I strongly believe that if desperate Africans are tough enough to cross the Sahara Desert in search of a better life in Europe, then they are strong enough to build railways from Cairo to Capetown; if they are fearless enough to brave unforgiving seas to get to a tiny island of Lampedusa off the coast of Italy, then they must have what it takes to be part of the African Union’s Naval fleet of the future. African leaders should save the people from shame. Adding more layers to the reasoning behind my story thus far, I strongly recommend that future generations of Africans are better served when we fix the place and save the world from this hatred for black people. After all what these African migrants ultimately seek is an opportunity to be part of the global labour force; quite literally, if we are to consider the concept of globalised brands, for instance. Whilst the demand for labour paves the way for the notion of “multiculturalism” as an answer to the black man’s plight in these parts, the lip-service approach to multiculturalism has only succeeded in creating segregated communities which continue to feel alienated from the mainstream culture, owing to the kind of subtle hostilities harboured by some ignorant elements amongst the host communities. Such is the government’s approach for instance, that even the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom seems to have an opinion. The truth remains that as Rainbow towns spring up across the country, the local communities would have to be proactive in understanding the so-called migrant in their midst, in order to avoid the kind of misunderstanding resulting, perhaps from misconceptions, which ultimately lead to the waste of public funds in pursuit of new “persons of interest”, targeted for investigation, and sometimes annihilation as has been the case in recent history, with the of targeting of unarmed people of colour in recent memory, on both sides of the Atlantic. Therefore, I was right to have forewarned in an article I wrote for “Operation Black Vote” that “Speeches like the Prime Minister’s plea to the Security Summit in Munich about multiculturalism, rather than helping to bring about a more cohesive society, gives the ordinary citizen more to worry about.” Bearing in mind that rainbow towns are multiplying across the country, I went on to write from the second paragraph of that article, that: “The attacks on multiculturalism may not have taken into account the fact that British influence has been intrinsically carved into the history and cultures of many nations across the world. It is therefore not surprising that these nations now impact the history and culture of Britain, and that the extent of global interconnectedness has become more evident through immigration and the globalised mass media. Presently, we need not leave the comfort of our homes or the familiarity of our campuses in order to understand international society, and to realise that beyond our walls there are people who wish to live in a world where our difference becomes our strength. Therefore seeking to exalt Western democratic ideals and British liberal values should not be delivered in such a way as to short change multicultural citizens in this country or those abroad who also subscribe to these ideals. As we have seen in recent weeks, the acceptance and willingness to pursue these values have taken countries to civil war in their battle to champion democracy. As the universal campaign for human rights continues, it opens a new window in which a connected yearning for equality and democratically run societies is clearly visible- globally a form of multiculturalism which should give us cause to celebrate. Our leaders should not seek to create anger, fear and mistrust; stirring up divisions in society by seeking to separate communities. With emphasis on analysing what was meant by the use of the phrase like “we have tolerated these segregated communities...” in particular, I quoted the PM in para. 9. “We have even tolerated these segregated communities living in ways that run counter to our values”. The emphasis that certain communities are considered segregated and are to be tolerated, rather than accepted or integrated currently lies at the core of the contradiction of unity and equality. To solve some of the ‘segregation’ issues there must be a strengthening of a shared, cohesive national identity; and institutional insistence on equal life-chances and equal starting points for all, regardless of ethnicity or religion. Minority communities must embrace mainstream cultures and values, but a better understanding of their cultural backgrounds should be fostered and honoured.” Even as that message remains relevant today, as it was when I first wrote it, I understand the rationale of the mainstream culture in Scotland whose general anger with the way in which migrants or suspected migrants continue to reap the rewards of being in a place with a relatively higher level of benefits, order and security which can’t be accorded to them in their home countries. Such can lead to suspicion, and the need by elements within mainstream culture to keep the migrant, and suspected migrant down or in check, at all cost; even though he be but an unemployed graduate, trying hard to gain employment in the face of this current economic crisis; and could easily lead to hostilities in relations. In this case, the hostility, in my opinion emanated from the involvement of the Department of Works and Pensions through their lawyer in the matter, as far back as 28th of January 2011.- © Alexander Tetenta, Will To Live: A Noble Cause; para 1, page 80, through para. 1, page 83...ing soon!
Posted on: Thu, 28 Aug 2014 10:15:49 +0000
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