Learning about Politics

Shaking the balance – Tensions between original populations vs. migrants and expatriates Here it starts… … this is our story – we are Valentina, Lise and Pekka – three observers who are concerned of common issue. We have identified three places in which migrants and expatriates are outnumbering the “original” population. In all these places [...]

Place: The Island of Lampedusa, Italy (Between Sicily, Libya and Tunisia) by Valentina Marchese

So, here we are, the two observers invited by Valentina to have a look what is happening on the island of Lampedusa.

What do we see happening there?

So we see that there is very little chance that the . . . → Read More: Stories of migrants – Lampedusa

Place: The districts of  Neukölln, Kreuzberg and Wedding (in Berlin) by Pekka Kämäräinen

Yes, now the two other observers – Valentina and Lise – are visiting Pekka in Germany. Pekka has taken them to the  capital city Berlin where there is a lot of debate on the integration of migrant people.

In particular the . . . → Read More: Stories of migrants – Berlin

Place: Brussels – the  European metropol for expatriates and migrants by Lise Traeland

And finally, Valentina and Pekka are visiting Lise in Brussels. Lise is working as an expatriate there and she has two children in a multicultural school. There the everyday life can at best look something like this.

The teachers and parents . . . → Read More: Stories of migrants – Brussels

Shaking the balance – continuing story with new issues and venues prepared by Pekka Kämäräinen

The three observers of the Politics Spring School – Valentina, Lise and Pekka  – have completed their contribution for the European workshop  in Chania. However, as it often happens in real life, the story that they started is going . . . → Read More: Stories of migrants – Where to next?

Place: Continuation of the journey from Lampedusa to Ventimiglia or …? by Pekka Kämäräinen

In an earlier episode of this story the three observers started examining the outnumbering of original population by migrants (=refugees) in the island of Lampedusa. The immediate observation was that the situation on that island can not be treated as . . . → Read More: Stories of migrants – Lampedusa (part II)

Place: top level debates on the Schengen agreement and the border controls on French-Italian border by Pekka Kämäräinen

The decision of the Italian government (to issue tourist visas for a large number of refugees) and the reaction of the French government (to introduce border controls and turn holders of such visa back) have led . . . → Read More: Stories of migrants – French-Italian border

Place:  The struggle of ‘outsiders’ from Tunisia and Afganistan to find themselves new perspectives by Pekka Kämäräinen

The heated debates on the treatment of refugees and illegal immigrants are based on many prejudices, quick  assumptions and sweeping generalisations. Mostly the newcomers are considered as squatters (who want to benefit of European social welfare ) . . . → Read More: Stories of migrants – Tunisian & Afgan refugees

Place: Turkish ‘Gastarbeiter’ and their children between different identities (“Germans or Turks”)

So far the postings on this story have presented different episodes of refugees’ life stories – critical situations or moments of relief. We have also presented insights into migrant communities and into grassroot intiatives that seek to promote integration.

Focusing on episodes . . . → Read More: Stories of migrants – Turkish migrants between Turkey and Germany

Place: Turkish ‘Gastarbeiter’ families in Germany between different identities (“Germans or Turks”) by Pekka Kämäräinen

So far the postings on this story have presented different episodes of refugees’ life stories – critical situations or moments of relief. We have also presented insights into migrant communities and into grassroot intiatives that seek to promote integration.

. . . → Read More: Stories of migrants – Turkish migrants between Turkey and Germany

Place: Stories told by German-Turkish couples living in Germany (Part I) by Pekka Kämäräinen

This story draws attention to the relations between Germans and Germaners (Deutschländer, Almancilar) as the children of Turkish migrants are sometimes called. The story is told by a couple who knows it from both sides: Hüseyin is the son of . . . → Read More: Stories of Migrants – German-Turkish couples (Part I)

Place: Stories told by German-Turkish couples in Germany (Part II) by Pekka Kämäräinen

This story focuses on the relations between Germans and German Turks and on cross-border marriages. The story is told by a young couple who knows it from both sides: Thomas is German and he has grown up in Germany. Remzye is . . . → Read More: Stories of Migrants – German-Turkish couples (Part II)

Place: A Lithuanian in Greece

Migration is a very natural state. It is a big part of evolution. People were moving in order to survive since the Stone Age. It turned into a problem after the birth of nationalism. In the early 19th century when countries started shrinking and creating also called . . . → Read More: I am the citizen of the world