On 21.5.2013 the European Commission has issued a new Communication on the need to broaden the migration-development nexus. You may find it here http://www.eunomad.org/images/Communication_CE_maximising_the_development_impact_of_migration.pdf  This was done as a contribution for the second UN High Level Dialogue on International Migration and Development, to be held in New York on 3 and 4 October 2013, after 7 years since the first one.

The overall theme of the 2013 High Level Dialogue will be “to identify concrete measures to strengthen coherence and cooperation at all levels, with a view to enhancing the benefits of international migration for migrants and countries alike and its important links to development, wile reducing its negative implications”.

We would like to highlight the Communication’s focus on the need to widen the view of the link between migration and development in order to address comprehensively all issues at stake, such as migration within developing countries, mobility between cities, forced migration, climate change and environmental degradation, that is about sustainable economic, social and environmental development.  Another focus is on the measures to ensure and enforce  protection of human rights of all migrants, as a key component of all EU policies…

The Commission further highlights the need to work on the governance frameworks to improve policy coherence and to create tools to translate the knowledge into operational guidelines.  In this context, it requires further attention towards the role of local authorities and their development planning: “The role of city administrations is pivotal, as increasing migration and urbanisation are linked issues which have a significant impact on societies worldwide. Cities have the potential to act as catalysts of social change“.

The Commission also underlines the need to promote the migrant-centred approach as a cross-cutting priority of all EU actions on migration and development.

Read the conclusions…and share your comments and concrete ideas with us!

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This infographic is showing and exemplifying how migration is a rich, multi-faceted and complex phenomenon that can’t be separated from concepts of development and human rights. At the same time, this videoclip is highlighting how essential is that migration is not managed just as a problem of security, and ‘going back’ is not the only possibility. On the contrary, it is presenting indicators on how migration is an opportunity for everyone and it’s showing that only if human rights are always at the centre, the people see themselves as able to create development.

Enjoy the AMITIE video and… if you like it, spread it out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1Ya7ZuYGr4

                                                                                                       Bernardo Venturi, University of Bologna 

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Conscious that “immigration” drags stereotypes, prejudices and emotions, conscious that the youth relate the lack of information with the repetition of old slogans without substance, but also conscious that the school is co-responsible of that lack, the meeting was about the main factors which determine our (European) perception of “the other” and, in particular, of the migrant.

On april 19th 2012 the same group of teachers and students meet again to face another dichotomous side: starting from the general expenditure, sensitize young people to global citizenship through the critical consumption.

The goal was looking for key concept that would allow to face topics connected to migration, to geopolitics, to the relatisions between us and the other countries, succeeding to confront with young people about issues (like fashion and dressing) which belong to them.

Giorgio Dal Fiume

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That congress has established, as official name of the Romani nation, the name “Roma”, literally “man” or “population of mankind”, inclusive of all the various groups with different names present in the world (Sinti, Manouches, Kalderash, Lovara, Romanìchéls, Vlax, Domari, Nawar,ecc..).

That day “Djelem Djelem” has been chosen as National Anthem, composed in 1969 by Zarko Jovanovic, and Romanì flag too, an indian red wheel on a background half green, to symbolize the land coverd with grass, and half blue, to symbolize the unlimited sky.

In that congress the Romanì Union has been founded, the first world organization for Roma People recognized by UN in 1979.

Some useful links:

• Wake-up call for a giant: The EU must end discrimination against Roma (Amnesty International)
• Europe: Human rights here, Roma rights now: A wake-up call to the – European Union (Amnesty inernational)
• Europe: The rhetoric and reality of Roma rights (Amnesty International)

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The guidelines are operational directions for communication on migration, development and human rights, directed and designed not only for those who work on these sectors, but especially for Government employees, who have generally less experience in terms of communication.

This is not a manual but it is a collection of operative indications arising from a series of interviews with key stakeholders, those working in migration for development and communication, that since long time have been contributing to the promotion of another idea development, participation as well as a promotion of human rights.

This book guides the reader in a process of reflection that urges us to adopt a more conscious approach, aiming at spread a communication offer truly capable of add to the discourse on, the global look to those processes where migration is only one key aspect the protection of the rights of the new citizens.

This document is open to feedbacks and suggestions, but also to criticism, to be used as stimuli to keep a live debate that is open through the project and that will AMITIE also aims to bring to light skills within the organizations local operators between services related to migration and cooperation.

Therefore, we invite readers to post comments and suggestions on the Facebook page of the project or here, on the Blog.

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Which is a memory, an image, something that represents you whenever you think about the past and the present?

My mother. I always think about the pains I have been through and that I managed to overcome. She and boxing have been two things that made me keep on going and building my life. Boxing kept me away from the street and, thanks to that, I solved some of my problems.

Do you have a dream you want to see realized since when you’ve come to Italy?

I want to become the next boxing world champion…no, it’s not true. My real dream is to make my family happy, and then to reach the highest level I can in boxing. Life is made of high and low phases, it’s made as a stairway, it means that you can’t reach the highest step without passing through the other ones. Well, then obviously there is someone who is lucky and has an always happy life, but problems are what makes you grow up in life. If you have problems and you manage to solve them, you’re lucky…..you are really lucky because you have achieved experience. You bacome stronger by passing through hard times.

What are doing in you every-day life?

I work, I play boxing and I take care about my family. Since a couple of years ago I own a bar-restaurant in which is possible to play music and I’m almost a boxing champion. My family lives here with me, I don’t have kids but I’d like to, in a future…

How do you contribute to the development of the country where you live?

I bring my culture, I try to increase work, I do as much as I can to make happy the people who come to my restaurant. Talking about sport, I’d love to bring boxing culture back to Bologna. Simone Rotolo is trying to do this and I’d love to try also. I could represent Italy in the Olympics, but next January I want to became a professional boxer, so that I’ll have to take part at the World Championship and not at the Olympics. I could represent Morocco, but I wont be fair, because everything that I’ve learned about boxing, I’ve learned here in Italy. Morocco just gave me hanger.

How do you contribute to the development in your country of origin?

I go back there, I have my relatives in Morocco and I’d like to build up some projects there, but I’m still conscious about what I can do or not. I started to train myself in Morocco, and there is a good level in their practices, but there is a lack of technique…maybe some day I could help boxing to grow up.

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Did you manage to make your dreams become true by coming to Italy?

I’ve always been a dreamer. Since when I was young I always wanted to travel, to go and get to know other parts of the world. So that,  at the age of 18 I decided to quit my job and to go abroad, astounding my parents. I’m still the same person of that time, I’ve met so many people during my path and I’ve experienced happy and hard moments. A lot of my dreams have become true, but I’m still curious about discovering the world and helping people to change it. My journey keeps on going and I’ll never interrupt it. I couldn’t act differently, I’m a traveler, I’m Elajhi.

What are you doing in Italy?

The Italians who want to discover Africa are in some ways forced to use those conventional touristic circuits which don’t represent a real encounter with Africa. Of course even Malindi is Africa, or Zanzibar, but I think that is very reductive to see just this part of the continent. So I thought about something to let people get to know my part of Africa, it means Senegal, and I started to deal with sustainable tourism. I started with the willing to spread an idea about Africa which is different from the way in which it is always shown. Normally Africa is seen as the place of the emergencies, of needs, of desperation. On the contrary I’ve tried to arrange the trips I propose grounding them on the encounters between people.

Which is your contribute to the development of the country in which you live?

I’m part of the Onlus “Chiama l’Africa”, an association which tried to talk about Africa in a different way, which didn’t just propose a sort of solidarity grounded on the helps, but wants to let people know Africa for its potentials and positivity. I remember the slogan we invent when we started “Africa can”…a lot of years before Obama. For me it was a new opportunity which made me discover another time my continent.

Which is your contribute to the development of your country of origin?

I  knew that in Pikine – in Dakar metropolitan area – some old friends of mine were committing themselves for the development of the area and I thought about participate and collaborate with some of their projects. What is interesting at most is that we didn’t thought about those projects grounding them about their needs, we didn’t build up a project from above, but we had met the communities first and then we started a dialogue with them. In the end, we decide how to arrange the project. The one which keeps on being successful even now is the scholastic adoption of female children. The Senegalese government hadn’t given loans for public education for a couple of years and the project originated from this need in 2003.

At the beginning we thought we would have dealt just with the primary school, but then we decided we would have followed the educational path of the girls until the secondary school. Even Pikine mayor understood that this is something important and innovative and then I was elected honorary citizen and special counselor.

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Last week we met Venuste Nyongabo, the first Burundi Olympic gold medal. He told us something about his experience as a sportsman and his feeling of closeness to AMITIE themes. Hereunder you can find the full interview. We remind you that Venuste will be at the meeting organized for the 25^th of January at the Urban Center.

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Which are the memories which link you to Italy?

Football, for sure. I started to watch some matches when I was already grown up, during the World Cup in Korea in 2002 and I saw Inzaghi, by chance. Maybe for the Italians he is not that good-looking, but for Asian people, such as Chineses and Japaneses, he’s gorgeous, because he has a feminine kind of beauty, he’s tiny and thin….in Asia they like this type. So that, I discovered Italy and I started to look for information…then, when the moment to move abroad came, I chose to go to Italy. This my very reason, even if I usually say that is because of art and culture.

I chose Italy even because everyody was choosing the US, but I didn’t like mainstream decisions and I wanted something different, original….special.

Did you have a dream when you came to Italy?

No, I went away from China because I had no dreams, i didn’t know what to do, I hated my psycological situation and so on. I just wanted to have a different life. Here in Italy, through the Multi-cultura project, of Teatro dell’Argine, I discovered the theatre and its word and now I have a dream: I want to be a director, but I know it’s difficult. Even if I love it, there are some aspects I don’t like, it gives you thousand dreams but to create something you have to be really talented, to be determined, to have a lot of money and to be aware that is not easy to find a job….maybe I’ll go back to China, to have a nomal life and to get a job.

What are you doing here?

I attended the DAMS faculty and I finished it. Now I work as a Chinese teacher, both in schools and privately for students. Sometimes I work as an interpreter in some fairs, but honestly I don’t like Chinese people who come here…they are rich but not polite, they spend a ridiculous amount of money in shopping and then pretend to buy even you. They lie and, when I have to translate lies, I feel violated in my integrity.

I came here alone, I didn’t know anyone, for real…I changed a lot of houses, I’ve lived with Chineses, with migrants families and with Italians, and now I live wih some English students.

Which are the images that link you to the everyday-life?

The theatre, the football, “The Castle” of Kafka, which actually is the play we are working on this year. I felt like Kafka when I first came here! The people are so kind and sweet, they talk a lot, but then nobody does something to help you. The people here don’t do anything, they give advices and suggestions….it’s kafkian, but nice.

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1. Is migration a right? Migration is a right. The human being, as an animal on the Earth, has the full right to cross it without any limitation.

2. Is migration a source of development for the economy and the whole society? Economy is the expression of every country social  growth and migration is the fuel of this social growth.

3. Can we consider development as human right? Development is not a human right but it could be a goal which is achieved in a society in which human right are granted.

4. Can migration be a resource also for the migrant’s country of origin? The migrant’s country of origin can have an economic benefit (he can send home some money that of course will circulate within the country) and a social benefit (if and when the migrant will go back home, he will bring with him new knowledge and instruments to be used and differed to his society).

5. How does the migrant citizen contribute to our country’s national wealth and welfare? The foreigner contributes to maintain high levels of social benefit by contribution to the GDP.

6. Can the freedom of movement and circulation favor better opportunities for development both in the country of origin and in the country of residence of the migrant citizen? The freedom of circulation is the development core.

7. How to communicate migration as a development process? We can communicate it by figuring out how could we feel if we actually couldn’t leave our country when it is in critical conditions.

8. How do migration policies influence the chances for a foreign citizen to be a resource and a source of wealth for the country where he/she live? By assuring them the same rights that are granted in the host country, without any exception or dispensation. The watchword is equality.

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