Call for proposals: Publication on "Integration beyond Migration"

(via Black Women in Europe Blog)


picture credit

Call for proposals: Publication on "Integration beyond Migration"

As a reflection of the debates in the Member States, the current EU debate on integration repeatedly combines the issues of migration and integration by maintaining a restrictive approach to integration policy focusing primarily on the integration of Third-Country Nationals. As a typical example, the 2004 EU Common Basic Principles on integration have been developed within the broader framework of the management of migration and its consequences, and therefore primarily concern migrants and Third-Country Nationals. However, people from a migrant background born in Europe or people from a European minority ethnic or religious background can no longer be considered as migrants as they are facing an entirely different set of challenges and hurdles in their integration process - many of which are certainly more akin to the integration/inclusion issues faced by specific economic classes of the majority community (in terms of poverty, underachievement in education, etc.). The linkages between anti-discrimination, integration and social inclusion therefore need to be rethought to develop a new approach to this policy area and enhance policy coherence. It is important that EU integration policies not only focus on new arrivals, but on the social inclusion of all migrants and minorities, irrespective of when they arrived in the EU.

Deadline 2o September 2010. More details here.

Family Ties

Go over to Pengovsky's place for a really great and informative post of the exciting new proposed changes to the Slovenian Family Code. Fingers crossed it goes through and gives me one more thing to make me feel proud of this place (despite its shortcomings).

In Solidarity

members of Afro Plus in Moscow

When I went home the first Christmas after moving to Slovenia, a family member came up to me at a holiday party and beckoned for me to "say something in Russian", when I told him I didn't live in Russia, he just laughed. Throughout the night, many people came up to me to "ask me about Russia", and I still come across people (old friends who find me on Facebook, long lost family members) who seem to think I live in Russia or thereabouts. In many people's estimations any country ending in "ia"=Slavic=Balkan=Eastern European= somehow Russian. While I won't deny that there certainly must exist some vague Slavic similarities between Russians and Slovenians, this ain't the same place and it's nowhere near it.

And after reading this article, I couldn't be happier.

(BBC) Africans Under Siege in Moscow: Nearly 60% of black and African people living in Russia's capital Moscow have been physically assaulted in racially motivated attacks, says a new study.

While Obama is busy making buddy with Medvyedev, scores of black folks on Moscow streets are looking over their shoulder every two seconds in fear. It's horribly ironic.

All this is not to say that Slovenia is perfect on this front, it certainly isn't but I feel more than safe walking down the streets, and pray that one day soon black people in Russia will be able to say the same.

Of All The Bad Ideas...

Yesterday night, I was walking through the center of Ljubljana when I came across UNICEF's latest campaign, "Help Get Rwandan Kids off the street". The first image I saw was a big sticker over a bus shelter which featured the slogan up top and then a "Rwandan person" laying down writhing in pain at the bottom. I thought "Hey, this is dumb" and then walked off.

When I walked a little further I came upon this little fella.


A cardboard cutout of a Rwandan boy supposedly called "Eric".

The street ahead was filled with these young'uns. It was beyond bizarre.



I even saw a stack of back up "kids" laying in a side alley in case the originals got vandalized or someone decided to go Madonna with one.

They weren't joking when they said "get them off the street". The direct implication being, "You, nice white person, give us some money and we'll get these black kids out of your way."

I am annoyed by this on two fronts, first the idea that the black presence on Slovenian streets is posited in this way -- some sad, dirty, unfortunate character who needs handouts from white Europeans. Secondly, considering there are almost no black people in this country and many Slovenians can't help but stare and isolate the black people they do see, I can't imagine this ploy working. As a matter of fact, I think it far more likely that the cardboard kids will get tired of being gawked at and having their hair touched and just up and walk away...

What Happened

I came across this great in-depth Al-Jazeera report on the Srebenica Massacre. It will give you some insight into who and what Radovan Karadzić is.

Here is part 1 (be careful - it is GRAPHIC)



Part 2

Sudan to Slovenia: Combatting Crisis

On our walk in Ljubljana last night, we ran across this really interesting exhibit by artist Pepi Sekulich honoring Sudanese human rights lawyer Salih Mahmoud Osman who has recently been awarded the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought by the European Parliament.











You can also click here to read more about Osman and also the Slovenian human rights activist (and former Slovenian special envoy to Darfur), Tomo Kriznar, who was arrested last year in Sudan and held for a few months due to his own efforts in the region.

Parallels: A Start

Yesterday as I was walking through a small grassy field to the supermarket, I passed by a small, very hunched-over, old man who stared intently and ambled slowly in my direction. I said Dober dan (Good day) to him at which point his eyes quickly lit up and he became very animated saying (in Slovene) Good day and welcome to you, my friend from Africa! > When I told The Captain, he laughed and shook his head, making some comment on my ability to turn mundane tasks into funny stories.

One of the hopes in coming here was that I would be able to start drawing parallels, finding commonalities, ties that would bind, but in a non-hippy Kumbaya kinda way... The hope is that I could join/ be part of building communities of people that moved beyond nation and culture and built bonds around beliefs and actions. I think that world is coming together daily on the many blogs I frequent, and the few that I am writing.


(aborigines, roma, and american blacks - a few of the many groups struggling. how to make the bigger connections?)

Recently, the blogosphere has been on fire with news of the protests in Jena, Louisiana regarding the unfair prosecution of six teens (read the fact sheet here). Following this clip of Michael Moore on Slovenian TV, I had a lengthy conversation with The Captain on the matter of Slovenia and the world community, which eventually led to a discussion of the treatment of Roma here in Slovenia. Today I was lucky enough to happen upon this informative update post (by way of Michael at Carniola ) on the matter. It is interesting to see the way apartheid is manifesting itself throughout the world and the variegated (and often disappointing) responses (or lack thereof) to it. The Roma story also reminds me of many of the current struggles of Aborigine people in Australia, who are living in a situation comparable to the late 50's/ early 60's American south, at best. Though the details differ in all the cases, it is often all too familiar: the majority holding up some antiquated separate but equal standard and feeling perfectly justified in doing so. I am not sure what it will take to bring about a positive shift, but I have a feeling it is not a big protest or press conference, thought they certainly look impressive. I have a feeling that the real change must manifest in many small, mundane, and sometimes funny ways.