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IS EUROPE TURNING BACK 80 YEARS... INTO FUTURE? |
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 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.
Read more or visit UNITED website.
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 BZ? and FP?, hold almost 30 % of the overall votes.
The right-wing extremist party Freedom Party of Austria (FP?), current leaded by Heinz-Christian Strache won 17,5 % of the votes.
The 2005 new founded party Alliance for the Future of Austria (BZ?) of notorious J?rg Haider took part the second time in Austrian general election and was able to almost triple its votes to 10,7 % - even surprising for J?rg 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 K?ln' 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 K?lsch 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!
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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
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UNITED, Postbus 413 NL-1000 AK Amsterdam
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