(Pic: The Town of Riace, Italy, brought back to life by its willingness to welcome and accommodate migrants. ALESSIO MAMO/THE GLOBE AND MAIL)
Until you know the facts and truth of what’s going on, it’s very hard to form an informed opinion and know how to proceed. That is why I am very hopeful about the new UN pact and plan that aims to deal positively with the migrant crisis. It is a real crisis and one that is equally based on the facts, the numbers and urgency of migrants migration, and by the feelings, the fears, hate, concern, and unease created by this situation. Even some liberals are wondering is there any truth to what the conservatives say? Are migrants destroying our culture, and economy, are they turning us into a third world country, is helping them creating deeper poverty and more poor citizens, and are there just too many of them for our nations to assimilate and integrate? These are valid questions and concerns which we need to separate from the hate and hysteria currently dominating this issue. I think this UN agreement pact, signed by 150 nations will do just that. It aims to understand, find facts, look at the issues driving the crisis: the injustice, poverty, wars, and crime behind this great move to the west, and how best for all nations to deal with it in a humane and helpful way.
I recently read an article about Riace, a small town in Italy, and it’s mayor, Domenico Lucano, who turned the town around and brought it back to life by welcoming and accommodating migrants. He was removed and exiled as mayor by the new hard-right government on charges that strongly seem and the town people believe are trumped up. It’s quite a disturbing story even in our current world of normalized political corruption and their destructive, immoral actions. This story moved me because it shows multiculturalism can work, and it upset me as it shows this war for and against migration clearly. Here is a thriving Italian town who’s mayor was known and celebrated for his vision and success. Multiculturalism thrived this small town and enhanced, not eroded, it’s native Italian culture or so it appears. This is what successful multiculturalism does. The mayor was removed by the new government on what seems to be quite blatantly trumped up charges, to the local mafia’s, who mounted a campaign of abuse and terror at the mayor, relief. Beyond the moral issues involved, this does not seem a good solution to dealing with Italy’s fear about migration at all, a fear, which is probably more about Italy’s economy, dwindling and ageing population and fears of subsequent loss of culture. Removing Mayor Lucano is pure corruption. Whatever your politic beliefs and stand of migration we do all need to admit this is wrong and no government has the right to be corrupt and use corrupt means to gain and hold power and put forward their agenda.
I am personally concerned about this crisis and I am keeping an open mind about it. I was raised to be liberal, Christian in my beliefs, and spend my life being supportive of immigration and still am. I’m happy to live in a multicultural nation, city, and world. I’m also not willing to shut out all the concerns about migration until I know all the facts. I think its a crisis that needs to be dealt with, and like all things can only be dealt with and solved by genuine care, concern and the will to discover the truth and facts, without hate or fear, and the blinding beliefs that are created by them.
We need to deal with this crisis and in doing so, we can actually, really help migrants and all citizens of our world, create a real peace. That should be our goal and aim, and the UN pact and its call for positive collaborative action is helping create the world we need to be, and the one that thrives and will thrive and continue. We must turn away for the far and fearful, and address only the facts, problems and seek fair and humane solutions. We can’t shut our eyes to it, ignore the lives lost in desperate attempts to migrate or the substandard migrants camps, the warehousing of fellow human beings.
I think finally that this agreement is a good and great thing for both liberals and conservatives. It addresses and considers both sides questions and concerns and it solutions and suggestions come from ideas on both sides as well. Maybe this is the place liberals and conservatives can meet, reach peace and agreement and can separate the real concern and care about this issue, from its current state of hate, ignorance and hysteria. Where we can look at the real fears driving far right immigrant hate and their scapegoating of immigrants and become committed to dealing with them. We need to move forward and we can’t in war, emotional based belief and rhetoric, hate and hysteria.
This agreement is the way forward for our world, our nations and for all humanity. Let’s all, left and right, support it and its ideas and ideals. Let’s bring it forward in the new year, along with a new world ready to go back to work, that is able, willing and engaged in returning to maturity and intelligence over feeling and fear. It’s a definite step forward, and I hope through the support of it, we will in 2019 and beyond be a world once again ready. able and willing to face and deal with our real and new problems and issues, and implement smart, sane and fair solutions to them all.
UN migration pact agreed to by more than 150 countries
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/un-migration-conference-morocco-1.4938985
Opening its doors to migrants made this Italian town’s mayor a hero. A wave of right-wing populism pushed him into exile
