jankunnas

Statement of historians on the current humanitarian crisis in Europe



Dear colleagues,

We have discussed the current humanitarian crisis unfolding at our borders, and have decided after consultation with our colleagues to issue the underlying statement, we wish you all to join: https://historiansforrefugees.wordpress.com/

I hereby ask everyone who wish to join the statement to send me the following details: Your name, academic title and affiliation so we can update signatures to this statement.

We are also compiling an appendix that would contain examples of knowledge transferred by immigrants to underline our point. If your work would provide such evidence, please provide us a few lines describing your results, and if possible reference link to your source, project, article, publication. Please also provide the time period of your example, for ordering them into a nice list.

You are also more than welcome to spread the statement and call for signatories trough your own networks of historians. Note due to the content of the text, we are looking for historians. Other groups are encouraged to issue their own statements.

all the best,
Jan Kunnas, Post-Doc, KTH, Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden
Viktor Pál, PhD, WU Wien, Austria
Statement of historians on the current humanitarian crisis in Europe

We are shocked by the current humanitarian crisis in Europe, by the plight of refugees from war and persecution at the borders and shorelines of the EU. Simultaneously we are upset by the harsh and antagonistic attitudes by some of our fellow citizens and elected leaders who deny help and assistance to fellow humans in distress and life threatening danger.

At this crucial moment, we want as historians to highlight the importance of the knowledge that migrants, regardless if they have escaped persecution or war, or are just looking for a better future for themselves and their children, have brought with them to Europe in the past. How that knowledge helped building our societies and creating the current wealth we enjoy in Europe. Migration and mobility have been and is fundamental part of our society, to highlight this we are adding to this statement a continuously updated list containing examples of the knowledge transferred by immigrants to underline our point.

Although migration and migrants were beneficial to Europe in the past, we know that the potential usefulness of a person to society should not be the reason why we help fellow humans. We must help people in need because they need help. It was that simple in the past, and so it is today.

The 20th century taught us to accept and embrace our diversities. In this very moment we Europeans must stand for our values.

jankunnas

Re: Statement of historians on the current humanitarian crisis in Europe

Jos haluat liittyä allekirjoittajien joukkoon laita minulle yksityisviestiä, viestin oikeasta ylänurkasta. Maahanmuuttajien positiivisesta panoksesta yhteiskuntaamme voidaan käydä keskustelua tälläkin palstalla.

jankunnas

Press release 3.10

Statement of historians on the current humanitarian crisis in Europe

On Friday 2.10.2015 a statement signed by 80 historians was presented to the Chair of the European Parliament Committee on Culture and Education Silvia Costa. This hand over was executed as Costa visited the Red Cross tent city accommodating refugees at the Tiburtina station in Rome, Italy. Adjunct professor Marialuisa Lucia Sergio who presented the statement, stated that, in addition to the moral appeal to the European institutions to accept refugees, we signatories are committed in our respective academic contexts to gearing the teaching towards an intercultural approach and to proposing concrete measures for refugees.

The signing historians want to highlight the importance of the knowledge that migrants, regardless if they have escaped persecution or war, or are just looking for a better future for themselves and their children, have brought with them to Europe in the past. How that knowledge helped building our societies and creating the current wealth we enjoy in Europe.

They stress however, that although migration and migrants were beneficial to Europe in the past, we know that the potential usefulness of a person to society should not be the reason why we help fellow humans. We must help people in need because they need help. It was that simple in the past, and so it is today. The 20th century taught us to accept and embrace our diversities. In this very moment we Europeans must stand for our values.

The statement was initiated by Dr. Jan Kunnas from Finland but currently working at KTH in Sweden and Dr. Viktor Pàl from Hungary but currently working at WU Wien in Austria, as a response to their frustration with the xenophobic discussion in their countries unleashed by the current influx of refugees. They argue that at this crucial moment, historians must contribute with our knowledge to the better understanding of the present crisis. To support the statement they have started to collect examples of knowledge transferred by immigrants, or other ways how the flow of humans has contributed to a better world for us all.

The full statement and a continuously updated list of signatories can be found here: https://historiansforrefugees.wordpress.com/

Palaa sivulle “Puheenvuoroja historiasta”