For years, Refugees have been actively involved in the struggles against injustices imposed on them by the European Government with Germany taking the Lead. In Baden Wurttemberg, little is yet to be seen about refugees been active in the struggle. Just in the past months, refugees in Baden Wurttemberg realized and acknowledged the strength in networking especially against the lager system. In the course to further strengthen the mobilization for Refugees’ self-Organization, a conference with title “Refugees have a Voice” is planned for March 12, 2011 in Stuttgart, Baden Wurttemberg.
Refugees are responsible for the general preparation and organization of this Conference. Speakers are chosen from our sphere and Refugee Activist from other German States are invited to share their long years of experiences in the struggle through exchanges and join us to formulate better strategies to strengthen the ongoing protest actions in Baden Wurttemberg. The core objective of the Conference will be stressed on building Refugee Communities with priorities in acknowledging that we are the best persons to tell our own stories from why we are here and what we are confronted with in the system. Because without us as practical victims, compromise will continually be celebrated while the main problems of discrimination, racism and stigmatization propagated through a beautiful face seasonal antiracist activism remains the daily order.
Reasons for Our struggles…
Although individual or specific situation in Lagers may seem different in Nature all over Germany, the Situations of every refugee boils down to the German Apartheid concept of isolation, exclusion and total control of those seen as unwanted in this society. The values of the so called unwanted guests are identified with being accommodated in Lagers located either at the edge of the Community or in the middle of nowhere, striped off all rights to privacy and choice, restricted from exercising the right to move freely and availability of limited medical attention, just to name a few among other repressive mechanisms.
The State projects Refugees as enemies of the Society who must be left defenseless while a crusade of systematic destruction goes on unabated. Their daily lives are complemented with instrumental hatred, discrimination, total control and institutionalized racism. The lager as the central instrument of the repression is nothing short from Segregation Ghettos beautifully made by name of Asylum homes. The Lager mentality is reminiscent of the old times of slavery, colonialism and nationalism, a strategy to keep the so called bad eggs far from the normal Society to facilitate identification, control and deportation. Continuous repressive cultures are imposed on us, to frighten, traumatize and psychologically destroy us in other to sustain the German culture of dominance and superiority.
The whole repression has even brain-washed many of us who are now made to see the different available ways to survive as the only possibility. We do not even know who to trust anymore. i.e. the Good or Bad amongst the Social workers, the Police or otherwise. In many cases, the social workers become the major horror to the Victimized Refugees. The German Asylum politics is a contradiction to the UN Convention on refugee protection creating well meditated loop holes for their administrative Districts and departments to enforce arbitrary decrees.
Enough is enough from institutionalized lies and mockery. Knowing the truth of what it is costing to run the whole mechanism of control is a right to every German. It costs the state far more to deport, fortify boarder Regimes and enforce the repressive forces than it cost to allow us the freedom guaranteed by international standards.
By self organization, the deeds of the state would be made known to the Society, Refugees will be able to keep the Authorities’ on serious check, Refugees will be able to know their rights to resist any form of repression and institutionalized lies and mockery, Refugees would have the guts to always ask the Question “Why” which commits officials to lying in defense of their practices of injustice.
Community networking in Lagers is intended to redirect Refugees’ attention to the lager as the central base for all the repression, analyze the need for us refugees to believe in our potentials and bridge the gap between the repression we face in this so-called “democratic Germany” and our basic reason of flight because, “we are here because you destroyed our Countries”.
We demand the Closure of all Lagers
We demand the abolition of racial Segregating Laws
We demand freedom and dignity for all including Refugees.
Flüchtlingsinitiative in Biberach
Email: Refugeenews thevoice_bdw@yahoo.de
The VOICE Refugee Forum, Baden Wurttemberg
Campaign