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Do watch our introduction video to know more about us! |
ARTICLE 1: INTRODUCTION Group 3 : St. Gregorios High School
We are a group of 16 year olds in the 11th grade,from St. Gregorios High School. We might be very different people with very different ideas but in working together we've come to realise that our purpose is the same : to never stop learning. What better platform to learn and experience new cultures,thoughts and to know new people if not for EuMind! For long,it was only our individual opinion that mattered,but now we're here to learn the other side of the story. Human Rights was a topic only limited to our Civics and Political Science text book. We know now that this is a subject so close to our hearts,as humans. In today's day and age the topic of migration is imperatively spoken of,but we only read and forget the numerous newspaper articles. We're here to explore the human side to every story and hope you'll be by as we stumble along new paths of this exciting journey.
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This is us- Rounak,Harini,Gayathri,Meghna
ARTICLE 2: MIGRATION
2 a) Internal Migration,a real story
She gives me a shy gap toothed smile, steals an occasional glance at me and quips up now and then to add to her father's account who is telling me their story. Her eyes though lowered,have a million tales to tell.
I met 7 year old Lakshmi, when my dance class decided to offer free Bharatanatyam, an Indian classical dance lesson for underpriviledged children and I decided to volunteer as an assistant for the same. When the lessons began, something about her had struck me from the very first day. She was a fast learner, doing as she was told almost perfectly. But I also noticed that she was always an extremely shy child, she developed a protective shell all the time, wary of people. Inspite of telling her multiple times,about the importance of eye expressions in the dance form,she would always dance with her eyes lowered. She completely avoided people’s gaze. I couldn’t ascertain as to why, seeming to be a quite a perceptive child, she never could comprehend only this aspect of what was told to her.
Against a rural backdrop of caste based atrocities,Lakshmi was born into a society embedded in violence and discrimination.Born into a low caste Dalit household with extreme economic deprivation, she faced all forms of oppression. From the minute her life began, living itself was intolerable.
“She saw all that I never wish a child has to grow up seeing. Our only fault was that the twisted hands of fate had placed us at the bottom of this supposed caste hierarchy. We saw murders, houses torched. Our children were denied schooling, we were dispossessed of property, our sources of livelihood destroyed, rights violated. We bore it still. We taught our children to lower their eyes while they talk, never to look up directly into the eyes of the people we were beneath, and we ended up teaching them to grow up with fear in their hearts. Until the day it became too much to bear, for the safety of my family and a decent chance to live, we had to leave our home.”
So they trickled in, leaving their little village in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu and like millions of footloose families, migrated to the city of dreams: Mumbai. With their bundled possessions fewer than their hopes, in crowded trains and buses, they came in search of opportunities and means to survive.
“We stayed in every little shelter we could find, I took up low paid jobs, manual labour for construction, stitching shoes, waiting tables. Life was difficult, but I would call it a luxury compared to what we had seen in the past. We also have a home now.”
I made a willed attempt at giving him an encouraging smile, knowing that the home he talked about was nothing more than a makeshift shanty.
“No,no don’t look so sullen. Atleast Lakshmi goes to school now. She also talks about these dance classes at home,she loves it. Back in the village she could only watch the rich children take these dance lessons from outside a window."
At which Lakshmi proudly tells me that today she had learnt at school that India, was a country of unity in diversity, where all religions, castes lived in harmony and security.
Mumbai has seen migrants trickling in over the years. They come, live, absorb and grow as the city grows. By putting down their anchors here, and realising that despite thin membranes of social and economic differences, they are a significant part of the city. They made the city what it is today. On the flip side, the nativist philosophy of political parties have been harping on the risk of natives’ livelihoods from migrants. The migrants’ contributions are many yet they remain in the periphery of public policy. They work for long hours with cheap wages, which tend to be exploitative.
When I question him about the same he cheerily replies, “some hardships are required in the journey.When I get famous how else do you expect me to whip up some emotional story about how I came to Mumbai as a young man with no money in my pocket but made it so big in life?”
Lakshmi chuckles and adds,”like Shahrukh Khan?”
I watch Lakshmi continue her dance classes, being offered a full scholarship. She utilises all the opportunities and chances in a new environment. She had seen a life of oppression, where the mental scars she suffered ensured that she would only speak with her head always lowered. Her family’s migration had given a new meaning to her life, a life she wanted to lead not with fear, but fire in her heart.
The day Lakshmi came to the class, and finally danced with her head held proud and high, firmly holding my gaze, with the twinkle of a smile in her expressive eyes, on that day, I saw success not only in the child, but in a welcoming society and a city that had lived up to its name of being the City of Dreams.
-by Meghna
I met 7 year old Lakshmi, when my dance class decided to offer free Bharatanatyam, an Indian classical dance lesson for underpriviledged children and I decided to volunteer as an assistant for the same. When the lessons began, something about her had struck me from the very first day. She was a fast learner, doing as she was told almost perfectly. But I also noticed that she was always an extremely shy child, she developed a protective shell all the time, wary of people. Inspite of telling her multiple times,about the importance of eye expressions in the dance form,she would always dance with her eyes lowered. She completely avoided people’s gaze. I couldn’t ascertain as to why, seeming to be a quite a perceptive child, she never could comprehend only this aspect of what was told to her.
Against a rural backdrop of caste based atrocities,Lakshmi was born into a society embedded in violence and discrimination.Born into a low caste Dalit household with extreme economic deprivation, she faced all forms of oppression. From the minute her life began, living itself was intolerable.
“She saw all that I never wish a child has to grow up seeing. Our only fault was that the twisted hands of fate had placed us at the bottom of this supposed caste hierarchy. We saw murders, houses torched. Our children were denied schooling, we were dispossessed of property, our sources of livelihood destroyed, rights violated. We bore it still. We taught our children to lower their eyes while they talk, never to look up directly into the eyes of the people we were beneath, and we ended up teaching them to grow up with fear in their hearts. Until the day it became too much to bear, for the safety of my family and a decent chance to live, we had to leave our home.”
So they trickled in, leaving their little village in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu and like millions of footloose families, migrated to the city of dreams: Mumbai. With their bundled possessions fewer than their hopes, in crowded trains and buses, they came in search of opportunities and means to survive.
“We stayed in every little shelter we could find, I took up low paid jobs, manual labour for construction, stitching shoes, waiting tables. Life was difficult, but I would call it a luxury compared to what we had seen in the past. We also have a home now.”
I made a willed attempt at giving him an encouraging smile, knowing that the home he talked about was nothing more than a makeshift shanty.
“No,no don’t look so sullen. Atleast Lakshmi goes to school now. She also talks about these dance classes at home,she loves it. Back in the village she could only watch the rich children take these dance lessons from outside a window."
At which Lakshmi proudly tells me that today she had learnt at school that India, was a country of unity in diversity, where all religions, castes lived in harmony and security.
Mumbai has seen migrants trickling in over the years. They come, live, absorb and grow as the city grows. By putting down their anchors here, and realising that despite thin membranes of social and economic differences, they are a significant part of the city. They made the city what it is today. On the flip side, the nativist philosophy of political parties have been harping on the risk of natives’ livelihoods from migrants. The migrants’ contributions are many yet they remain in the periphery of public policy. They work for long hours with cheap wages, which tend to be exploitative.
When I question him about the same he cheerily replies, “some hardships are required in the journey.When I get famous how else do you expect me to whip up some emotional story about how I came to Mumbai as a young man with no money in my pocket but made it so big in life?”
Lakshmi chuckles and adds,”like Shahrukh Khan?”
I watch Lakshmi continue her dance classes, being offered a full scholarship. She utilises all the opportunities and chances in a new environment. She had seen a life of oppression, where the mental scars she suffered ensured that she would only speak with her head always lowered. Her family’s migration had given a new meaning to her life, a life she wanted to lead not with fear, but fire in her heart.
The day Lakshmi came to the class, and finally danced with her head held proud and high, firmly holding my gaze, with the twinkle of a smile in her expressive eyes, on that day, I saw success not only in the child, but in a welcoming society and a city that had lived up to its name of being the City of Dreams.
-by Meghna
ARTICLE 2 b) Migration in the world
Every year people in all pockets of the world step out of their comfort zone and embark on a journey to the unknown. Many people relocate to alien lands for monetary reasons, the most common case being migration from desolate villages to bustling metropolis. Some to alien shores to pursue professional aspirations, and the unfortunate others who have it forced upon them for their motherland is now a war torn, godforsaken hell hole. Thousands of eyes yearn for a better life and suddenly the longing for home seems irrelevant. “Forget what you’re told, there’s greener grass and denser gold” became the way of thinking of 244 million people in 2015 alone. In other terms 3.3 per cent of the world lived outside their country of origin. That begs the question is enough being done for them to have a smooth transition into their new surroundings?
Migration in itself has its own positives like adding to the vibrancy of a country and helping the world understand each other better, forging unity and speeding up the process of globalization. But it’s not all a bed of roses as 2015 witnessed a tectonic demographic switch from the Middle East into European Nations. The transition was far from easy as millions risked their lives with the hope to start a new life as the only thing that kept them going. Unpleasant conditions, the risk to one’s life or even the idea of losing loved ones could not deter people from relocating as even the aforesaid risks seemed trivial as compared to a life back in Syria. The world has a humanitarian crisis on its hands and it remains to be seen if they can be amicably relocated in across Europe.
Migrations have been happening for centuries now. The pilgrims made the voyage on the mayflower, the Aryans entered the subcontinent via the Hindu Kush and so did the Mughals
India witnessed a mass migration across newly formed borders in 1947. Whatever be the reasons may be migration both internally and internationally have become a part of the societal fabric and it is the duty of governments across the world to sensitize its citizens to migrants, it is the duty of today’s youth to help spread awareness on the topic for it is among those which will definitely change the dynamics of the future.
-by Rounak
Against the media created unrealistic hyped -up fear that revolves around general opinion about immigrants, Buzzfeed, a social news company came up with this video that goes to show that immigrants,are much more than "foreigner aliens"or just a statistic in a country.They are human beings,people with dreams and desires,just like any of us.
ARTICLE 2c) 5 famous personalities who were also immigrants
M.I.ASIGMUND FREUDBILLY WILDERFREDDIE MERCURYBOB MARLEY |
M.I.A. (artist, rapper, musician)
Mathangi “Maya” Arulpragasm, who is also known by her stage name M.I.A., is an english recording artist, rapper and musician. She rose to fame in early 2004, for her singles “Sunshowers” and “Galang”, that charted in the UK and Canada, and reached number 11 on Billboards Hot Dance Single Sales in the US. She also been nominated for an Academy Award for the song “O Saya” done along with indian musician A.R. Rahman, two Grammy awards and the Mercury Prize. Although she was born in Hounslow, in west London, at just three months old, her mother brought her back to her hometown Sri Lanka. The first 11 years of Arulpragasm's life were tough as she faced constant displacement due to the Sri Lankan Civil War. Her family suffered from poverty during this time. Her father was absent for most of her life as he was more involved in political work. During the civil war, soldiers would put guns through holes in the windows and shoot at the school, what she notes as "bullying exploitation." Her classmates were trained to dive under the table or run next door to English-language schools that, according to her, "wouldn’t get shot. Arulpragasam lived on a road alongside much of her extended family and played inside temples and churches in the town. Kala, Arulapragasm's mother, then moved with her children back to London in 1986 a week before Arulpragasam's eleventh birthday where they were housed as refugees. She spent rest of her childhood and teenage years in Mitchim, southwest London. Her music is praised worldwide as she speaks of many things such as immigration politics, personal relationships and war. Sigmund Freud (psychologist) Sigmund Freud was an Austrian neurologist and the father of psychoanalysis. Freud was born in the Moravian town of Freiburg, in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The systematic persecution of Jews by Nazi Germany and the ensuing Holocaust had a profound effect on the family. Four of Freud's five sisters died in concentration camps in 1942. Freud and his remaining family left Nazi-occupied Vienna in 1938 after Ernest Jones, the then President of the International Psychoanalytic Association, secured immigration permits for them to move to Britain. Permits were also secured for Freud’s housekeeper and maid, his doctor, Max Schur and his family, as well as a number of Freud's colleagues and their families. Freud's grandson, Ernst Halberstadt, was the first to leave Vienna, initially for Paris, before going on to London where after the war he would adopt the name Ernest Freud and train as a psychoanalyst. Sigmund Freud has many accomplishments in his name despite coming from the rough background that he did. In 1930 Freud was awarded the Goethe Prize in recognition of his contributions to psychology and to German literary culture. In January 1933, the ` Nazis took control of Germany, and Freud's books were prominent among those they burned and destroyed. Freud quipped: "What progress we are making. In the Middle Ages they would have burned me. Now, they are content with burning my books." He worked on his last books, Moses and Monotheism, published in German in 1938 and in English the following year and the uncompleted Outline of Psychoanalysis which was published posthumously. Billy Wilder (director) Billy Wilder was an Austrian-born American filmmaker, screenwriter, producer, artist and journalist, whose career spanned more than fifty years and sixty films. He is regarded as one of the most brilliant and versatile filmmakers of Hollywood's golden age. With The Apartment, Wilder became the first person to win Academy Awards as producer, director and screenwriter for the same film. He was born to a Jewish family in Sucha Beskidzka, Austria-Hungary. After the rise of Hitler, Wilder who was Jewish, left for Paris, where he made his directorial debut with the 1934 film Muavaise Graine. He relocated to Hollywood prior to its release. Wilder's mother, stepfather and grandmother died in the Holocaust. For decades it was assumed that it happened at Auschwitz, but while researching Polish and Israeli archives, his Austrian biographer Andreas Hutter discovered in 2011 that they were murdered at different and disparate places: his mother, Eugenia "Gitla" Siedlisker - in 1943 at Plaszow; his stepfather, Bernard "Berl" Siedlisker, in 1942 at Belzec and his grandmother, Balbina Baldinger, died in 1943 in the ghetto in Nowy Targ. Freddie Mercury (musician, singer) Freddie Mercury was a British singer and songwriter. He was the lead vocalist for the world famous band Queen. He composed many hits for Queen, including “Bohemian Rhapsody”, “Killer Queen”, “Somebody To Love”, “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” and “We Are The Champions”. Mercury was born a Parsi, in the Sultanate of Zanzibar and grew up there in India, till his mid teens. As a member of Queen, he was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2001, the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2003, the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2004, and the band received a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame in 2002. In 2002, Mercury was placed at number 58 in the BBC's poll of the 100 Greatest Britons. He has been voted one of the greatest singers in the history of popular music. In 2005, a poll organised by Blender and MTV saw Mercury voted the best male singer of all time. In 2008, Rolling Stone editors ranked him number 18 on their list of the 100 greatest singers ever. In 2009, a Classic Rock poll elected him the best rock singer of all time. Additionally, All Music has characterised Mercury as "one of rock's greatest all-time entertainers," who possessed "one of the greatest voices in all of music." At the age of 17, Mercury and his family fled from Zanzibar for safety reasons due to the 1964 Zanzibar Revolution in which thousands of Arabs and Indians were killed. The family moved into a small house in Feltham, Middlesex, England. Mercury enrolled at the Isleworth Polytechnic (now West Thames College) in West London where he studied art. He ultimately earned a diploma in Art and Graphic Design at Ealing Art College (now the Ealing campus of University Of West London), later using these skills to design the Queen crest. A British citizen at birth, Mercury remained so for the rest of his life. Bob Marley (musician, singer) Robert Nesta “Bob” Marley, was a Jamaican singer, songwriter, guitarist and musician who achieved worldwide fame and recognition. Marley was born in Jamaica Bob Marley helped introduce reggae music to the world and remains one of the genre's most beloved artists to this day. The son of a black teenage mother and much older, later absent white father, he spent his early years in St. Ann Parish, in the rural village known as Nine Miles. |
See,it only goes to show yet again that immigrants too are people with dreams and aspirations in their heart! Given refuge and a proper atmosphere to grow only helps their creativeness,hidden behind the dark colours of a difficult past to come out in bright new hues.
-by Gayathri
ARTICLE 3a): REACTING TO STATEMENTS
"God's love for others does not stop at the border,neither should ours."
-Dillon Burroughs
The above quote is the statement we selected about migration, based on which we drafted our article with well balanced pros and cons regarding the same.
"Before you talk of the ambiguity of God,
Consider this even more perplexing word:
Love. Love for fellow people and humanity
The emotion us humans claim to have
Something that the world would deny,
This world we’ve torn to half."
"We’d been told to add quotes or statements
Backed with our arguments of pros and cons
surprised that most quotes the internet offered
Were positive,heartwarming ones.
Where is the hatred then,
These political borders they talk of?"
As the two sides of my mind argued
My heart had a little laugh.
They say it's all very well to speak of adjustment and an interconnected world and love that does not stop at borders. But won't the love be hindered by shades of resentment if the guest stays beyond the host's willingness of invitation? Below we discuss some of the most talked of issues related to migration and refugees:
- Demographic change on a massive scale, primarily caused by the increased admission of immigrants, inevitably has created competition between the immigrants and the citizens of the host country, in all fields.
- Immigration has a huge impact on employment and job markets, the quality of life, the strain on the host country's economic resources, social fabric of the host country's communities and the state of the environment.
- Due to widespread immigration, economists believe, that poverty increases with the rising increase of immigration.
- Many believe that the middle class way of life has come under siege, and income disparities have widened disturbingly.
Regardless of what the media tells us about the refugee crisis, there have been more arguments in favour and support of immigrants. The overwhelming instances of people opening their home and hearts to asylum seekers,the large support campaigns on social media, only goes to show the same. Our proof came from reading the articles of our fellow EuMind participants from the other continent. We came across so many stories, some that were from personal experiences of immigration be it from Uzbekistan, Russia, but all stories ended with happiness and hope. This strengthened our belief. An act of love that doesn't stop at political borders, an act that gives another person a new chance at life, we learnt that humanity is still alive and it is us humans who can help it survive. Following are the arguments in favour of the support the host country shows to refugees:
1. On 4 September the World Bank, the UN’s International Labour Organization and the OECD club of rich countries issued a report concluding that “in most countries migrants pay more in taxes and social contributions than they receive.”
2. There are more than a dozen good studies now that point to a net positive effect of migrants on the economy. Most data shows the economic impact is generally positive.
3. To the host country, immigrants bring energy and innovation. Practices, skills, talents, etc.benefit the host country and hence enhance economic growth.
4. Immigrants are generally not a security or social threat to host countries as, being accepted in a new country, they are grateful and work for the well being and prosperity of the country providing them asylum.
5. Host countries are enriched by cultural diversity.
1. On 4 September the World Bank, the UN’s International Labour Organization and the OECD club of rich countries issued a report concluding that “in most countries migrants pay more in taxes and social contributions than they receive.”
2. There are more than a dozen good studies now that point to a net positive effect of migrants on the economy. Most data shows the economic impact is generally positive.
3. To the host country, immigrants bring energy and innovation. Practices, skills, talents, etc.benefit the host country and hence enhance economic growth.
4. Immigrants are generally not a security or social threat to host countries as, being accepted in a new country, they are grateful and work for the well being and prosperity of the country providing them asylum.
5. Host countries are enriched by cultural diversity.
The most important quality of human beings is our ability to grow and learn by imbibing and adjusting to different cultures. When my Swedish friend Amira comes to India, I always see her dressed only in an Indian kurta ,but she always completes her outfit with a little hint of personal style.So do the refugees when settling in a new home, not only absorb and imbibe what is new, but also in their own different personal ways, contribute to the ever dynamic culture.
'The land flourishes because it is a melting pot, fed from so many sources, because it is nourished by so many different people,traditions and cultures.Taking the example of our very own EuMInd group consisting of four people,we ourselves are so different in every way but in working together we've come to appreciate this and benefit from it too. We spoke about how different the people of a single city like Mumbai be, in our article about internal migration. Considering this, can we even imagine the kind of diversity migration brings in an intergrated country of so many people? As we encounter each other we see our diversity-of background,race,ethnicity,belief and how we handle that diversity will have much to say about whether we will in the end be able to rise successfully to all the challenges we face today.'
In the very first few pages of our political science text book,we see various theorists try to define the word "NATION". Some claim it is race that defines a nation and some say it is ethnicity, but we see that the most accepted definition is "a nation is a community of persons living in a definite territory and thereby bound together by mutual bonds of love" - Barker. And yet again this strengthens our belief in the quote we've chosen- God's love for others does not stop at the border, and neither should ours.
-by Meghna and Gayathri
This is a video that shows the overwhelming love and welcome received by refugees alighting at Vienna,Austria. This kind act once again demonstrates that love for people is beyond political borders.
ARTICLE 3b) RECOMMENDATIONS TO OUR COUNTERPARTS
Living in your own country for all your life, you might not realise what the situation is for people who wish to migrate to your country. Migration can be for a visit, to stay, as an exchange student, or for studying abroad. So, we asked our Swedish friend, Amira Wiander to give us her recommendations from her personal experiences as to what it is like to be a foreigner in India. Amira visits India often and stays here for a long duration of time and in many ways has imbibed and come to love the culture and the people. Travelling to different pockets of the country, she has gathered a host of valuable insights and advice which she gladly agreed to share with us and we do hope it is of help to you'll who maybe interested to visit our country in the future!
"Life in Mumbai can be quite shocking at first, it is loud (a lot of honking), crowded and not easy to find your way around when you first arrive. But getting to know Mumbai and its people it will grow on you cause there are few places in the world where people are so helpful, caring and welcoming as in India and Mumbai. When it comes to transportation, Auto-rickshaws are the way to go! They are cheap and you never have to debate the price, the drivers all use taxi meter. One issue that will occur is giving directions. It will not work to give the driver a typical address cause then he will just shrug his shoulders and leave you on the roadside. To be able to go somewhere you need to know the landmarks nearby (if the location is not itself a landmark) as a train station, a park, a hotel etc. Then you, and the driver, can get help along the way to ask other drivers and passengers to guide you.
Even cheaper is taking the local bus! there are both A/C and non A/C options, non A/C always being the cheaper one. It is safe and just by asking other passengers you will make sure to get on the right bus.
Having a basic knowledge of the local language,like Hindi, even few greetings or directions really helps.
In India, be prepared to answer a lot of personal questions that you might not be used to from strangers and acquaintances. Like are you married, why not? Do not get offended or discouraged, people are curious,friendly and want to get to know you, and do not at all meant to offend you!
Another part of meeting people that are curious about you, if you look different from the typical Indian, that is if you have a different skin color, color of hair or so, some people will tend to look fixedly at you. Some might ask to take a picture with you. I can't say that I really minded the picture- taking, but just be prepared!
What to keep in mind about clothing is that, you do not want to be wearing something uncomfortable out on the streets, especially in more rural places in respect of the people's culture. You could also try wearing the beautiful Indian attires. It also depends on the area or situation you are in; professional situations you would most likely wear long pants or skirts but when going clubbing or partying you will see a lot of people dressed in more revealing clothes which is totally fine.
Food - delicious! Try everything and have locals recommend you new things. I loved the flavour of all the dishes I ate, so don't be be afraid to try the local delicacies. If you have a delicate palate, go for less spicier options, depending on your taste and appetite!
Shopping at streets and markets - bargaining! Always get half off the price they are saying, don't be intimidated by the vendors, or embarrassed to bargain, you can always ensure a great deal!
Make new friends! The best way to enjoy and learn more about a country and it's culture is to interact with the people, make friends who will always guide you around. I have had a lot of great experiences and made some amazing friends in India who plan to come and visit me sometime soon too! Soon you won't feel like a 'foreigner' but will come to love and be a very part of the city and country."