach equality of rights for all citizens. By this slogan, (own people first) minorities are directly castigated, and subjugated to permanent second-class citizens, if not exaggerated, who can have a meal only when the Belgians have had enough of their share,Who can have shelter only when all others have had the best of houses,Who can have education only when all others have had the best schools,Who can have a say in the political game of the country only when some parties are in dire need of votes. Or just for the sake of positive discrimination.
The system continues to open up various frontiers whereby the minority groups can only be USED for political gains. When a dysfunction occurs in the process of being used, they immediately become scapegoat or targets of that very system. The "scapegoat syndrome" against minorities doesn't only remain at higher political levels, but quickly transcends to the economic, social and grassroots levels.
The system continues to open up avenues that lead to a polarised society- the "We" against, "they", whereby the "we" connotes a positive pole, and the "they" connotes a negative pole. So long as the minorities continue to be categorised in the negative poles of this society, there would never be a head-way in seeking sustainable solutions for the improvement of every citizen's state of being!
In this system of ours, minority groups have been unwillingly tuned into spiritual zombies, whose hunt for the holy ghost has become the epitome of reliance and survival, than the state and its actors.
On a recent television debate, the chief of the rightwing party, clearly made his point clear about the situation of asylum seekers. He shamelessly called for and proposed that all asylum seekers should carry labelled electronic bands around their arms, legs or necks in order to be identified and controlled. His aim of voicing this gruesome proposal was to scale down the number of unprocessed refugees who dwindle and disappear into the society. Secondly electronic bands would easily help the police track down those who are ripe for deportation.The question is, are all the minority groups of asylum seekers criminals if not why should such a suggestion be voiced in public medium? Or is it another of way of reviving the tactics and methodologies used by the Nazis to identify, control and dehumanise the Jews in the concentration camps? It does arouse the picture of the slave trade era when the slaves where bundled in chains and neck-pegs in order to limit or inhibit escape until they embarked on their horrible journey to the land of Columbus.
Voting rights.This issue of whether the minority groups be granted voting rights has become a centre of heated debate in the Belgian parliament as well as within the circles of politicians and political parties. The rightist party out-rightly refuses voting rights to foreigners because it would imply more votes against them. They claim Flanders is already full and no place is left for foreigners.
The government, on its part, has shown absolute sluggishness and reluctance in processing the almost 3500 files of asylum seekers. This attitude has plunged the asylum seekers in a state of uncertainty and despair. The asylum centres have "unconsciously" been turned into a tourist site or human museum, where people and school children flock at clock-pace to see the asylum seekers, as if to say they are new species of human beings from one of the solar systems. Without their papers being processed, they would not be able to obtain work permits, thus their state of welfare remains jeopardised.
Despite all these negative developments against the minority groups in Belgium, there has, however, been some positive actions demonstrated by local government officials as well as NGO's to fight racism.
In the city of Leuven, the welfare service of the local government has started a stout campaign against racism. This campaign is being carried out by educating the populace about racism and its negative consequences in the society, educating the populace about the positive role of foreigners as a social enrichment factor and in the economic sustainability of the province as whole.
This city, Hasselt, hosts the seat of the Provincial Government of Limburg in Belgium. The story of migrants in this city is nothing new to the inhabitants. All began in the 1950's when the Belgian Government opened its doors to foreign migrant workers to boost coal mining which was an important source of energy at the time. Since then, till this very moment, the aspects of racism, xenophobia and social exclusion have unfortunately been widely and openly prevalent in this beautiful Province of Limburg.It has been proven that people with slightly darker skin or even hair colour, are not allowed into certain clubs. The city police corps of Hasselt have received several complaints from minority groups about the existing racism and exclusion in clubs. To their dismay, no action has ever been taken to their favour. But the course of history had to change when Mr. Marc Rubbens, the Crown attorney of the city passed on a strict warning to all clubs, dancings and bars that harbour racist practices. He openly called the owners of public places to respect basic Human Rights laws as stated in the Human Rights charters.The victims were all called upon to make their cases open either to the police or to other Human Rights groups for immediate action.
"With faith, hope, perseverance and open hearts, we will build a better intercultural society."
Emmanuel Berinyuy NgaikpuBrussels-Belgiumberinyuy2@yahoo.com

Conferences

"All different, all equal conference" 6th to 10 June in Monopoli Italy
Shey Ngaikpu will be the guest speaker on "Trends of xenophobia in Europe and the strategies to fight against it" The conference report will follow shortly.

Shey EB, one of the guest speakers during the diversity debate/conference held in the Law Faculty of the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in March 2007

Shey EB, one of the guest speakers during the diversity debate/conference held in the Law Faculty of the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in March 2007

Tosha Eyabi and Rei Ngaikpu

Diversity workshop in Madrid

Leading a youth workshop on "Diversity" during the United Conference in Madrid, March 2007.