Seminar from the series „Flight and Migration“:
In the debate surrounding the so-called "refugee crisis," a growing number of voices are calling for the elimination of the root causes of displacement. This is indeed necessary to offer people a future in their respective countries of origin. However, the focus on the root causes of displacement often falls short and is characterized by selective perception. For example, the war in Syria, with its approximately 300,000 Syrian deaths, is usually recognized as a legitimate reason for seeking refuge. What is often forgotten, however, is that armed conflicts also exist in countries like Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, and Sudan. Furthermore, war not only poses a threat to life but also leads to humanitarian crises, poverty and hunger, and the destruction of habitats. On the other hand, discrimination and persecution, or the consequences of climate change, are denied as valid reasons for displacement.
In the seminar „Causes of flight“ from May 23rd to 27th, 2016 with students of the Louise-Schroeder-School It was therefore important to highlight the diversity of reasons for flight and countries of origin, and to demonstrate that the causes of flight often overlap, overlap, and reinforce each other. Historical and current global power relations and dependencies, and the related question of the shared responsibility of former colonial powers and industrialized European countries for the causes of global refugee and migration movements, were also addressed.
The 53 participants explored different aspects of the highly topical seminar theme in five different workshop groups (audio, rap, two theater workshops, and weblog). They utilized the artistic expressive possibilities of their respective media to present their positions, developed after intensive research and lively discussions, on the final day of the seminar in the theater hall of the wannseeFORUM.
The Audio workshop The focus was primarily on meat consumption, its impact on the environment and people, and how this can lead to causes or reasons for migration/refugeeism (monocultures, land grabbing). A Skype interview with Francisco Marí, advisor for global food security, agricultural trade, and marine policy at [organization name missing], provided important insights. „"Bread for the World"“. He provided the participants with information about his organization's work in various countries of the Global South. Furthermore, he criticized what he considered to be Germany's contradictory policies, which on the one hand forward donations to "Bread for the World" to implement or support projects such as building self-sufficiency in chicken meat in various African countries, while on the other hand, the export of cheap poultry waste to these very same countries is causing the collapse of local markets. The audio contributions produced by the participants (survey, quiz, interview) are available at the following link: link to find.
Starting with the question "Why do people flee?", the Rap group An overview of the diversity of reasons and causes for displacement. From the exploitation of people from the countries of the Global South to the destruction of the livelihoods of African fishermen through overfishing of the waters off their coasts by foreign factory ships, to corrupt governments: The insights gained by the participants from engaging with these topics were subsequently incorporated into the self-written lyrics of the rap song "Do you know what it's like?".
The Theatre Group 1 The seminar at the wannseeFORUM focused on the central theme of "Colonialism as a Historical Cause of Current Refugee Movements." The economic and ideological consequences (racism) of colonialism were examined, as well as the impact of border demarcations in former colonies on current conflicts. The group received important input from a speaker... „"Berlin Postcolonial"“ The program included a guided walking tour of the African Quarter and a telephone conversation with a refugee about his experiences of racism in Germany. The play, performed on Friday for guests and titled "We are here because you destroyed our countries," depicted the Berlin Congo Conference of 1884/1885 and the division of Africa among the European colonial powers, as well as the devastating consequences for the people of the African colonies.
Civil war, ethnic persecution, racism and white privilege, as well as exploitation, are some of the issues that the Theatre Group 2 The discussion focused on the countries of the former Yugoslavia, from which people have repeatedly fled to Germany in recent years. In a telephone conversation with Vernesa Berbo, a Serbian-born actress, the participants discussed the topic. GORKI Theatres, The participants discussed, among other things, the Serbia-Kosovo War of 1989/1990 and its impact on the populations of those countries, but also the fact that actors with a migration background are primarily offered stereotypical roles (e.g., cleaning lady, prostitute, etc.) in the German film industry. The participants ultimately decided to bring the controversial historical figure Gavrilo Princip to the stage in their play entitled "From Princip.".
What triggers hunger crises? To what extent are economic relationships shaped by power structures connected to the suffering of people in the Global South? What solutions exist for combating world hunger? From which countries do politically persecuted individuals originate today? Which groups were politically persecuted in Germany during the Nazi era? What characterizes religious persecution, and in which countries are people particularly frequently affected? – These and other questions were addressed by the participants of the Weblog group and published their responses on their own Blog. Here they also documented the work and results of the other workshop groups.
More impressions from the seminar
The seminar was supported by the Senate Department for Education, Youth and Science
and is a collaboration of Stiftung wannseeFORUM and border crossers / research & training
The wannseeFORUM Foundation is a recognized operator of the Federal Agency for Civic Education.
In the area of "Refugees and Migration", the wannseeFORUM Foundation, in cooperation with border crossers / research & training In 2016, a total of three seminar formats were offered („Escape story(ies)„, „causes of flight“ and „Arrival and reception – questions for the immigration society„) which each focused on a different theme and were intended to interest and raise awareness among Berlin schoolchildren about the topic.