The sun caressed the gorgeous shores of Orano, Alexandria, Athens, Dubrovnik, Marsala, Haifa, and Antalya while the first Mediterranean Social Forum got under way -- North Africa meets the Balkans meets Western Europe meets Israel meets Turkey meets honeybird -- in a moving encounter of dramatically diverse cultures. From June 16-19, 2005, thousands met in the captivating city of Barcelona, Spain, searching to merge civilian rights and human rights to constitute effective immigrant rights.
Languages were shared and resolutions were sought. The Mediterranean Social Forum is about finding an avenue for the evaporation of racism, so prevalent in our world of pre-emptive wars and suspicious minds. The similarity in problems being faced is widespread and seen on all coasts: workers losing jobs, rising distrust amongst individuals, increased hatred of immigrants, growing urban violence and militarization, and a neo-liberal dream being realized by the profiteers (at the expense of everyone else). Equal human rights are morphing into elite human rights while many citizens sloth into an apathetic political apnea. So these four days in Catalonia were spent sharing strategies and positive energies ... because "another Mediterranean is possible." "We call our language Amazigh, meaning free man. Though commonly referred to as 'berber', that is a derivative of barbarian so we now stick to Amazigh," said Lahoucine from Morocco. Their Tifinagh alphabet is beautiful, written from left to right, somewhat reminiscent of the way Amharic (from Ethiopia) and Inuktitut (from Canada) are written. A basic human right is to speak one's own language. Individuals came from all over the Mediterranean region, many speaking their own languages and proud of it too! Xavier, a radio DJ from Quimper, Western France senses dislike from his fellow French countrymen with regards to his university studies of the Breton language. He has been accused of terrorism, based on events decades ago in the Brittany region. Dispelling that myth, Xavier broadcasts cultural programs both in French and Breton and is increasing understanding and acceptance throughout his region. Marc from Catalonia also described the discrimination he feels when travelling throughout other parts of Spain. We discussed the immigrant shock felt within Barcelona and how that affects the perseverance of his mother tongue: Catalan. Marc said "when in a country, it's very important to learn the language in order to communicate and exchange experiences." During the dictatorship of Franco, the Catalan language was prohibited by law and Spain was stuck in a monolingual, oppressive rut. Modern-day Catalonia is flooded with Catalan, spoken loud in the streets and used as the default language for the signs and publications at the Mediterranean Social Forum. This was a meaningful statement in itself.
On the tip of our tongues
Culture can cure
"I believe in cinema," stated Boris, an eloquent Serbian filmmaker whose documentary "Pretty Dyana: a gypsy recycling saga" was shown in the underground screening room of the Mediterranean Social Forum. It's an animated snapshot of the creative ways the gypsies in his suburb recycle cars, boxes, and well, everything. By capturing their true essence and joie de vivre, the viewer is exposed to the unique gypsy reality in Belgrade. Boris added "while there aren't any major organizations combating racism in Serbia, my films can combat racism and other kinds of discrimination, especially when done in an indirect way."
Elsewhere in the Forum, a photography exhibit displayed images of puppet shows and exciting music concerts in Bosnia. "Culture can make people come together and achieve something," asserted Stephanie from Toulouse, France. Her organization Guernica Adpe works directly with the Abrasevic cultural center in Mostar, Bosnia, holding festivals in zones that have been destroyed by war. Their events bring joy to people that have endured bombings and suffocating embargos.
After daytime discussions, discoveries, and analyses, evenings were filled with a melange of Mediterranean music. A notable trio played Friday night, consisting of a frame drum player, a Tunisian woman singing in Arabic, and a woman from Marseille singing in Occitan. Culture is clearly vital if we are to make any dent in our budding world of alternatives. After a long, bloody history of empires and colonialism, independence is still being fought for in the Mediterranean Region. The two main contenders were the Palestinian and the Sahrawi of Western Sahara (currently part of Southern Morocco, although for years it was a region of Spain). Independence movements from Kurdistan and Kosovo were also indirectly represented. There was a brilliant conference seeking a solution to the miserable living conditions in all occupied territories. A member of Israel´s leftist party mentioned that the Israeli occupation is harming both Israeli AND Arab workers alike. He said "más occupación es más disoccupación." [translated from Spanish to mean: the longer the occupation continues, the more unemployment will rise]. One man from the West Bank encouraged people to visit and see the reality they are living. Many progressive Israelis and Palestinians spoke out opposing the neo-liberal policies of Israel and actively striving towards more than just an August pullout from Gaza. While Israel is a stunning country along the Mediterranean, the current government's policies embarrass many Israelis just as Bush's policies in Iraq are opposed to by many US citizens. Not all Israelis are in favor of Sharon. Whereas the dialog was constructive amongst Palestinians and Israelis, there seemed to be a deep-rooted dissatisfaction between the Moroccans and Sahrawis. On one instance, yelling broke out between a Moroccan and a Sahrawi woman.
Break free
Move, improve, integrate and relate
Immigrants frequently wish to leave their past behind. They seek a new life without threats, political hardship, or censorship. Overt superiority by established locals can turn this innocent search into a massive struggle to find a place to live and work. While any city is made up of immigrants, be it from the suburbs, the countryside, or other countries, the newest arrivals have the hardest time.
Federico from Florence stated "people come running away from hunger, war, and diseases. Immigrating is a human right, however many see immigrants selling on the streets and conclude they have come to take jobs away from the locals." Paul-Emile from Belgium concurs. "The situation is quite problematic. Many European governments are repeating that the Muslims and foreigners are a cause of the problems of the economy and the society."
Greece has had an influx of Albanian immigrants in the last ten years and they are often harassed. As a part of the Coordination Committee for the Spring 2006 European Social Forum in Athens, Nikos is "smashing the artificial barrier," and adds "we want a multicultural society."
How to improve relations? Common action and an accurate media. As a politician and the president of the Puglia region of Italy, Nichi Vendola offered a different angle to this gathering of civil society. "It is important to keep the government from becoming privatized," he proclaimed. Participation is crucial if we stand a chance to enact positive changes and new directions of development. Being able to voice one's opinion is a luxury in many countries, some say in all. A Tunisian journalist acknowledged having been fired from a national newspaper based solely on being critical and accurate in his reporting. His boss did not want to let him go but was pressured by the government to do so. He now writes for the foreign press from within Tunisia. Resistance is strong and action is stronger. I met a Hungarian man who is creating a left wing in a country where there is none, and women who continue fighting for equal rights at home and at large. Eugenia is the president of an Intercultural Organization in Spain and gives a voice to the new arrivals to her country. A delicious sangria is stirred up by valuing different nationalities where people share their unique cultures, including classes in Moroccan cooking, Latin dance, and Chilean crafts. This way, people go beyond being "those immigrants" and become "Mohammed", "Juanita", and "Pablo," individuals with names instead of mere stereotypes. She sees society uniting over couscous, salsa, and weaving Mapuche quilts. It's personal -- about you and me, it's about listening, it's about not killing one's self working to be able to survive, it's about spending time with friends and family, it's about dissolving superiority complexes, it's about being part of legislation and society (not just abiding laws, but making them), it's about becoming the media, it’s about taking care of our environment and appreciating nature (Pacha Mama, Ñuke Mapu, etc), it's about sincerely giving an equal value to each human life, it's about not being afraid, it's about accepting differences and embracing similarities, it's about having a soul which supercedes monthly financial statements, it's about a fair distribution of resources, it's about learning and speaking languages, it's about dancing around, it's about singing great songs and rich traditional melodies, it's about realizing there are varying degrees of good and bad people in the world and that it’s not based on aesthetic nor geographic quotients, it’s about being willing to compromise, it's about moving to a new country without needing to conceal one's origin, it's about unconditionally respecting you and me -- it's about altering the disillusion the Little Prince felt when he encountered our little planet Earth. The final day of the Mediterranean Social Forum included a demonstration around the Plaça d'Espanya. Battle cries swam like multi-colored fish in a sea of peaceful revolution while languages french kissed under the blue sky of a fertile Iberian Sunday shouting "justice, respect, and solidarity". The awakening masses are being exposed to just how stimulating our multicultural Mediterranean Sea can be.
Free to speak, free to critique
What's it all about?
Mediterranean Metamorphosis Now
-Written by Monique Hélène Mizrahi, June 28, 2005 monique@honeybird.net
-Photography by Hassen Beny