by JimB » Sun May 18, 2008 10:36 pm
A child’s bitter struggle against racism
By Stefanos Evripidou
(archive article - Thursday, May 15, 2008)
A TEENAGE boy yesterday stunned an audience of educators, highlighting the deep-rooted problems of racism in Cyprus, when he used the words “inhuman” and “painful” to describe his “dream” move to the island.
Andrei Stefan from Romania was asked to address a conference organised by the Nicosia Municipality and Palouriotissa Gymnasium entitled: “The smooth integration of immigrants into Cypriot society: The contribution of the school and local authority.”
Speaking to an audience of teachers, parents, psychologists and researchers at Famagusta Gate in Nicosia, Andrei eloquently described in his now word-perfect Greek just how prejudice, racism and discrimination turned his dream move to Cyprus into a nightmare.
The 16-year-old came to Cyprus five years ago with his mother. “We came hoping for a better tomorrow and for better living conditions since in our country, Romania, we faced many problems.”
He told how his mother had described the country and the friends he would make once over here. “Even though I would speak, read and write in a foreign language, I used my mother’s words for comfort, ‘a better tomorrow’, that’s all I asked for.”
“Instead of that, during my time at primary school, I endured an inhuman and painful experience with the children I met here. They tormented me with names and bad behaviour. Through all this I struggled to find a path to the better tomorrow that every immigrant searches for in a new country,” said Andrei.
“I tried to justify inhuman and harsh behaviour that I got from all the kids, but I found no justification. The only thing that made us different was our country of origin and the language we spoke,” noted the teenager.
Andrei highlighted that the current approach to foreigners living in Cyprus prevented the country from taking advantage of what immigrants have to offer, their customs and traditions but also their own approaches to solving different problems.
“The problem is we don’t get the chance to express ourselves, to state what we know and can offer,” he said.
“Our proposed solutions are very often not accepted, they are faced with prejudice, and the excuse that ‘This is Cyprus, you are not in your country now’,” he added.
“This racist behaviour troubles us greatly. It doesn’t let us participate with our views in solving problems, or improving everyday conditions, of which, at the end of the day, we are a part.”
Andrei gave as an example the different approaches to entertainment. He argued that local teenagers had a “misconception” of what freedom is.
“I believe we enjoyed healthier forms of entertainment [in Romania] where we had more participation but also help from the community, something we don’t find here.”
Asked to elaborate, Andrei said back home teenagers would get help to play in and stage a rock concert in their neighbourhood where members of the community and friends would come and enjoy in a party atmosphere.
“We’ve been trying to do the same for six months now and getting nowhere. Instead we end up going to clubs and bars and getting arrested by police,” he said.
The teenager noted that racism was not everywhere, and thanked those who welcomed him with open arms, referring to his “inspired teachers”.
Asked what advice he had for others like him coming to Cyprus he said: “Don’t be different.”
Advice for Cyprus?
“A change of attitude. Don’t look at someone and the first thing you see is difference.”
He argued for more discussion in households, schools and the media about diversity in people: “So everything doesn’t look so foreign to them, so they don’t find it strange when they come across different physical characteristics, so they don’t think children from other countries with different cultures and views are wrong.”
A first step would be to provide proper support for foreigners coming to Cyprus to learn the language.
“We don’t seek special treatment, we ask for equal treatment without discrimination,” concluded Andrei.
CHAIRMAN of the House Education Committee, Nicos Tornaritis, yesterday called on Cypriots with racist tendencies to take note of the fact that without economic migrants, Cyprus never would have joined the EU.
Speaking at a conference dealing with the integration of immigrants in Cyprus, Tornaritis highlighted the fact that certain parents in particular schools put all the problems faced at schools on the shoulders of foreign children.
“Some guy comes up and asks me how are we going to live with all these Poles, Brits, Russians etc, he doesn’t even mention Turkish Cypriots. But what have we been fighting for all these years if not to live with Turkish Cypriots, Maronites, Latins, Armenians, and yes, economic migrants,” said Tornaritis.
Nicosia Mayor Eleni Mavrou criticised the media for failing to focus on the positive aspects of multiculturalism in Cyprus, where immigration counts for 10-14 per cent of the population.
“I see there are no media and cameras (bar two journalists) here today. I’m sure if local children where fighting with foreign children in school, the cameras would have been there in no time. The media have responsibility to report on the positive as well as the negative,” she said.
Headmistress of Palouriotissa gymnasium, Maria Theodotou, told the conference that one positive came out from the many negatives of a recent study undertaken by the school.
“When asked if children have problems co-existing with immigrant children, the majority said NO.”
The same study revealed that the majority of parents did not want their children being friends with foreign children or even in the same class.
Theodotou said education needed readjustment to the new realities in Cyprus, “going beyond the traditional mono-cultural and mono-language character of education”.
Paraphrasing and updating the words of the ancient orator Pericles, she said: “We have our place open to foreigners but at the same time, we have our hearts and minds open to diversity.”
Academic Constantinos Fellas stressed the need for recognition of the problem and for dialogue.
“Racism is not something we can hide in the closet nor can it be accepted as a ‘soft’ form of ‘xenophobia’ based on naivety and/or ignorance,” he said.
Copyright © Cyprus Mail 2008
