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10 | RESISTANCE TODAY
Prizivayu razumnoe naselenie sozdat' soprotivlenie! Quote:
RESISTANCE TODAY
Resist what?
Neo-nazi and openly racist organisations are nowadays present in almost every country in Europe. They are conspicuous through their use of old-style fascist symbols and through their violent activities.
These fringe groups are not the only threat, however. All too often they manage to infiltrate, directly or indirectly (through the adoption of similar slogans) mainstream political parties which in turn start promoting xenophobic policies, e.g. in the field of the treatment of refugees.
Racism can raise its ugly head even in the unlikely environment of the supposedly cosmopolitan youth culture. The skinhead subculture and the 'black metal' music scene seem particularly often used for the dissemination of racial hatred.
Refugees and migrants, as well as Roma and Travelers are currently the most common scapegoats suffering from xenophobic sentiments. Other forms of prejudice such as anti-Semitism, anti-Black racism, homophobia, and so on, are alive and kicking too. You can encounter organised or non-organised racism and xenophobia almost everywhere in society: in schools, football grounds, parliaments, newspapers, on the Internet...
Effective resistance needs to be:
- broad-based
- creative
- principled
In order to build a successful locally-based resistance you need to:
- evaluate the situation
- establish the objective
- find the right partners
- find the right methods
Evaluating the situation
You need to determine how serious the situation is:
- Have there been physical attacks against minorities?
- Who were the victims? Have they received adequate support?
- Has fascist and/or racist propaganda been spread?
- Who was responsible? (what groups, individuals)
- Has there been an adequate reaction from the police, the media, and the local community?
It is likely that you do not know particular hate-groups, who are their leaders, what are their publications or symbols. It is good to consult people who might have the necessary knowledge, e.g. an academic, a local anti-fascist research group or an anti-fascist magazine:
Examples of anti-fascist magazines which can be asked for help:
Searchlight
37B New Cavendish Street,
GB-London WC1M 8JR,
phone +44-20-72844040, fax +44-20-72844410,
e-mail:sis@s-light.demon.co.uk, www.searchlightmagazine.com
Antifaschistisches Infoblatt
Gneisenaustrasse 2a, D-10961 Berlin,
phone/fax +49-30-6946795,
e-mail aib@mail.nadir.org, www.nadir.org/nadir/periodika/aib
Nigdy Wiecej (Never Again Association)
PO Box 6, PL-03700 Warszawa 4,
phone +48-60-3647228,
e-mail rafalpan@zigzag.pl, www.zigzag.pl/rafalpan
Tum Balalaika (Memorial)
ul.Rasiesjaia 9,
RUS-191002 St.Petersburg,
phone +7-812-3142368, fax +7-812-1106519,
e-mail: tumba@igel.spb.su
In many cases they will be able to help you identify the perpetrators and analyse the situation.
Do not forget about the plight of the victims. They need to be provided with legal, psychological and sometimes financial support. Try to contact them directly whenever possible to check if they do not feel isolated and intimidated.
In some countries specialised groups exist providing help to the victims such as:
'Opferpespektive' - Victims Perspective
Lindenstrasse 53, D-14467 Potsdam,
phone +49-171-1935669, fax +49-180-505254071285,
e.mail info@opferperspektive.de, www.opferperspektive.de
Try to collect all press cuttings about relevant events. They may seem unnecessary now but will prove to be indispensable in the future.
Establishing the objective
This is a crucial element in resisting hate groups and hate speech. Do you only want to get rid of an extremist organisation from your neighbourhood or do you want to work for good inter ethnic relations in the long run? On the other hand is it possible to promote benefits of multiculturalism while turning a blind eye to extremist activity aiming at destroying it?
You should be both ambitious and realistic in establishing your objective. It is probably impossible to hope for an end to racism once and for good. Yet it is possible to fight it effectively, to limit its scope and to marginalise it to some extent.
A lot depends on the environment: the local and national context. Sometimes anti-racist groups are forced to act against the mainstream of society and be prepared for a long-term strategy rather than for a quick and easy success.
Finding the right partners
Many beginners in the field of anti-racism feel alone and isolated. In fact, it does not have to be the case, provided there is enough good will to overcome sectarianism.
The victims of racism and fascism belonged to countless categories: Jews, Roma, political and religious opponents, homosexuals, people with disabilities and many others. In fact, virtually everybody can be treated as a minority in one sense or another. By dividing people into those categories fascism separated them from each other. But it is important to bear in mind that all potentially vulnerable groups combined together constitute the majority in society!
It is up to you to contact individuals, groups, and organisations which might be helpful in your activities or even interested in involving themselves on a larger scale.
Possible allies include:
- trade unions
- churches
- ethnic minorities
- migrants' and refugee groups
- youth groups
- gay and lesbian groups
- disabled people's groups
- human rights organisations
- local authorities
- artists and cultural institutions
- schools
- political groups
- media outlets
- and many others...
It depends on your objective and on the kind of activity you have in mind to choose the right partners. It is generally advised to involve a number of different groups, in order to broaden your appeal, to strengthen your effectiveness and to avoid possible criticisms of political (or other) bias. Sometimes your future partners need some encouragement and ought to be persuaded about benefits of co-operation with others. Do not lose your spirit when they are reluctant to join; it is quite possible they will change their mind in the future.
All partners participating in joint work on resistance against racism and/or against the extreme right need not agree on every single issue. It is quite natural they retain their identities and particular views while agreeing on the basic issues which brought them together. All partners need to be sensitive to each other's concerns. In order to work together it is necessary to understand and respect each other's traditions and viewpoints: in a joint struggle there is a place for everyone. There are examples of successful anti-discrimination projects involving such seemingly unlikely allies as e.g. gay and Muslim organisations. Solidarity is the key to success.
International solidarity
Occasionally you may feel as if there are no good partners or like-minded organisations in your area or even in your country. Don't worry! There might be groups in other countries who share your concerns and might be prepared to help you. International solidarity is a cornerstone of the European anti-racist and anti-fascist movement. UNITED for Intercultural Action was created out of the need felt by anti-racists to maintain international contacts. The UNITED annual address book is an indispensable resource for all looking for partner organisations abroad.
(Actual database available on: http://www.unitedagainst.org)
Methods
As it was said before, methods used in the area of resistance against intolerance have always varied according to different personal and organisational capabilities and preferences. There are special concerts and conferences as well as long-lasting awareness-raising campaigns, directed, for example, at football fans or media wor-kers. Sometimes resistance is sparked off by particular incidents of racist violence or fascists standing in local elections and the urgent need to oppose them. For campaign ideas used in different countries, see e.g. UNITED campaign reports of 9 November - International Day Against Fascism and Anti-Semitism and 21 March - European-Wide Action Week Against Racism.
In general, the more creative and innovative the method of protest, the better. On the other hand, we should not be ashamed of evoking the historical images in the struggle against intolerance: lessons drawn from history can be our biggest ally. This happened in the case of mobilisation against the British National Front. The slogan "National Front is a Nazi Front" helped British people understand the sinister nature of neo-fascism, a direct descendant of the criminal totalitarian dictatorships. It is vital not to allow hate-groups to hide behind a veneer of respectability.
The policy of 'No Platform' should be taken into account in all anti-racist activities. It states that fascists, who fundamentally disagree with democracy and the idea of freedom of speech, should not be given the right to a public platform. When they are allowed to speak publically they stir up racial hatred. Debating with them on an equal footing gives them a feeling that their ideas should be taken seriously. If an academic agrees to debate with fascists, it appears that the fascist's arguments are worthy to be listened to and are important. Such debates have often proved counterproductive.
The question of security ought to be given consideration, too. There have been numerous examples of anti-fascist activists being threatened by violence. Do not put other people at risk through your carelessness.
(see UNITED information leaflet no.5 on "Security and the anti-antifa. Protection for anti-racist organisations")
One final word of general advice
Whatever we do, we ought to remember that resistance is not about a one-off event or a political declaration, but it is about a lasting process of consciousness-building, of in-fluencing people's attitudes and creating a culture in which intolerance is not tolerated. Even if you experience problems, do not lose hope!
| nado srochno prinimat' meri. |
Feb 2, 2005, 04:26
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