Tag Archives: Racism

Refugee Policy in Germany: “First Trickery, Then Starvation”

For 11 days now, the Berlin Senate, with the help of a large police force, has been starving and thirsting refugee activists on the roof of a hostel for refugees in Gürtelstrasse. Doctors who warn of the serious consequences of dehydration and want to bring water are not allowed through. Press is not allowed to the protesters. The few people who show solidarity are harassed and their protest against the inhumane actions of politics and police is made impossible. Go here to the blog and Twitter for information including press reviews and ways to support.

 

Open letter “Decolonize orientation framework!” published

A joint working group of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder in the Federal Republic of Germany (KMK) published the Orientation Framework for Global Development Education in 2007. This has emerged in recent years as a frame of reference for (extra-) school activities of Global Learning and Education for Sustainable Development. In the last two years, the orientation framework has been revised and expanded by the working group, but without criticisms v.a. from postcolonial and migrant-diasporic perspectives, which have been repeatedly a.o. on joint panel participations, inquiries, publications on power- and racism-critical analyses to the current orientation framework were brought in. Now, since mid-July 2014, the revised version of the orientation framework has been available for public discussion on the Internet.

Continue reading →

Racism kills: Now also in the outdoor pool?

On Saturday, July 19, a young black man drowned in the Plötzensee lake in Berlin-Wedding. The lifeguard on duty at the outdoor pool was outed as a neo-Nazi a year ago after racist incidents of violence at the lido. Now, apparently, he has remained conspicuously inactive in the swimming accident, and the outdoor pool management categorically backs him. On the Facebook page of the outdoor pool, there was intense discussion about the incident and the reaction of the outdoor pool company. Questions as to whether the signature of the pool attendant under a declaration of withdrawal from the right-wing scene or the partly “migrant” composition of the pool staff were sufficient to remove the accusation of racism in principle were probably too much for the pool operators: the Facebook page has disappeared. But one thoughtful person made this and the discussion public. However, the most unpleasant because critical comments had already been deleted by the outdoor pool.

Criticism of documentary about anti-racism training on ZDF

On July 10, 2014, ZDFneo showed the documentary “Der Rassist in uns”. Volunteers take part in the so-called “Blue-Eyed Training”, which is designed to let participants experience first-hand what discrimination means. Does the experiment really make clear how racism works? Does it help fight and push back against racism? “Miteinander – Netzwerk für Demokratie und Weltoffenheit in Sachsen-Anhalt e.V.” finds no and argues in the article “The authoritarian character. The ZDF Project ‘The Racist in Us'”that the experiment contradicts an “emancipatory educational work”. In our opinion, the approach of Blue-Eyed trainings, which aim to evoke empathy and understanding in White people (“in four hours you can empathize with what racism feels like”), rather trivializes racism experiences of Black people and People of Color. Racism is reduced to an interpersonal level instead of addressing the complex interaction with societal and institutional levels. From our perspective, the experiment neglects not only perspectives of resistance, but also the historically grown, structural character of racism, which Ahmer Rahman’s clip on Reverse Racism sums up well.

Renaming of M-Strasse: Berliner Kurier publishes false results

Last week several hundred people gathered in Berlin-Mitte for the “8. Commemorative march for the African victims of colonialism, slave trade and racist violence: Mandela- statt Mohrenstraße” gathered. A detailed report can be read here. Two days earlier, there was a digital poll on the Berliner Kurier site about renaming M-Strasse, but the results were extremely distorted, as the following press release scandalizes:

Press release
 21.2.2014
The “Berliner Kurier” published in its print edition of yesterday, Thursday, 20.2.2014, the result of a survey on the renaming of Mohrenstraße in Mandelastraße. It is said that only 10% of the participants were in favor of the renaming. Until the evening before, the poll ran in the online edition of the article. Many people there participated in the survey. The moment a majority in favor of the renaming emerged (49% at about 22:00), the poll was shut down in a flash. A characteristic process like the BK with unpleasant opinion deals.

Open letter to Heimathafen Neukölln “We are not ‘gooks'”!

The association Korientation e.V., together with a large alliance of organizations and individuals, has written an open letter to the Heimathafen Neukölln, thus reigniting the public debate on anti-Asian racism:

“We have learned to our dismay that until February 04, 2014, over a longer period of time, despite complaints received, the Heimathafen Neukölln has shown in the context of its exhibition “I love NK” a picture that is undoubtedly hurtful to Asian people. In this photo, a blond white woman wearing a white Heimathafen T-shirt with the imprint “I love NK” can be seen in an East Asian-looking park. Her grinning face reproduces an old and very disparaging racist stereotype by pulling her eyes up into “slits” with her fingers. […]”

Continue reading →

Unspeakable STIHLlos: Appeal against Stihl calendar disrespecting women

This year’s Weltweitwissen Congress, entitled “Changing Perspectives – Nationwide Congress on Global Learning and Education for Sustainable Development,” took place January 16-18 at the Haus der Wirtschaft Baden-Württemberg in Stuttgart. To the dismay of many attendees, the photo exhibition for this year’s STIHL erotic calendar (attention trigger warning) was prominently displayed in the foyer. This year’s calendar (circulation 900,000) of the Swabian chainsaw manufacturer, which has been around for 40 years(!) with similar discriminatory images, is described as follows:

“Inspired by fascinating night shots of wild animals, the interplay between femininity and technology is staged as a nocturnal encounter in “Unique Encounters.” Caught by the light of the camera, women move like shy animals in the impressive nature of South Africa.”

Continue reading →

(In)Security in postcolonial development education in Germany

Last year, two glokal members participated in a roundtable on “What Do We Teach?”. How Do We Teach It? Critical Pedagogies and World Politics” at the International Studies Association Annual Convention in San Francisco, USA. The event resulted in a collection of publications that has now been published in the journal Critical Studies on Security. Here you can find the abstract of our article “(In)Security in postcolonial development education in Germany” (unfortunately it is not freely available, but only for much, much money).

Massive police violence against refugees in Kreuzberg

During a police operation on the night of 16. to the December 17, 2013, there were massive violations of the law on the part of the police. Public opinion has recently turned in favor of the refugees’ protest after Henkel’s eviction threats. That exactly at this time such a martial police action against the Gerhard Hauptmann School inhabited by refugees takes place is probably no coincidence, according to the press release of the refugees.

Continue reading →