Summary: Youth Forum Preparatory Session on Peace

Small Group Discussion: Far Right Groups in Europe and the fight against racism and discrimination

General Summary
In our discussion, we explored the discriminatory tendencies of the current immigration policies of Western European states and searched for possible solutions and alternatives to these policies.

Due to the socio-political changes in the last decade in Eastern European states, many people have searched for better economic and political climates outside their own countries. The recent influx of people into the more developed, Western European states has resulted in a situation in which the people and governments view immigration as a threat to national security –affecting both the social institutions and cultural heritage of these countries. Our moderator Stephania Simion, of the Peace Action Training and Research Institute of Romania, claimed that there is a prevalent, negative stereotype of immigrants in some of the more developed Western European states. The current policies advocated by these members of the European Union have promoted the reducing of immigration levels and, at the same time, have been discriminatory based on the origins of the asylum seekers.

Some of the more interesting points and questions brought up in our discussion were the following:

• The irony that the free trade economy is favored by the developed, Western European countries, yet it is the same economy that has created some of the necessary immigrations.
• The value and definition of culture: Should we value the preservation of cultures by preventing the integration of other cultures into societies? [or] Should we consider culture as a non-static, social construction that should continually evolve?
• Should countries be allowed to change immigration policies based on their economic status and their ability to meet the needs of their own population (i.e. money for health care, education…)? Where can a country draw the line between helping others versus maintaining their own status?
• Related to the previous question, how does one distinguish a refugee and an immigrant?
• Should money be directed at preventing necessary migrations (monetary aid to newly developing countries, peace building for countries at war) or should the aid be focused on improving immigrant services and the continuation of open-immigration policies?

As a group, we have decided that to help solve these problems, NGOs must work first to combat the negative stereotypes of immigrants that are prevalent among some of the citizens of these countries. Our group feels that through media campaigns, institutions of higher education, and collaboration with other organizations committed to the goals of a civil society, these stereotypes can be transformed into informed opinions. We recognize that the xenophobia that currently exists in some countries has contributed to and arisen from the above-mentioned policies. In addition, NGOs can work directly with the governments, lobbying for non-discriminatory immigration policies.

While examining the solutions at hand, we must look towards the international laws already in place. The "1951 Geneva Convention on the Status of Refugees", the "1954 Convention on the Status of Stateless Persons", and the more recent "International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination" all apply to the issue at hand. The enforcement of these laws lies in the framework of these agreements; member states must aim to uphold these agreements not only by abiding with the regulations contained in them, but also by enforcing the laws they have agreed to.

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