Interview

“I like the idea of migration in general because I myself do not like to settle down in one place.  I like to be on the move and see new places,” the young Nicolai Thomsan, a student at Krogerup High school, said when asked about immigration.  “There are a lot of problems about immigration in Denmark, and most of them are caused by Danes,” Mr. Thomsan continued, but at the same time he made it clear that both immigrants and the Danes are responsible for the issue.  Immigration in Denmark is a heated topic that has pros and cons.  Those who support immigration mostly do that on the basis of a humanitarian responsibility to help those who are in need, but those who are against immigration in Denmark argue that immigrants cannot be integrated into the Danish society easily. Nevertheless, there are still so many puzzles about this issue and so many questions about whether there is hope and solutions for it. This article looks into the perspectives of some young students from Krogerup high school and tries to offer a new perspective, shared by the young people against the mainstream media, to help the Danish society be more open to immigration and for immigrants to be better integrated. First, we need to understand the problem.  One of the most sensitive issues in Europe in general and Denmark in particular in recent years has been the issue of immigration. Immigration in Denmark has been used by the political parties to influence people in times of elections. In the past, when Denmark opened the door to immigrants, many people from Palestine and other conflict-affected areas came here. However, these people were not well-integrated into the society. Mr. Thomsan explained, “We have a lot of second and third generation immigrants from ex-Yugoslavia and the Middle East.  Some of these guys have gotten into big trouble while joining gangs, and this of course has gotten a lot of mention in the media.  But, then the Danes make the problem even bigger because some of Danes come to say this is all Muslims that are bad people and they just come here to get our money, fuck our women, and kill everyone else and overtake our country, and I think this has ruined all the good parts that these people have come with, especially the food (laughing)!” That is why the immigration issue today in Denmark is also charged with history.  When Danes see that immigration did not work in the past, then they think it will not work in the future either. Katja Rottensten, a Danish young lady who is a 21-year-old studying in Krogerup, stated that, “Immigration is something positive, especially for cultural exchanges. However, I would rather my country not go to war. I think these people should come and stay in Denmark who are in need, but at the same time we should do something else.” Ms. Rottensten’s statement is the wish of many, but politicians have a different idea.  For many politicians, war is politics by other means.  War is actually one of the main causes of creating refugees and, ultimately, immigration.  However, to be realistic, wars will never end and so immigration, so what is the solution?  If immigration is inevitable, then how can the issue of immigration be solved in Denmark? Anna Osowo, also a student from Krogerup, spoke about her experience in London: “I think the solution for the issue of integration is to live together.  I used to live in London, and I just liked the way so many different people lived together peacefully.  And I hope we here in Denmark have a society like that.” A relevant and interesting discussion about immigration Perhaps London is a good example of integration, but why has Denmark not been able to have the same? Therefore, before jumping to the prescription, we have to diagnose the disease.  Anna Stawtz, a student from Krogerup who is interested in psychology, described the problem, “I don’t think immigration works the way it should in Denmark.  Most immigrants are separated from Danish people, and most of them live in ghettos and are not integrated with Danes. Also, most Danes have negative perspectives on immigrants, and that is really sad.” Nicolai Thomsan shared his views regarding this, “Yes, I would like more people to be allowed to come here to Denmark as long as they do not come here for getting money from the government and living in shitty apartments.  I think that is not the reason why you should come to Denmark.  But, if you come to Denmark to work, to get an education, and to help the society in Denmark, then I think everybody should be welcome.  Of course some of the kindest people I know are from the Middle East, so why not?” Both Ms. Stawtz and Mr. Thomsan speak about the reality on the ground.  But what is really the reality on the ground? On the one hand, the immigrants blame the Danish society and government for the immigration issue. They say that the Danish society is not open to outsiders and do not like people from outside to become citizens in their countries. Some even go further and blame the Danish society for racism.  On the other hand, the Danes blame the immigrants for the issue. They say the immigrants should have integrated more because according to them the immigrants have tried to keep their culture and values without getting to integrate with the Danish way of life. For now the reality looks dim and as if there is no hope, but is there any hope left that a new reality can be built?  Mr. Thomsan said it all: “Everyone is responsible for good integration.  Of course, the people who come here have to be ready to be integrated. If they don’t want that, then it is a tough way to help them. Of course they do not have to live like a Dane. I am personally

Given to her significant presence in the field of empowering young people in Africa, Aya Chebbi, the Tunisian founder of the African Youth Movement (AYM), has been invited to the UN annual Commission on the Status of Women in March 2015. The award-winning activist has started to blog on the Tunisian revolution in 2011 to aware the English-speaking world about the major developments in her country. Later on, Aya, who participated in many international trainings and events, has pursued her passion for engaging youth in democratization her community. Therefore, she launched the AYM to reunite African youth across the continent, especially North Africa, with the rest of the continent, beyond colonialism and post-colonialism. In this sense of taking the lead in her community after the attack on Bardo museum, Aya announced exclusively to “Crossing Borders” that with another non-violent activist on March 18th she had launched the first youth led movement for non-violence in Tunisia, CALAM. The story beyond the 26-year-old young lady who came from revolutionary Tunisia is worth to be told, so here are her answers to “Crossing Borders” questions: Starting from your last speech at the UN Women event to mark the 20th anniversary of the historic Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, how do you see this opportunity in terms of your continuous efforts in the youth-led civil society sector, generally in Africa and particularly in Tunisia? The UN Women has taken a great step, for CSW this year, in giving the space for a young voice to speak following Ban ki Moon, Hillary Clinton, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and other influential figures. When I received the invitation, I accepted because I believe we need to claim our space in such high profile gatherings where our voices need to be heard the most. It has been hard to deliver my message in 4 minutes, but I hope my talk will change the audience memory from the Arab Spring to the “Revolution of Dignity”, will give more recognition to our work as youth, our struggles and achievements as a generation of change. Your speech, which has been quoted at “12 things Australia can learn from the UN Women convention” article, stated that the boldness of your generation shaped your destiny and that of future generations. What are the milestone steps made by your generation compared to the older ones? Following our 2011 movements, things will not be the same! The old generations have taken independence from the Western colonizers; we have taken independence from post-colonizers and our own dictatorships. We have freed ourselves from repression and mental slavery and faced our fears with bravery. We are a bold generation because we do not give up! We are creative, innovative and tirelessly changing our realities. We leveraged technology and re-innovated non-violent resistance tactics online and offline. We have rewritten history for the next generation to grow up claiming their rights, dignity and freedoms instead of growing up on police repression and censorship. In this sense of the political turmoil in Tunis, are you satisfied with the Tunisian youth role in the political life? And why? Our current president is 88 years old; it’s very annoying after a youth led revolution, but that’s not why I am not satisfied! I will not be satisfied until we see young faces as the mainstream in political life, not the exception. When we have taken the streets following Ben Ali’s flee, we were calling for a Youth Assembly that will decide the future of the country, shortly the elders have taken over under the pretext of “experience and saving the country”. We decided to keep shaping Tunisia’s transition and we organized ourselves in lobbying groups, NGOs, media collectives etc…. Eventually, we ruled Tunisia and influenced its constitution and decisions not from the chairs of political parties but with civil society mobilization and people’s power. In the light of the criminal attack on Bardo museum, do you see it as a major setback in the revolutionary Tunis, in the sense of spreading the extreme movements? I like taking the example of the pendulum to explain the situation in Tunisia. We were holding the pendulum from one side with the dictatorship and when it has fallen, the pendulum swung to the extreme of the opposite side in one direction. But eventually it will be swinging back and forth in a slower motion until it will take its balance, so that’s normal. Terrorism in Tunisia is like mosquitos – when you don’t treat mosquitos in the spring, of course they will appear in masses in the summer. But then, once it’s summer, you cannot just easily fix it. This should be a wake up call for our government, that has not taken the preventive measures for terrorism for the past 4 years, which led to Bardo Attack. Now they want to fix it by increasing security. We need to fix the root causes from poverty, centralization of power and development to marginalization of youth and regional disparities. But anyway these crimes can never be a setback for the Tunisian people who occupied Bardo Museum few hours after the attack. We are not afraid and this makes us stronger to unite and strategize. Do you still consider yourself “proudly Tunisian” even though the jasmine revolution has a bloody fragrance lately? Again, we don’t call it “Jasmine Revolution”. This is a French name, not ours. I wrote a piece called “Not as Soft as a Jasmine” explaining, why this naming is offensive to our movement. The world has to stop these Western narratives and has to write in books and teach in schools a “Revolution of Dignity” if they have respect for people’s rights to define their fate and write their own history. Regarding your question, of course I am and will always be proudly Tunisian! Maybe this would be the first time to announce, that I, with another non-violent activist, on March 18th have launched the first youth led movement for non-violence in Tunisia, CALAM. Because

By Omeed Aminian Sami Mustafa and I became acquainted in 2010, while I was volunteer teaching youth in his hometown, Plemetina, Kosovo.  During my stay there I met many amazing Roma activists as well as everyday folk, but Sami’s work stood out.  While I could help the locals learn English, Sami taught them something else: the power of cinema. In a country and a region where few opportunities are available, motivated community members are making a difference in challenging locations. On October 19th the Rolling Film Festival commenced for its fourth time in Pristina, the economic and political capital of Kosovo.  Until the 23rd Sami, Artistic Director, and his crew will fill cinemas with Roma films. In the following interview, Sami answers my questions about this flourishing festival. Omeed: When did the Rolling Film Festival begin and why did you and others start it? Sami: The first festival happened in 2009 in Pristina, Kosovo. The reasoning behind it was to show people what others normally don’t see about Roma, and to talk to their neighbors. Others usually see what is in the cinema. The community in Pristina are quite closed. They don’t go out of their communities.  For example, a town with a large Roma population, my hometown of Plemetina, is only 10 or 15 minutes away, and outsiders don’t even know it exists.  We are trying to engage the youth, the politicians, and other activists or students with film and to start a conversation that didn’t exist. To begin with, it was most difficult for me to find proper films, meaning not to show Kusturica movies. I tried to find movies that showed how Roma are like anyone else. In this way, people are with the film trying to reconnect themselves with the characters. So it’s not only watching a Roma film but also watching cinema in general and finding a connection with the characters. We want to bring this similarity of the complexity of life to the forefront. It’s not easy but it’s the way it is. We are trying to avoid the extreme stereotypes.  However, sometimes the stereotypes are necessary for you to understand aspects of a culture and they’re not necessarily wrong. Omeed: How many films are you showing in total this year? Sami: There are 20 films screening.  This includes feature films, shorts and silent or experimental films. Then we have a workshop with young Roma where we produce seven other films. In total, 27 films will be screened or created. Most of those being screened are coming from the Balkans. Omeed: Is the main theme Roma in general, or Roma in the Balkans? Sami: Roma in general. In the past we’ve had some films from the United States. We also had some British films and films about the Manouche of France.  We are trying to show films from all over the world. Omeed: What is the criteria for selecting a film? What I like to do, beyond just showing the Roma and how they live, is to include both the anthropological films with character-driven ones so that we depict reality. Who are these people? By showing people that really touch you and who the audience member can connect with throughout the whole story. The film changes people’s minds no matter what kind of discussion you have at the end or no matter who is presented. This is the power of the film and this is the reason we are organizing the festival. There are not so many films about the Roma that show them on these terms. Omeed: What is the film festival doing at a person-to-person, cultural level? Sami:  In previous years we held a school program. We brought a comedian to present what is called a stop and act theater, which is to stop the film in the middle and talk about a certain situation. It doesn’t have to be a drama but about stereotypes or about basic human rights. It’s amazing that many students don’t know about prejudice at all.  For instance, one of the students was asked, “What is a stereotype, for you?”  And the answer was just unbelievable.  He said, “A stereotype is when you have two speakers and a radio.” And I was thinking “What the fuck, man?  No, they are not speakers.”  Also because the non-Roma Kosovars naturally grow up with these ideas: the Gypsies are dirt; the Roma are filthy; they don’t want to study; they are not very smart. During the discussions they brought up these issues because for them it is normal to think in stereotypes. For me what is really, really great is that at the end of the session, they always say, “Okay. I’m sorry. I didn’t actually know that Roma actually have stereotypes, or that it’s actually bad to think like that.” So, I think that there’s something going on in terms of changing opinions in Kosovo. Omeed: Who makes up of the audience? Sami:  We are really trying to reach the youth of Kosovo.  Before the festival we stage some screening in bars around town and then at the universities – the art university, the sociology university. Hopefully this drives people to attend the festival. We mostly try to attract young Albanians in Kosovo. Then of course it is open to anyone in the public.  It is also free of charge. There are also many audience members from the expat community. And then with whatever force we have, we try to bring the Roma from the villages, mostly because there is no transportation for villagers to come to Pristina or to go back home. So we organize busses and people are coming. In this way we are really trying to balance the audience. It’s not just everybody else watching films about Roma, but Roma attending as well. Omeed: Who else does the Rolling Film Festival affect or help? It’s very hard to find these films, so festival organizers in other countries have asked me to help them with their

By Omeed Aminian In September, I met with Antonio Vilchez, a colleague in education and a young, enterprising Andalusian.  When he told me that he had created a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), I became interested in chatting with him. A repeat Erasmus student in Eastern Europe, Antonio’s experiences abroad inspired him.  In the following interview, conducted in historic Granada, notably the most popular town in Europe for students on exchange,  he tells me about how he became involved in such an endeavor and how others might do the same. Omeed: Hi Antonio.  First I’d like to ask you: what kinds of projects are you planning? Antonio:  When I first launched my NGO, it was because nowadays there are many things to do thanks to European programs like Erasmus Plus.  It’s amazing. You just need an NGO, a non-formal organization to apply.  You can set it up as an individual and it’s quite easy to do!  You have to have the idea at the beginning and after that you just have to fill out the relevant documents and go to the proper government office. You can do the first steps in just one day and then you just have to wait to get the code or discount number.  The process lasts around one month here in Spain.  I don’t know about other countries and whether it’s faster elsewhere. Omeed: What’s the name of your NGO and what’s its mission? Antonio: It’s called “EUducate” because it can be in English and in Spanish.  It can be interpreted as “educate yourself” in Spanish but it’s also with “U” because of the European Union. Basically, I want to promote these projects, these European programs because now they mostly focus on students.  Nowadays, most students finish their studies and say, “I don’t know what to do. I don’t know where to find a job.”  So, my objective is to promote available projects and show that there are so many things to do.  To set up an NGO is so easy and the EU is really looking for participants, so they are going to help you out.  The problem is that not so many people know about the opportunities out there. Omeed:  How did you find EU funding for your NGO? Antonio: I’ve worked with some other NGOs and I know how it works.  You just have to prepare the project.  After you submit it and you get accepted, the European Union and a national agency are the ones that send your acceptance letter. The European Union is going to support you and they will give you what you need.  It depends on how long the project is. It depends on how many participants there are.  Normally for 25 participants and maybe 10 days, you can get around 10 or 12 thousand Euro.  And that includes the food, accommodations, etcetera.  It depends on the country and the respective rate. Omeed: What are some recommendations you might give to prospective NGO founders? Antonio: In the beginning for me, I thought that starting an NGO could be hard, but it wasn’t.  You have to have clear ideas of what you want to do.  This is the first step and the hardest.  Because there are many, many different kinds of NGOs.  They work for the environment.  They work for education, inclusion or immigration. After that you need to go to the local government offices, but it depends on your country. It might be the interior minister, like in my case.  They are going to give you the fiscal code.   And also before you arrive, you need to prepare your objectives and the statutes for your NGO.  All these documents are also available on the Internet – in my case on the website of the Junta de Andalusia. If you want to launch an NGO, you need to look at the website of your own government.  Then after that you write what you want to do and how you want to do it.  Then the rest is already done.  You just have to wait.  Then they will reply that everything is fine and you already have an official NGO! Omeed: So, what happens after that? Antonio: Then you start to work.  You have the NGO, so you can really start to work.  My idea is to start to work with projects in the European Union.  Actually, now I will collaborate with a project in Cyprus. I found out about this opportunity through the Internet.  On social networks such as Facebook there are many, many pages about NGOs.  For example, Youth in Action, Erasmus Plus and other associated programs. They might post, “Looking for partners.  Looking for participants from Italy, from Spain, from France” or, “Looking for participants from non-European countries.” So I found an advert that a Cypriot with Network for European Citizen Identity had just posted “Okay. I am looking for partners from Spain.”  And I wrote him “Okay. I will be your partner.”  And my role as a partner is just to send  participants from Spain. He will make a project in May and my role is just to send participants. Youth form your country are going to participate and collaborate.  They will perform a training course. This project will be about sports, education and tools to increase teamwork. In Spring of 2014, Antonio discovered the possibilities of the NGO scene in Europe by participating in a conference in the Caucasus, where he met many other like-minded Europeans looking for new experiences and knowledge. Omeed: What was the project that your were involved with in Georgia and what was your role? Antonio: Before I started my own NGO, I was in Georgia in a project called Traino.  There were participants from Latvia, Moldavia, Spain, Germany, Estonia and Armenia–both European and non-European citizens. The project was about outdoor education, non-formal education and also they spoke about Erasmus Plus.  Really you have to read about Erasmus Plus because you can do many, many things with this organization. Omeed:  So what inspired you?  Or what gave you the idea