integration
University initiation rites debate hits France and Belgium
In the UK at least three people had died by 2008 because of initiation ceremonies for undergraduates, whilst recent incidents in France and Belgium featuring physical abuse and comas have helped raise awareness about a dangerous student ritual
integration, integration, university, students, belgium, france, society
'Our School' documentary: segregated Roma schools despite EU funds
When directors and producers Mona Nicoară and Miruna Coca-Cozma followed three Roma children in a small Romanian village for four years, their film initially about a success story of integration became one about the realities of ethnic segregation. Interview
integration, integration, emir kusturica, education system, gypsy, hungary, school
Did you hear the one about the Turks who've been in Germany for fifty years?
1961. Hundreds of thousands of invited Turks start making their way to Germany to work: the so-called ‘guest workers’. The bilateral agreement between Turkey and Germany changed German society. To the German government the Turkish migrants were nothing more than compensation for labour shortages in Germany. However, as author Max Frisch famously announced just four years on: ‘We called for workforce and people came’. Fifty years later more than 2.5 million people of Turkish origin live in Germany. It is only recently that the integration debate has stalled, that third generation Germans are insulted as foreigners and that public ‘islam-bashing’ is officially back thanks to German former European central bank chairman and best-selling author Thilo Sarrazin. Is it time for a U-turn on all things multi-cultural?
- Read the special edition Did you hear the one about the Turks who've been in Germany for fifty years?
- Older migrants of Europe: forgotten until when?
- Islam and Europe: a five step waltz
- Sila Sahin, Turkish-German actress and first 'muslim playboy model'
- Meeting 4 of 500, 000 'Almanci' German Turks who returned 'home' over last 30 years
Street integration test: German Youtube hit Tedros Teclebrhan
He hasn’t hit his wife for more than two months now, has never heard of the fall of a certain wall and thinks the chancellor before ‘Angelo Merte’ was Hitler... Within two weeks, the video of the man with the blond mustache became a German web hit. Over 5.5 million people have already clicked on it the promotional video, thinking the actor was a real migrant and thus not noticing the mirror being held up to German integration policy
Polish vs Lithuanian language: is your surname 'bitch' or 'vulva'?
Whilst the likes of The Economist alarmedly predict a major energy-security-everything conflict between Lithuania and Poland over spelling, many in both countries aren’t even aware that the issue has reached such diplomatic heights. In fact Poles in general might be unaware of it at all - language dispute of the week
integration, tower of babel, languages, poland, law, name, lithuania
Berlin launch: Anti-islam book by German bank exec Thilo Sarrazin
The former politician launched his book 'Deutschland schafft sich ab' ('Germany abolishes itself' on 30 August in Berlin. Criticism of Germany's immigration policy is legitimate, writes the Italian, German and Austrian press, but don't attack muslims. Translated European press review selection
integration, integration, press review, islamophobia, thilo sarrazin, immigration, euweek
Magyd Cherfi: 'identity and national is a collusion that I don’t get'
Singing about these issues in concert is something of a déjà vu that the French singer and militant can do without, he says. Interview
integration, multiculturalism, identity, magyd cherfi, immigration, illegal immigrants, culture
European bloggers describe their Berlin walls
Monday is 9 November, the day when the Berlin wall was brought down. To reflect on this iconic modern historical event for the eurogeneration, citizen journalists from five cafebabel.com local teams - Sofia, Budapest, Turin, Strasbourg and Istanbul - simultaneously blogged one day about the walls they see in their cities
integration, communism, event, kurds, seville, architecture, budapest
Zanko: the 'White Arab' Italian rapper who would perform for the Lega Nord
In English slang, the word 'Zanko' is someone who is a social and cultural pioneer. Like this 28-year-old Syrian Italian, who gigs in unique political hotspots such as Zingonia and Lampedusa, has 'fought' for hip hop and would happily show the far-right Italian party what he's made of
integration, syrian arab republic, rap, hip hop, italy, street music, immigration
Portuguese Barroso: this is your man for Europe, again!
On 16 September, the European parliament voted José Manuel Barroso in for a second term as European commission president, with 382 votes for, 219 against and 117 abstentions. Barroso promised to advocate social policies, but the Portuguese, Belgian, French and Polish press was sceptical
integration, european institutions, josé manuel barroso, european media, european commission, belgium, eurotopics
Fake Oddity: ‘relations will change after July’s Turkish cultural season in France’
The Lyon-based group talk about their participation in an event introducing 'Turkish culture' in France from 1 July 2009 til March 2010. But on 11 June, the Turkish PM warned it could be postponed because of opposition to the Turkish EU membership bid, according to the Hurriyet daily
integration, lyon, immigration, culture, turkey, music, radiohead
London and Berlin reviews of Mark Ravenhill's 'Over There' play
Mark Ravenhill’s unconventional play about identical twins who are reunited after growing up in east and west Germany travelled from London to Berlin this spring. Our London reviewer calls it a timely commentary on the EU’s current political troubles. Our Berlin reviewer wonders if the British director reproaches the Germans with the repression of history. Cross-reviews from the Royal Court and Schaubühne theatres
integration, reunification, london, family, identity, best of cafebabel.com, berlin wall
Where are the Italians at the Romanian shopping centre in Rome?
The first Romanian-owned shopping centre, La Strada, has opened in Tiburtina, a district of Rome. Visitors are few and far between, and the Italians are even scarcer. Feature
Migrants keep coming to Seville, Spain and the rest of Europe
But their rights as workers and humans are at stake, while the status of illegal or legal are being sorted out
integration, seville, romania, documents, eu debate on the ground, senegal, migrant
Up on the Luxembourg downs
In a crisis-shaken Europe, even the financial fortress of Luxembourg swung low with the downfall of the Fortis and Dexia institutions. But the Grand Duchy has so much more to offer than bribe money affairs and corny young bankers. Integration, European elections and the Luxembourgish language - the newest cafebabel.com local hub provide us with an insight into their country
Germany, Italy vs. Döner Kebab
At the end of January 2009, the Turkish daily newspaper Hürriyet reported that the German town of Viersen had ruled that its retailers must replace the Turkish word 'döner' (which means “rotisserie”) with its German equivalent 'Drehspieß'. In Italy, the city council of Lucca banned 'ethnic fastfood' in the city centre. Is the döner kebab the target of an anti-Turkish conspiracy?
Roma in the Ponticelli district, Naples, speak after the fire
The intolerance of the population towards the nomads, who had been living for years on the periphery of the city, has become ever violent, supported by the popular and racist propaganda of the Lega Nord (northern league) political party. We try to understand what is left after the lynchings, the fires, the vigilantes and forced evictions
integration, roma, italy, best of cafebabel.com, naples, discrimination, racism
Kids with weapons in Istanbul's Kurdish district
It is the refusal of the government in Ankara to make the inhabitants get on with each other which ends up in their refusal to integrate in Balat, the Kurdish-Armenian district of Istanbul
Euthanasia: Noel Martin wants to die
The British citizen of Jamaican origin, has been a paraplegic ever since he was attacked by a band of neo-Nazis. In 2007, he made headline news in Germany and is still fighting to be able to decide the date of his death
integration, profile, racism, germany, berlin, discrimination, human rights
