Xenophobic Europe |
| Posted by Administrator (admin) on 07.02.2009 |
IS EUROPE TURNING BACK 80 YEARS... INTO FUTURE?
>
> >From 4th to 7th June 2009 the European Parliament election will be held in
> the 27 member states of the European Union and more than 500 million EU
> citizens are asked to decide on the future of the biggest peace-project in
> the world.
>
> Economic crisis, unemployment, xenophobia, rising nationalistic and
> fascistoid movements, violent regional autonomy endeavors etc. are ever
> emerging facts that 'unified' Europe is facing. In a disordered period 80
> years ago people in Europe once already decided on ways of 'solving' their
> problems and fears. The killing results of the extreme ideologies and fatal
> leaders people joined concluded after a collateral damage to the common
> believe 'Never Again!'.
>
> The European Parliament election 2009 will be an important issue in the
> project of a unified Europe and the way Europe will take in future. What the
> UNITED Network monitored, during national elections in European countries, so
> far causes worrying in human rights movements all over the continent. Right
> wing and extremist parties act as policymakers on regional and national level
> and 'Fortress Europe' becomes the doom of a never-ending stream of desperate
> people who prefer to risk their lives than surrender to their fate.
>
> Italy is rolling back the march of time
> The Italian government of re-elected Mr. Berlusconi promised to take steps
> against the 'Roma problem' in Europe experienced already in the 1930s.
>
> "The Italian Minister of Interior is reported to have proposed that all Roma,
> including children, living in camps in Italy should be fingerprinted. This
> proposal invites historical analogies, which are so obvious that they do not
> even have to be spelled out." (Terry Davis, Council of Europe Secretary
> General)
>
> More recently the Italian government decided on a segregation policy in
> schools. Children with migration background have to be instructed in separate
> classes in order to ensure better studying results of Italian pupils.
>
> Extreme Right becomes the largest political block in Austria
> UNITED for Intercultural Action warns about the danger for European democracy
> after the worrying result in Austrian general election on 29th September
> 2008. Together the far right wing, formed by the political parties BZO and
> FPO, hold almost 30 % of the overall votes.
>
> The right-wing extremist party Freedom Party of Austria (FPO), current leaded
> by Heinz-Christian Strache won 17,5 % of the votes.
> The 2005 new founded party Alliance for the Future of Austria (BZO) of
> notorious Jorg Haider took part the second time in Austrian general election
> and was able to almost triple its votes to 10,7 % - even surprising for Jorg
> Haider himself who stated: "Beside the one of Lazarus (*) my rising is the
> most striking of history, I believe." Short after his astonishing performance
> in the elections Mr. Haider (58 years old) was killed in a car accident. More
> than 25 000 people joined the state funeral, which partly imposed to be a
> well-staged sanctification.
>
> This is the strongest political mainstreaming of the far right in Austria
> since the II World War. It establishes the desire of people who seek
> salvation of proclaimed threats from outside in ideologies of a not
> reprocessed past.
>
> (*) Lazarus of Bethany appear in the New Testament as man who was raised from
> the dead by Jesus
>
> Civil society as key for resistance...
> Civil society plays an essential role when it comes to the protection of
> democracy and human rights against extremism of any kind. It is not naturally
> given that people find a way to handle their fears without following
> extremist ideologies and its leaders who are preaching easy solutions for
> much more complicated problems of society. We need to be aware that
> increasing extreme-right tendencies are not selective problems, but a broad
> phenomenon of ignorance and violent communication affecting society. The
> dramatic lessons of the 20th Century seem not to be significant enough for
> those who vote for hatred.
>
> Our thinking is reflected in our action and Europe's current route is getting
> more violent. In 2004 a European-wide poll of the Fundamental Right Agency
> (FRA) listed more than 9 millions European citizens who has been victims of
> hate crimes. The UNITED Network believes that only an empowered civil society
> is able to sustain peaceful cohesion in Europe and we will continue to
> actively promote diversity and equal rights of every human.
>
> An empowered civil society is capable to peaceful shape their environment in
> a common sense. How it can work is shown by a recent example from Germany:
> In September the right-wing movement 'pro Koln' organised an
> 'Anti-Islamisation-Congress' in the city of Cologne (D). The 'meeting' was
> stopped by thousands of citizens who took a clear stand against right wing
> extremism.
> Participants of the congress had to discover that no taxi driver would take
> them to their destination, no restaurant honored their table reservation and
> no hotel would give them keys to their rooms. The whole city rose under the
> common slogan 'No Kolsch for Nazis'.
>
> ...coming up
> On 13-14 February 2009 - again - the biggest annual neo-nazi march in Germany
> is scheduled to take place in Dresden (D). This right-wing extremist rally is
> connected with the commemoration of the bombing on Dresden on 13th February
> 1945. Like every year, a large group of more than 5000 neo-nazi's, including
> participation of international right wing extremists, will march through
> Dresden.
> This is NOT acceptable - RESIST!
> UNITED calls for everybody in Europe, NGOs, Activists, Trade Unions, Members
> of Parliament... to come to Dresden on 13-14 February 2009 to take a stand
> against neo-nazism and help to reclaim the streets of Dresden.
> (More info on this counter demonstration will follow)
>
> It is our choice if we keep silent watching how terrors of the past repeat,
> or take an active role in shaping our future - whether with our vote or
> active resistance on the streets!
>
> ***********************************************************
> We depend on YOUR help in 2008!
>
> UNITED is not rich and has no stable income !
> Though far most of the work at the UNITED secretariat is done voluntary -
> still money is needed to keep the network functioning in 2008 and to secure
> the cooperation and information flow throughout Europe.
>
> Your donation is most welcome:
> - in cash to UNITED Postbus 413 NL-1000 AK Amsterdam
> - by bank (preferable) to:
> UNITED, Postbus 413 NL-1000 AK Amsterdam
Last changed: 07.02.2009 at 20:00
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