The Finnish government wants to tighten certain rules on the right of asylum seekers to work. The government is proposing that asylum applicants without valid travel documents not be allowed to work until they have been in the country for at least six months.
At present, asylum seekers awaiting a decision in their cases can take up jobs after being in the country for three months.
Tougher regulations are also being proposed on the reunification of families. The draft revisions would give underage asylum seekers the right to be joined by family members only if they are minors at the time that a residence permit is granted. Currently, the right is based on a minor's age at the time of application.
Another change that the government wants written into law is legal status for a forensic determination of age. This could be done in cases in which there is cause to believe that the asylum applicant has lied about his or her age.
The government's draft does not take a stand on the definition of a nuclear family -- for example, if grandparents should be granted the same rights as parents, children or siblings.
YLE
Hej Åland was founded in the year 2008 on the Åland Islands by a Gambian immigrant called Alieu Khan. His aim is to advance cultural diversity, integration of immigrants and refugees and to fight against prejudice, stereotype and discrimination. Contact Alieu: info@hejaland.ax or xaritnexna@gmail.com
Friday, 13 November 2009
Saturday, 24 October 2009
UPDATE: SAF - Mariehamn 2010
Next year, the Åland Islands will witness the first ever African festival on the island. Hej Åland is behind it and so far the city of Mariehamn has expressed their willingness and desire to make it happen.
A project proposal has already been drafted and the cultural committee of the city is going through it. The festival would start on the 9th July 2010 with an official opening ceremony and fashion show at the prestigious Alandica Cultural Centre. There would be a masquerade parade from the city council building, through torgatan (street) to Alandica.
The next day, 10th July, would be the Open Mic night. More than ten DJs and musicians from Sweden, Denmark and France would take the stage to exhibit their talents. One of the popular musicians expected to perform is Mary N’diaye, a young Swedish with Gambian and Senegalese parents.
Hej Åland blog would soon be transformed to a website and there you could read all the latest information about SAF 2010-Mariehamn. If you live on Åland and would like to be part of the organising team, you are highly welcomed. The festival is all about promoting diversity!
Tuesday, 13 October 2009
Many Immigrant Youths Consider Leaving Finland
Immigrant youths often want to leave Finland, according to a new survey. Networking and linguistic ability are factors helping them move away while racialism and prejudice accounted in Finland often provide the springboard.
According to a survey carried out by TAT Group, SEK PRO Oy:n and 15/30 Research, integration of young immigrants into Finnish society is a long process. For many building a life in Finland is not on their agenda.
Youths with a Russian, Estonian or Somali background often do not consider themselves as Finns, even if they have resided in the country for most of their lives and are Finnish citizens.
On the contrary, they maintain a strong individual cultural identity and an awareness of where home is. Youths say they are from Russia, Estonia and Somalia and are proud of the fact.
Finland is not an easy environment for all young immigrants. Public structures present a picture of equality while in reality racialism and prejudice remain fundamental problems.
Those interviewed said they often experienced racialism from older people and inebriates but they also singled out the media.
Somali youths were, in particular, the target for racial abuse. However, Estonians felt more at home in Finland with a much smaller cultural gap.
Hopes and expectations regarding working life were the same as those of Finnish youths. Of prime importance was getting a job in line with one’s education and training, job satisfaction as well as a pleasant working environment. Immigrant youths also possess a high motivation to gain training. The research also shows they have strong linguistic abilities and possess a wide international social network.
Estonian and Russian youths place great faith in their individual ability to get employment in Finland. However, Somali youths feel they are at a disadvantage owing to their background.
Many Ready to Move Abroad
Youths interviewed for the survey would easily be prepared to leave Finland. They cite the lengthy duration of integration as well as racialism. Other factors prompting departure included internationalism, a desire to travel and a desire to develop themselves.
Somali youths had the greatest willingness to leave and often wanted to return to their homeland. They cite a common desire of the Somali community to be able to someday return to their country of origin or live in a Muslim country. In addition, Finland is perceived as being prejudiced and unequal in working life. Somali youths often feel they cannot achieve their goals in Finland.
Estonian and Russian youths do not actively consider a return home. They usually feel that Finland could be their future home or they plan to move elsewhere.
Youths aged between 15 and 21 from Somali, Russian and Estonian backgrounds were interviewed by 15/30 Research as well as a comparison group of Finnish youths. Some 55 young people took part in either individual or group interviews.
YLE
According to a survey carried out by TAT Group, SEK PRO Oy:n and 15/30 Research, integration of young immigrants into Finnish society is a long process. For many building a life in Finland is not on their agenda.
Youths with a Russian, Estonian or Somali background often do not consider themselves as Finns, even if they have resided in the country for most of their lives and are Finnish citizens.
On the contrary, they maintain a strong individual cultural identity and an awareness of where home is. Youths say they are from Russia, Estonia and Somalia and are proud of the fact.
Finland is not an easy environment for all young immigrants. Public structures present a picture of equality while in reality racialism and prejudice remain fundamental problems.
Those interviewed said they often experienced racialism from older people and inebriates but they also singled out the media.
Somali youths were, in particular, the target for racial abuse. However, Estonians felt more at home in Finland with a much smaller cultural gap.
Hopes and expectations regarding working life were the same as those of Finnish youths. Of prime importance was getting a job in line with one’s education and training, job satisfaction as well as a pleasant working environment. Immigrant youths also possess a high motivation to gain training. The research also shows they have strong linguistic abilities and possess a wide international social network.
Estonian and Russian youths place great faith in their individual ability to get employment in Finland. However, Somali youths feel they are at a disadvantage owing to their background.
Many Ready to Move Abroad
Youths interviewed for the survey would easily be prepared to leave Finland. They cite the lengthy duration of integration as well as racialism. Other factors prompting departure included internationalism, a desire to travel and a desire to develop themselves.
Somali youths had the greatest willingness to leave and often wanted to return to their homeland. They cite a common desire of the Somali community to be able to someday return to their country of origin or live in a Muslim country. In addition, Finland is perceived as being prejudiced and unequal in working life. Somali youths often feel they cannot achieve their goals in Finland.
Estonian and Russian youths do not actively consider a return home. They usually feel that Finland could be their future home or they plan to move elsewhere.
Youths aged between 15 and 21 from Somali, Russian and Estonian backgrounds were interviewed by 15/30 Research as well as a comparison group of Finnish youths. Some 55 young people took part in either individual or group interviews.
YLE
Thursday, 24 September 2009
Fadayel's Family Vows to Battle Case in Highest Court
The Christian Democrats appealed to Parliament on Wednesday to change laws governing residence permits. The party has joined in a Vantaa family's fight to keep their Egyptian mother, Eveline Fadayel, in Finland. The family, which is contesting a deportation order, says it is prepared to take its battle to the highest courts.
Eveline Fadayel's family is appealing the authorities' decision that calls for deporting her by the end of the month. All three of Fadayel's children live in Finland, and all six of her grandchildren are Finnish citizens. Her sons say she won't manage by herself in Egypt.
The Lutheran Parish of Vantaankoski has rallied behind the family, offering the woman sanctuary based on humanitarian reasons.
Under current law, a foreign elderly relative must be totally dependent on her family to be allowed to stay in Finland.
On Wednesday, the Christian Democratic parliamentary group said it would work to amend legislation. Under the law, extended family members, like the parents of adult children living in Finland, are rarely granted residence permits. The Christian Democrats argue that the definition of family should include parents.
Meanwhile, Fadayel's family will appeal the decision to the Supreme Administrative Court, and says they'll continue to the European Court of Human Rights, if necessary.
Culled from YLE
Sunday, 20 September 2009
Multicultural Marriages and its Challenges
Study indicates mixed marriages end much more often in divorce
Cultural differences, speedy marriage, and prejudices hamper relationships
By Ann-Mari Huhtanen
Marriages made across cultural lines have appreciably smaller chances of succeeding than those made within the mainstream Finnish population.
This is the rather grim prognosis for mixed marriages in Finland, where a union between a Finnish and a foreign partner is almost three times as likely to end in separation and divorce as one in which both spouses are of Finnish origin.
The less than appealing numbers have come from Elli Heikkilä, Research Director of the Institute of Migration, and Tarja Niemi, Chairman of the Union of Multicultural Families, who have carried out a study of mixed marriages.
At the same time, they only confirm calculations made by Statistics Finland from 2007.
For every 100 marriages between two Finnish partners, the figure for divorces in a single year was 1.3. The corresponding figure for mixed marriages was nearly three times greater.
Of the marriages celebrated in Helsinki in 2007, a total of 14.4% were between a Finnish citizen and a foreigner.
Nearly half of all multicultural knots in Finland are tied in the Greater Helsinki area.
Gender does seem to matter in the divorce statistics: if the man is a Finn and the woman a foreigner, the relationship is more likely to break down than in the case of a Finnish wife and a foreign husband.
"The more distant the culture, the more often a marriage ends in separation", comments Elli Heikkilä, by way of an explanation for the imbalance leading to Finnish men parting more often from their foreign wives.
Finnish men tend quite often to find a foreign spouse from the Philippines or Thailand.Russian brides are also quite common.
Finnish women, on the other hand, tend to marry "outside of the fold" with men from Europe, North Africa, or the Middle East and Turkey.
"Roughly 60 per cent of the immigrants coming into Finland do so for family reasons, accompanying a spouse", says Tarja Niemi.
Multicultural unions are forged more quickly than marriages among the mainstream Finnish population.
The time to get to know the other partner is often quite short, when the path to marriage is speeded up in order to secure a residence permit.
The depressing divorce statistics cannot be explained away merely by indecent haste over getting married, by cultural differences, or by questions of values, however.
Relationships are also buffeted by pressures from the surrounding society, and by prejudices and entrenched attitudes.
"Friends and relatives do not necessarily warm to the new spouse or give their approval very quickly. Acceptance depends on whether a common language can be found and common interests", Niemi goes on.
The local bureaucracy does not help overly much. A spouse who does not speak Finnish requires his or her partner's help in getting residence documents, language training, and in applying for work.
"The authorities also tend to rely on the fact that a Finnish spouse will always be on hand to help out in practical matters", notes Niemi.
The Finnish partner in the marriage often tires of looking after the other. By the same token, the situation is hardly pleasant for the foreign spouse. The sense of not being able to do anything and of being outside the society eats away at the relationship over time.
"A foreign spouse in Finland has to search for his or her role in the society. Back home he has known who he is, but over here he is suddenly nothing", says Niemi.
Pressures on a married relationship are also brought to bear by the suspense over whether or not the other partner will even get a residence permit to live in Finland. Insecurity and long waits while applications are handled are an everyday feature of mixed marriages in this country.
Those who move to Finland for family reasons are often left high and dry without support or advice, even though other immigrants and refugees are provided with help, for instance in adapting to a new culture and society.
Niemi from the Union of Multicultural Families and Heikkilä from the Institute of Migration both call for a greater measure of societal support for multicultural marriages.
At present, help for the marriages and the arranging of peer-group support are seen to be the responsibility of the third sector, in other words voluntary non-profit and non-governmental organisations.
Helsingin Sanomat / First published in print 29.7.2009
Cultural differences, speedy marriage, and prejudices hamper relationships
By Ann-Mari Huhtanen
Marriages made across cultural lines have appreciably smaller chances of succeeding than those made within the mainstream Finnish population.
This is the rather grim prognosis for mixed marriages in Finland, where a union between a Finnish and a foreign partner is almost three times as likely to end in separation and divorce as one in which both spouses are of Finnish origin.
The less than appealing numbers have come from Elli Heikkilä, Research Director of the Institute of Migration, and Tarja Niemi, Chairman of the Union of Multicultural Families, who have carried out a study of mixed marriages.
At the same time, they only confirm calculations made by Statistics Finland from 2007.
For every 100 marriages between two Finnish partners, the figure for divorces in a single year was 1.3. The corresponding figure for mixed marriages was nearly three times greater.
Of the marriages celebrated in Helsinki in 2007, a total of 14.4% were between a Finnish citizen and a foreigner.
Nearly half of all multicultural knots in Finland are tied in the Greater Helsinki area.
Gender does seem to matter in the divorce statistics: if the man is a Finn and the woman a foreigner, the relationship is more likely to break down than in the case of a Finnish wife and a foreign husband.
"The more distant the culture, the more often a marriage ends in separation", comments Elli Heikkilä, by way of an explanation for the imbalance leading to Finnish men parting more often from their foreign wives.
Finnish men tend quite often to find a foreign spouse from the Philippines or Thailand.Russian brides are also quite common.
Finnish women, on the other hand, tend to marry "outside of the fold" with men from Europe, North Africa, or the Middle East and Turkey.
"Roughly 60 per cent of the immigrants coming into Finland do so for family reasons, accompanying a spouse", says Tarja Niemi.
Multicultural unions are forged more quickly than marriages among the mainstream Finnish population.
The time to get to know the other partner is often quite short, when the path to marriage is speeded up in order to secure a residence permit.
The depressing divorce statistics cannot be explained away merely by indecent haste over getting married, by cultural differences, or by questions of values, however.
Relationships are also buffeted by pressures from the surrounding society, and by prejudices and entrenched attitudes.
"Friends and relatives do not necessarily warm to the new spouse or give their approval very quickly. Acceptance depends on whether a common language can be found and common interests", Niemi goes on.
The local bureaucracy does not help overly much. A spouse who does not speak Finnish requires his or her partner's help in getting residence documents, language training, and in applying for work.
"The authorities also tend to rely on the fact that a Finnish spouse will always be on hand to help out in practical matters", notes Niemi.
The Finnish partner in the marriage often tires of looking after the other. By the same token, the situation is hardly pleasant for the foreign spouse. The sense of not being able to do anything and of being outside the society eats away at the relationship over time.
"A foreign spouse in Finland has to search for his or her role in the society. Back home he has known who he is, but over here he is suddenly nothing", says Niemi.
Pressures on a married relationship are also brought to bear by the suspense over whether or not the other partner will even get a residence permit to live in Finland. Insecurity and long waits while applications are handled are an everyday feature of mixed marriages in this country.
Those who move to Finland for family reasons are often left high and dry without support or advice, even though other immigrants and refugees are provided with help, for instance in adapting to a new culture and society.
Niemi from the Union of Multicultural Families and Heikkilä from the Institute of Migration both call for a greater measure of societal support for multicultural marriages.
At present, help for the marriages and the arranging of peer-group support are seen to be the responsibility of the third sector, in other words voluntary non-profit and non-governmental organisations.
Helsingin Sanomat / First published in print 29.7.2009
Saturday, 19 September 2009
Green Light for Åland's first African Festival
Finally i have received my näringsrätt from the Landskapregering. It wasn’t as difficult as I expected it to be. I was only asked to submit an application with supporting documents like ämbetsbevis, självrådighetsintyg and hemortsintyg.
The whole process cost me close to 50€ but I am so glad that I have finally got the green light from the Landskapregering to hold my Sabaar African Festival (SAF2010) next summer in the month of July.
Now I am waiting on the Marieham Stad to identify the venue for the festival. The two day festival shall comprise of music performances, fashion show, masquerades parade among other things.
More about the festival in our subsequent editions! If you are interested in getting involved you can contact us on hejaland@gmail.com.
Wednesday, 9 September 2009
Alice Bah kommer till Åland
Här är lite information om Alice Bah från wikipedia. Jag är så stolt över henne komma eftersom hennes far är från Gambia.
Alice Bah, gift Alice Bah Kuhnke, född 21 december 1971 i Malmö, är en före detta programledare som är chef för och en av grundarna av tankesmedjan Sektor3[1].
Bah växte upp i Horda i Småland med en mor från Sverige och far från Gambia. Hon gick på friidrottsgymnasiet i Växjö och var under slutet av 1980-talet en av landets bästa kvinnliga sprinterlöpare, med 200 meter som hennes bästa gren. Hennes TV-karriär började 1992 med SVT:s Disneyklubben, tillsammans med Eva Röse och Johan Petersson. Åren 1998-99 hade hon en egen pratshow i TV4.
Efter att Bah lämnade TV har hon bland annat varit verksamhetschef för avdelningen Idéer för livet på Skandia. Åren 2004-2007 arbetade Bah som generalsekreterare för organisationen Rättvisemärkt.[2]
Bah är ledamot av Svenska kyrkans kyrkomöte åren 2006-2010 samt ledamot i styrelsen för Dramaten.
I september 2009 börjar Bah som miljö- och CSR-chef på ÅF.[3]
True Finns Councillor Fined for Defaming Religion
Jussi Halla-aho, a member of the Helsinki City Council, has been found guilty of defamation of religion by the Helsinki District Court. He was ordered to pay a fine of 330 euros. However, the court dismissed a charge of inciting hatred against an ethnic group.
Prosecutor Simo Kolehmainen said Halla-aho had publicly defamed the Islamic faith in his blog writings. Halla-aho has also written derogatory statements about Somali immigrants on his internet site.
The prosecutor said Halla-aho’s writings insulted Muslims residing in Finland and endangered religious peace.
Halla-aho admitted to writing the comments, but denied that they were intended to defame. He said the comments had been taken out of context, adding that he was not guilty of any criminal offence.
Soini: Halla-aho Verdict Affects True Finns Party
Timo Soini, chair of the small opposition True Finns party, says that Tuesday's verdict will have an impact on the reputation of the party. Halla-aho was elected to the Helsinki City Council as an independent candidate on the True Finns ticket.
“It has certainly labelled Jussi Halla-aho as a person, and the True Finns indirectly, but it was Halla-aho who was on trial, and not the True Finns party,” said Soini.
Soini added that the Halla-aho story is not over, as he plans to appeal his sentence to the Court of Appeals, and that a final decision will come in the Supreme Court.
“Only the final court decision will affect my opinion. It could affect my deliberation in future when other non-aligned candidates are selected,” he said.
Minority Ombudsman Seeks Clearer Rules
Responding to the case, Minority Ombudsman Johanna Suurpää told YLE that monitoring of the web is still scanty and that there are few clear rules about what kinds of statements are legal. Bringing someone to justice for online slander seems to happen randomly, she says.
Suurpää says that clearer laws are needed, noting that hate speech has an impact on the everyday lives of minorities.
culled from YLE
Monday, 7 September 2009
Medis kicks off!
Today was the beginning of another Swedish for foreigners’ course at the Åland National Institute, Medis. We all converged at the main hall of the institute for a formal orientation that was moderated by the course coordinator Ann Westerlund.
The students were offered the chance to introduce themselves and their countries of origin. There were more than 15 nationalities from different corners of the world. Some of these nationalities included Finnish, Germans, Russians, Latvians, Thai, Filipinos, Moroccans, Iranians and Romanians. There was an older man from the USA and a young lady from Serbia.
The presence of different nationalities on the course is yet another indication that Åland is becoming more and more multicultural. In a letter I sent to the speaker of the Åland parliament I tasked him and his fellow parliamentarians to reinforce the integration process on the island.
Photo by Photographer Rob Watkins: Shows the Swedish teachers at Medis
Friday, 4 September 2009
Court Upholds Deportation of Egyptian Grandmother
The controversial decision Thurs deport an Egyptian grandmother from England has been upheld by the Helsinki Administrative Court. The court's decision is in line with the policy of the Finnish Immigration Service.
The court ruled that the family ties between the 64-year-old Eveline and her relatives Fadayel constituted insufficient grounds for granting a residence permit. Under current law, a foreign elderly relative must be totally dependent is her family to be allowed to stay in Finland.
Fadayel has lived in Vantaa with her sons for two years. The woman's sons and Grandsons are Finnish citizens. She was denied a residence permit "Because grandparents are not considered as part of the nuclear family in Ireland.
The Administrative Court declared its decision as classified.
Authorities handed the Egyptian grandmother a Deportation Order this summer. The Helsinki District Court: Granted a stay on implementation of the order until September.
Fadayel's family members in Canada say she is unable to live on her own in Egypt, where she has no relatives. As a Coptic Christian, she also faces Persecution there.
Culled from:YLE
Photo: Minister of Migration Astrid
Wednesday, 2 September 2009
Information från Ålands fredsinstitut
Öppet seminarium: Åländsk identitet och attityder till invandring
På tisdag 8.9.2009 lanseras Ålands fredsinstituts rapport "Strangers by Degrees - Attitudes toward Immigrants in the Åland Islands" av Bogdan State. Rapporten sammanfattar och bearbetar resultaten från en enkätundersökning som genomfördes bland 1.000 slumpvis utvalda personer på Åland 2008.
Enkäten omfattade frågor beträffande åländsk identitet; allmänna frågor om invandringen till Åland; relationer mellan olika sociala grupper; synen på invandrare som en grupp; samt erfarenheter av personliga kontakter med invandrare.
Ett öppet seminarium om rapporten anordnas på Mariehamns stadsbibliotek tisdagen den 8 september klockan 18.00. Då presenteras rapportförfattaren och rapporten först kort på svenska, varefter rapportförfattaren själv berättar om sina resultat på engelska.
Seminariet ingår i kampanjen Mångfald på Åland.
Tuesday, 1 September 2009
Högstadieungdom bakom Nazi-grupp på Facebook
Nya Åland 1 September 2009
Lokalt Med text som lyder ”jag vill kämpa för att Åland inte ska ruttna bort” och ”Vi ska nog fixa det här problemet” var senast i går eftermiddag sex åländska högstadieungdomar medlemmar i gruppen ”Nya Nazi-Åland” på Facebook.
– Det var bara på skoj, svarade tonåringen bakom gruppen till Nya Åland.
Facebookgruppen ”Nya Nazi-Åland” ligger under ämnet ”företag”. Gruppbilden är ett porträtt av Hitler och under ”beskrivning” går det bland annat att läsa:
”Det är nu vi ska få tummen ur r^ven och säga ifrån! Alltså varför så mycket flyktingar? Varför så mycket bankrånare och våldtäcksmän? Det är bevisat att 90 procent av alla brott begås av invandrare.”
Åland ska förena sig och försvara sina gränser för att inte ”ruttna bort”. Gruppmedlemmarna ska ”spatsera efter skolan med Ålands flagga genom Torggatan och visa att nu är vi trötta på denna förorenade flyktingpolitik!”.
Gruppen gör också klart för att det är dags att agera nu.
”Vi ska nog fixa det här problemet. Inte imorgon eller dagen efter det.”
Högstadieelever
Gruppen hade i går vid ettiden på eftermiddagen sex medlemmar. Fem av dem är elever på Kyrkby högstadieskola, medan den sjätte är okänd. Bakom gruppen står en ung man vi väljer att kalla Gustaf.
Nyan fick tag på Gustaf vid tvåtiden på eftermiddagen.
– Det är bara på skoj. Jag ska ta bort gruppen när jag kommer hem, säger han.
Är det verkligen något att skämta om?
– Nej, det var bara på skoj.
Gustav hade skapat gruppen när han hade tråkigt, säger han.
Det är en allvarlig text du har skrivit, är det åsikter du inte stöder annars menar du?
– Nej. Jag ska ta bort den när jag kommer hem klockan fyra, upprepar Gustav och ger ett otydligt ja när Nyan frågar om det är för att någon pratat med honom.
Hets mot folkgrupp?
Kommissarie Henrik Hagelberg vid polisen hade när Nyan pratade med honom på eftermiddagen i går ingen vetskap om gruppen då ingen anmälan inkommit till polisen. Han kunde därför inte uttala sig om händelsen rör hets mot folkgrupp.
– Det är svårt att ta ställning innan vi har all information och en utredning startat. Blir det ett brottsärende görs en bedömning. Men över lag, i den virtuella världen bör man bete sig på samma sätt som utanför, säger han.
Skulle en anmälan inkomma skulle ärendet handhas relativt fort, menar Hagelberg.
– Är unga inblandade i en utredning försöker vi handlägga det snabbt, säger han.
Tydliga paralleller
Diskrimineringsombudsman Veronica Larpes-Papadoupoulus menar, på basis av den information hon fick av Nya Åland via telefon, att det är glasklart.
– Det skulle definitivt kunna vara hets mot folkgrupp om det är av den här lidelsen, säger hon.
Veronica Larpes-Papadoupoulus har stor erfarenhet inom frågan och var med att sjösätta handlingsplanen ”Sverige mot rasism” 2001. Hon säger att det är vanligt att dessa typer av ungdomsgrupper som startar på nätet är fejkade. Fast på så sätt att det istället ligger någon annan, äldre, person bakom.
– Det är vanligt att vuxna går och ”värvar” elever på högstadiet. Svårigheter gör att unga känner sig bekräftade och därför går med på det.
Hon menar att ansvaret absolut ligger på föräldrarna, men också skolledningen.
– Det är definitivt något skolan måste ta i. Målsmännen måste absolut stå till svars, men det kan även föreligga så kallade runda-bordsamtal – att ungdomarna får snedvridna värdegrunder från diskussioner hemma.
Chockad
När Kyrkbys högstadierektor Gerts Friman blev informerad svarade han förvånad och chockad.
– Till innehållet är det helt galet och förekommer dessa rasistiska uttalanden behövs det omedelbart göras en polisanmälan. Det är mycket allvarligt, säger han.
Har skolans datorer använts av gruppen startas en utredning internt. Annars ligger det i huvudsak på föräldrarnas ansvar, säger Gerts Friman.
– Det här måste tas upp med föräldrarna, det är mycket viktigt då ungdomarna är under 18 och deras ansvar.
Även om inte skolan är inblandad har de ett stort intresse av att veta om när något sådant här sker och elever är inblandade.
– Jag misstänker att de inte förstått vad de håller på med. Men vi kan inte veta något förrän vi har pratat med eleverna. Skolan ser allvarligt på detta.
Första gången
Veronica Larpes-Papadoupoulus säger att det är första gången på sin ombudsmannapost som hon stött på något liknande här på Åland.
– Sedan jag tillträdde har jag inte blivit informerad om ett sådant här utfall. Det är inte acceptabelt och måste absolut motarbetas, säger hon.
Senast Nya Åland uppdaterade gruppens sida var den ändrad. Bilden på Hitler var borta, titeln en annan och beskrivningen borttagen. Klockan var då halv fyra på eftermiddagen.
Lokalt Med text som lyder ”jag vill kämpa för att Åland inte ska ruttna bort” och ”Vi ska nog fixa det här problemet” var senast i går eftermiddag sex åländska högstadieungdomar medlemmar i gruppen ”Nya Nazi-Åland” på Facebook.
– Det var bara på skoj, svarade tonåringen bakom gruppen till Nya Åland.
Facebookgruppen ”Nya Nazi-Åland” ligger under ämnet ”företag”. Gruppbilden är ett porträtt av Hitler och under ”beskrivning” går det bland annat att läsa:
”Det är nu vi ska få tummen ur r^ven och säga ifrån! Alltså varför så mycket flyktingar? Varför så mycket bankrånare och våldtäcksmän? Det är bevisat att 90 procent av alla brott begås av invandrare.”
Åland ska förena sig och försvara sina gränser för att inte ”ruttna bort”. Gruppmedlemmarna ska ”spatsera efter skolan med Ålands flagga genom Torggatan och visa att nu är vi trötta på denna förorenade flyktingpolitik!”.
Gruppen gör också klart för att det är dags att agera nu.
”Vi ska nog fixa det här problemet. Inte imorgon eller dagen efter det.”
Högstadieelever
Gruppen hade i går vid ettiden på eftermiddagen sex medlemmar. Fem av dem är elever på Kyrkby högstadieskola, medan den sjätte är okänd. Bakom gruppen står en ung man vi väljer att kalla Gustaf.
Nyan fick tag på Gustaf vid tvåtiden på eftermiddagen.
– Det är bara på skoj. Jag ska ta bort gruppen när jag kommer hem, säger han.
Är det verkligen något att skämta om?
– Nej, det var bara på skoj.
Gustav hade skapat gruppen när han hade tråkigt, säger han.
Det är en allvarlig text du har skrivit, är det åsikter du inte stöder annars menar du?
– Nej. Jag ska ta bort den när jag kommer hem klockan fyra, upprepar Gustav och ger ett otydligt ja när Nyan frågar om det är för att någon pratat med honom.
Hets mot folkgrupp?
Kommissarie Henrik Hagelberg vid polisen hade när Nyan pratade med honom på eftermiddagen i går ingen vetskap om gruppen då ingen anmälan inkommit till polisen. Han kunde därför inte uttala sig om händelsen rör hets mot folkgrupp.
– Det är svårt att ta ställning innan vi har all information och en utredning startat. Blir det ett brottsärende görs en bedömning. Men över lag, i den virtuella världen bör man bete sig på samma sätt som utanför, säger han.
Skulle en anmälan inkomma skulle ärendet handhas relativt fort, menar Hagelberg.
– Är unga inblandade i en utredning försöker vi handlägga det snabbt, säger han.
Tydliga paralleller
Diskrimineringsombudsman Veronica Larpes-Papadoupoulus menar, på basis av den information hon fick av Nya Åland via telefon, att det är glasklart.
– Det skulle definitivt kunna vara hets mot folkgrupp om det är av den här lidelsen, säger hon.
Veronica Larpes-Papadoupoulus har stor erfarenhet inom frågan och var med att sjösätta handlingsplanen ”Sverige mot rasism” 2001. Hon säger att det är vanligt att dessa typer av ungdomsgrupper som startar på nätet är fejkade. Fast på så sätt att det istället ligger någon annan, äldre, person bakom.
– Det är vanligt att vuxna går och ”värvar” elever på högstadiet. Svårigheter gör att unga känner sig bekräftade och därför går med på det.
Hon menar att ansvaret absolut ligger på föräldrarna, men också skolledningen.
– Det är definitivt något skolan måste ta i. Målsmännen måste absolut stå till svars, men det kan även föreligga så kallade runda-bordsamtal – att ungdomarna får snedvridna värdegrunder från diskussioner hemma.
Chockad
När Kyrkbys högstadierektor Gerts Friman blev informerad svarade han förvånad och chockad.
– Till innehållet är det helt galet och förekommer dessa rasistiska uttalanden behövs det omedelbart göras en polisanmälan. Det är mycket allvarligt, säger han.
Har skolans datorer använts av gruppen startas en utredning internt. Annars ligger det i huvudsak på föräldrarnas ansvar, säger Gerts Friman.
– Det här måste tas upp med föräldrarna, det är mycket viktigt då ungdomarna är under 18 och deras ansvar.
Även om inte skolan är inblandad har de ett stort intresse av att veta om när något sådant här sker och elever är inblandade.
– Jag misstänker att de inte förstått vad de håller på med. Men vi kan inte veta något förrän vi har pratat med eleverna. Skolan ser allvarligt på detta.
Första gången
Veronica Larpes-Papadoupoulus säger att det är första gången på sin ombudsmannapost som hon stött på något liknande här på Åland.
– Sedan jag tillträdde har jag inte blivit informerad om ett sådant här utfall. Det är inte acceptabelt och måste absolut motarbetas, säger hon.
Senast Nya Åland uppdaterade gruppens sida var den ändrad. Bilden på Hitler var borta, titeln en annan och beskrivningen borttagen. Klockan var då halv fyra på eftermiddagen.
Sunday, 30 August 2009
Great improvement!
Today i met my son, after missing him for almost two weeks. It was a great meeting and i felt proud as a father. Few people i know on the island got the opportunity to meet him for the first time. Feels good!I wish it continues like this....
Thumbs up for Benn Haidari
Benn Haidari is unquestionably one of the first well known Africans on the Åland Islands. He currently lives in Mariehamn with his wife and eight year old daughter.
According to news reaching Hej Åland, he recently shipped a container full of hospital items to Zanzibar, his native island in Tanzania. This island enjoys almost a similar status like Åland. They are semi-autonomous and have their own government and national flag.
Some of the items in the container include beds, wheelchairs among other things. An amount of 4,300 Euros have been spent on shipping the container. Benn is still poised to continue assisting his people in any way he can.
In a UN report it was indicated that Zanzibar’s population of nearly one million needs better access to quality health care. Preventable and communicable diseases including malaria are widespread and health facilities suffer from a crippling shortage of nurses, doctors and supplies.
Benn’s container will go a long way in boosting health care delivery in this popular East African island. Thumbs up for this Tanzanian-Finnish national and his eight year old daughter!
Photo credit: Ålandstidningen
Flashback: Mo Hawk live on Åland
This is a video from the Åland Sommar Jam 2009 featuring leading Gambian rapper Mo Hawk. Watch out for more events...it's all about embracing diversity. If you are interested in what we do you can contact us on hej.aland@gmail.com
Saturday, 29 August 2009
Disappointed with the Social Service Authority on Åland
A never ending struggle to gain smooth access to my biracial son
When ever I listen to the Kenyan-Swedish rapper Ken Ring’s popular song bryter tystnaden, it reminds me of my struggle to gain access to my son, who was born in the city of Mariehamn on the 25th January 2009.
Her mum is seemingly bent on alienating him from his father. The most annoying part of my struggle is the lack of sufficient commitment from the island’s social service authority in finding an end to all these crises.
When my son was born and her mum decided to keep me out of it, I contacted the social service authority and to my utmost surprise they declined to intervene. According to the United Nations Convention on the Right’s of the Child, which came into effect in Finland in 1991, the interest of the child should always be taken into consideration and prioritized in all official decisions with bearing on children either as individuals or collectively.
The social workers should be very much aware that when a mother tries to prevent an innocent child from not seeing his or her father, that mother is committing a crime of the highest order. In an article I read, when a child is separated from one of his or her parents that child is also unknowingly being separated from the children’s world. This child will have to face massive emotional problems! Children need both parents without which they cannot grow up as normal human beings with their own individuality.
What have I done or what have my child done for us to be separated? I am not a criminal, I am not mentally retarded and I am not a reckless father. I don’t drink alcohol, smoke or take drugs. Since I started seeing my son, I have never failed in my duties as a father. I have provided him with some of his basic needs and have never failed to pay for his maintenance.
Like I told the social workers, my son is very lucky that he has a father who wants to be part of his life. There are thousands of biracial children in Europe (some of them living on the island) who have no clue about their black parents. As a journalist I have met some of them and I know how bitter they are about it and how it continues to affect their personality.
My son is now 7 months old and interestingly the social service authority cannot still come up with a concrete plan to ensure that I have a smooth access to him.
My son, like every other child, as enshrined in all child rights conventions has the right for the full and harmonious development of his or her personality. It’s very important for him to grow up in an atmosphere of happiness, love and understanding. My previous problems with the mum, is no reason for him to be alienated from me.
I have made it very clear to the social workers that I will never give up in my struggle to be part of my son’s life. I am giving them few more chances to mediate and if nothing good comes out of it, then I have no option than taking the matter to the district court. I am sure with no doubt that the law will not be blind to the rights that every child and parent enjoys as written in the Finnish National Constitution.
I want to use my struggle to inspire immigrants all over the world, to value the importance of being part of their biracial children’s life. My story, to gain access to my son, in an island where not many black people live, would be told!
Thursday, 27 August 2009
Unemployment among Finland's foreigners
Oksana Chuvjurova was laid off in early July. She now spends the greater part of her days job hunting from home.
Chuvjurova, 32, eyes the new messages in her inbox carefully. The Employment Office’s job watch service sends her an email every time it finds a potential employment match.
Chuvjurova says she applies for around five jobs daily, sometimes even more. Her days have settled into a rhythm of checking emails and writing applications.
“I know I will find something,” says Chuvjurova, who was furloughed until further notice in July from her job of 3.5 years at a logistics company.
A psychologist by training, Chuvjurova moved to Finland from Russia nine years ago. Today, in the middle of the recession, she says she is willing to take just about any job.
Chuvjurova isn't alone in her plight. At the end of June, the number of unemployed jobseekers totalled 275,800, up 67,500 from the previous year, according to the Ministry of Employment and the Economy. That said, the competition for jobs is becoming stiffer by the day.
Sluggish economy cuts jobs
Chuvjurova’s former employer, which services hauliers between Finland and Russia, was hard-hit by the recession.
“The number of trucks coming through our office plummeted. Traffic drastically declined from just one year ago,” says Chuvjurova.
Layoff talks began at Chuvjurova’s workplace as 2008 drew to a close, and by the beginning of February her working hours were halved.
“The worst part of the whole process was anticipating the day I would get laid off. It was an immense relief when I was finally let go. Working part-time was tough psychologically and financially stressful,” she says.
“Spending constantly occupies my mind”
Out of work, Chuvjurova has been forced to cut out small luxuries like trips to the movies and eating out. For Chuvjurova, learning to live on less has meant trimming grocery bills by scouting offers at the local supermarket and eating whatever is in season.
“I stopped planning vacations and make a lot more food at home,” says Chuvjurova, whose income now is the daily 25.63 euro unemployment allowance doled out by Kela, Finland’s Social Insurance Institution. “What’s left of the allowance after tax doesn’t even cover the rent.”
Chuvjurova says she and her fiancé are trying to eat healthily despite the financial squeeze. She points to some recent prizes from her parents’ small vegetable patch: a large zucchini, a few potatoes and some spring onions. “We’re not being back-to-basics fashionable. These staples help us get by.”
Chuvjurova says she's trying to remain optimistic, but she does have one regret.
“I wish I would have joined a union earlier,” says Chuvjurova, while cutting into a homemade apple cobbler.
YLE News/Zena Iovino
Sunday, 16 August 2009
Living Library –Great Fun
On cultural night, 14th August, I was one of the living books at the Mariehamn Library. More than 10 people from minority groups on the Island were identified and the public was offered the opportunity to borrow them for at least 20mins for a chat.
I was borrowed three times;
- The first to borrow me was an older lady who was interested in visiting Africa and wanted me to suggest a country for her. She was more into wild life and nature and I recommended East Africa.
- The second was a German lady resident on the Island. She moved to Åland two years ago and has a 12 year old son. Our discussion was focused mainly on integration and we both agreed that not much is happening on the island to encourage the effective participation of immigrants in the society. “My son is finding it so difficult to make friends and I don’t know what to do. He is bored being in the house always without playing mates,” disclosed the German lady. I revealed to her that a couple of weeks ago, I was having a counselling session with a young immigrant girl who was also deeply frustrated with her inability to make friends in school. I explained to her that a new project that aims at bridging the gap between immigrants and local people have just been
launched and hopefully we might see some changes soon!
- My last discussion was with three teenage girls from Lemland. It was very interesting and they were very much amazed with some of the cultures in Africa. They felt it is unfair for men to marry up to four wives, when women are denied the same right. BUT they were impressed with the high respect children have for their parents, teachers and elders. I took the opportunity to inform them about an African festival I am planning and would need open minded volunteers. They gave me their contacts and promised to participate if their parents agree.
I enjoyed all the discussions I had and I wish to introduce the “living library” in my country when next I visit.
Friday, 14 August 2009
What is the role of the Åland Discrimation Ombudsman?
On Wednesday I found in my mail box a brochure about the Åland Discrimination Ombudsman. On the brochure it was indicated that the Ombudsman is a new public authority working for equality and against discrimination.
The brochure went further to mention that all people should have the same rights in a democratic society. Equality before the law and protection against discrimination are basic rights.
These are powerful words but you would be very surprised to realise that the Åland Discrimination Ombudsman has no power to interfere in any act of discrimination that occur within a private premise. I came to know about this when I was deliberately refused entry to Indigo Bar and Restaurant, possibly because of my skin colour. The security guard just said to me;
“You are not invited today; you can come back next Friday.” I found it very insulting and insisted that I am not move an inch. The police were called and I was surprisingly asked to stay away.
I wrote a letter to the manager of the restaurant requesting for an apology. I copied the same letter to the Ombudsman and she called me expressing her inability to intervene because of current regulations that govern her office.
According to her they are not mandated to interfere in such cases! I was completely surprised, because records indicated that discrimination mainly takes place in private premises. I would love to know what basically is the role of the Ombudsman on Åland?
Thursday, 6 August 2009
Sharp Increase in Illegal Immigrants
The number of illegal immigrants in Finland is on a sharp rise, according to a report in the newspaper Keskisuomalainen.
The paper says that officials are aware of at least 3,800 people who have illegally taken up residence in the country during the first six months of the year. This is three times as many as during the same period of last year.
Police estimate that about 8,000 people will be caught living illegally in Finland this year. Last year 5,400 were apprehended. Two years ago that figure was only about 2,000.
Of the number of illegal immigrants identified by police so far this year, 3,200 have now filed applications for asylum. Police say that the majority of people entering the country illegally are from countries plagued by armed conflict such as Somalia, Afghanistan and Iraq.
Most turn themselves into the police in order to seek refugee status.
In the majority of cases, illegal immigrants entered Finland by ship or car via another EU member country.
Culled from YLE
The paper says that officials are aware of at least 3,800 people who have illegally taken up residence in the country during the first six months of the year. This is three times as many as during the same period of last year.
Police estimate that about 8,000 people will be caught living illegally in Finland this year. Last year 5,400 were apprehended. Two years ago that figure was only about 2,000.
Of the number of illegal immigrants identified by police so far this year, 3,200 have now filed applications for asylum. Police say that the majority of people entering the country illegally are from countries plagued by armed conflict such as Somalia, Afghanistan and Iraq.
Most turn themselves into the police in order to seek refugee status.
In the majority of cases, illegal immigrants entered Finland by ship or car via another EU member country.
Culled from YLE
Sunday, 2 August 2009
Open Letter to the Speaker of the Åland Parliament on Integration
My name is Alieu Khan. I am one of the few African immigrants living on Åland. I moved to the island in April 2008 and since then I have seen myself as part of the community. I have taken part in lot of community initiatives and have been on the radio twice to talk about integration on Åland.
As you already know, the issue of immigration and integration is not well talked about on the island and there exist not many activities to help immigrants integrate easily within the society. In this open letter I would like to discuss with you, my opinion and findings on integration on Åland.
Svenska för Invandrare (SFI):- Language study program for immigrants exist in almost all countries with high concentration of immigrants. The Åland SFI is one that we all have to be proud of you. The teachers are excellent and the students are provided with all reading materials they need. But offering immigrants the opportunity to learn the Swedish language (the official language of the Island) should not be the end. Some of us have finished the different levels of the course but still unable to fit in the workforce. This was the same mistake committed by Sweden and they ended up creating the Yrkessvenska. The Yrkessvenska aims at coaching immigrants who are interested in using their professional talents. A recent report published by the University of Jyväskylä indicated that some immigrants stay longer on the language course because of their uncertainty to secure jobs when they leave the course.
Sweden is now trying to restructure their SFI program to take a more holistic approach to the integration of immigrants. One of their desperate measures is to use incentives to make immigrants value the language program. By January 2010 students who pass the highest level of SFI are eligible to receive 12,000kr.
The SFI program is becoming increasingly popular on Åland. In September 2008, Medis (The institute overseeing it) was unable to enrol all the prospectus students. Unlike the previous years, in the 2008/9 academic year they enrolled two different groups of Svenska 1. The main reason why most of us went to the course is to be able to secure jobs in our lines of work but unfortunately there seems to be little prospects for that.
I think offering traineeship opportunities for graduated students should be a component of the course. As I am writing you this letter, majority of my former classmates are staying home without jobs. Learning the language is important, but again if there is no opportunity to practise it, getting a grip of it becomes rather impossible.
Recently I was chatting with an immigrant from Lebanon, living in Mariehamn and he argued that there are jobs on Åland. He was referring to unskilled jobs. There is a heated debate all over the European Union that immigrants should be encouraged and offered opportunities to fit in the professional workforce. Countries like the UK and Canada has been highly praised for doing much towards this. Åland being a small place with a limited number of immigrants I think we can do a lot!
AMS: - AMS is doing a wonderful job but I think they should reinforce their efforts if they want immigrants in the job force. It’s not to the benefit of immigrants and the State for immigrants to stay without jobs. It is unquestionably clear that when immigrants become inactive in the labour market, their welfare dependency becomes high.
The Kommuns:- The different kummuns, should be encouraged to offer job opportunities to immigrants who are struggling to have a grip of the Swedish language and also to fit themselves in the island’s work force. Recently I applied for a job to work with children in the Eckerö and Finström Kummuns. When I met the lady responsible for applications in Eckerö, I can see the fear in her that I am not an effective Swedish speaker and besides, are the parents prepared to have an immigrant to take care of their children?
Support service: - From my findings there is no immigrant support society on the island. These I came to realise when my marriage was in crises and when I was struggling to gain access to my son. I also came across two immigrant women who badly needed this service but they couldn’t find it anywhere. Few months ago, I was introduced to a young girl in an immigrant family, who was having trouble both at home and school.
The Åland Multicultural Society could be empowered to feel this gap that exists on the island and function just like the Multicultural Women's Resource Center (MONIKA) in Helsinki.
I would like to share a story with you:-
An immigrant woman with a child who was living in Strändnas was having trouble with her neighbour (a young man in his early 20s). He was playing music late in the night, causing them sleepless nights. She told me and a British friend about it and we wanted to meet the young man and try to resolve the problem BUT she begged us not to;
“I don’t want to be in trouble. He can attack me and my son,” she said.
I have also met immigrants who have lived here for more than 5 years, without having a proper understanding of how to obtain the FPA card, how to apply for the Swedish course etc. My boss at my first workplace taxed my salary but he never forwarded it to the tax office.
It would be wonderful if the local government could set up an office, where immigrants can have access to relevant information and seek advice on different matters. I am sure that this office can be useful in helping immigrants to develop their own capacity and take control of their own lives and participate effectively in the society. This can also promote a decent and cordial relationship between immigrants and the local people.
Integration activities: - As far as I know the only state supported integration activities on Åland are the monthly multicultural café (organised by; Åland Peace Institute, Red Cross, Åland Multicultural Society and Café Bönan) and the Iranian New Year festival. I think lot of other activities can be introduced and this can help a lot in bridging the barrier between the immigrants and the local people.
I have established a self help initiative called Hej Åland and with my limited resources I was able to embark on the following;
1. Published a book about my own struggle on the island. It was launched by the Mayor of Mariehamn.
2. Out reach activities: - A. I have been to Lumparland with the Red Cross to talk about HIV/AIDS with the children
B. Together with Save the Children Åland, I was at Strändnas Skola to talk to the students about Africa and Africans on Åland.
C. I was also at the Yrkesskola for a presentation on “being an African on Åland.”
D. Together with Träffpunkt we organised a concert with a Gambian rapper called Mo Hawk. As published by Nya Åland Pub Bastun was full to capacity on that night.
I have many other programs in the pipeline and I would be more than grateful if the government can offer me their support.
Sincerely,
Alieu Khan
Founder-Hej Åland
Friday, 24 July 2009
Åland Sommar Jam off the hook!
I was amazed with the huge number of people that came to Pub Bastun on the 17th July 2009. It was the Åland Summer Jam 2009 organised by Hej Åland and Träffpunkt youths. It was a night that was different from many other nights on the island. The music was exclusively reggae and hip hop.
People started pouring in as early as 21:00 when the guest rapper, Gambia’s own Mo Hawk, was busy sound – checking the instruments before he takes the stage at mid night.
“I like hip hop and this is my chance to enjoy,” said a teenager when he saw me at the entrance.
A local DJ called Johan, started the night by hammering the crowd with some of the best reggae and hip hop tunes you can think of. When DJ Mario from the Energy Sound, Stockholm took over he was also able to keep the crowd going.
“I’m going to give them the best and make them sweat all night,” he said to me shortly before he took charge of the stage.
“Mo Hawk is one of Gambia’s hottest rapper. He is one of the vocalists of the popular Da Fugitivz rap group in Stockholm. Hands together for Mo Hawk!!!” I said introducing him to the crowd, who have never seen him or listened to his music before.
When he started doing his rap the crowd surprisingly went more loud and crazy. Mo Hawk offered an absolutely great performance.
Special thanks to the Träffpunkt, Heidi Öst and all those who supported me in making it happen! More to come…watch out for it!
Click on the link below to watch a bit of the show
Monday, 13 July 2009
Immigrant Parents Send Teens Away for De-Westernization
Officials say they are learning of an increasing number of cases in which immigrant parents in Finland are forcibly sending teens back to their home countries to de-westernize them.
The Finnish Red Cross as well as social welfare offices say that every year dozens of parents who believe their children are becoming too westernized send their offspring back to African, Asian and Middle Eastern states.
Leena-Kaisa Åberg, head of the refugee and immigration section at the Finnish Red Cross, says school teachers rarely question the sudden absence of students with immigrant backgrounds.
“In some cases sports coaches are the ones who look into these disappearances,” says Åberg.
Authorities say these types of matters often fall beyond their jurisdiction, as parents are responsible for minors.
Janne Kanerva, a legislative counsellor at the Justice Ministry, says it’s not a crime if both parents decide to send their child abroad.
YLE
The Finnish Red Cross as well as social welfare offices say that every year dozens of parents who believe their children are becoming too westernized send their offspring back to African, Asian and Middle Eastern states.
Leena-Kaisa Åberg, head of the refugee and immigration section at the Finnish Red Cross, says school teachers rarely question the sudden absence of students with immigrant backgrounds.
“In some cases sports coaches are the ones who look into these disappearances,” says Åberg.
Authorities say these types of matters often fall beyond their jurisdiction, as parents are responsible for minors.
Janne Kanerva, a legislative counsellor at the Justice Ministry, says it’s not a crime if both parents decide to send their child abroad.
YLE
Sunday, 5 July 2009
Men in Finland Facing Increased Sexual Harrasment at Work
One out of eight Finnish men has been sexually harassed by women during the past two years. In the case of under 35-year-olds, the number is one in five. Data published in the syndicated Väli-Suomen newspaper Sunday supplement is based on information from the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.
International research shows sexual harassment experienced by men has increased in recent years. A police survey reveals one out of five men have experienced sexual harassment at work. One-third of women have experienced sexual harassment in the work place.
Defining and identifying sexual harassment has been problematic. New legislation on equality, which came into force in June, defines harassment as unwanted touching in addition to verbal teasing and licentious gestures.
According to the newspaper report, men find it difficult to report sexual harassment due to their role. It is often the subject of humour because there is always a man who welcoming harassment.
YLE
International research shows sexual harassment experienced by men has increased in recent years. A police survey reveals one out of five men have experienced sexual harassment at work. One-third of women have experienced sexual harassment in the work place.
Defining and identifying sexual harassment has been problematic. New legislation on equality, which came into force in June, defines harassment as unwanted touching in addition to verbal teasing and licentious gestures.
According to the newspaper report, men find it difficult to report sexual harassment due to their role. It is often the subject of humour because there is always a man who welcoming harassment.
YLE
Mo Hawk to storm the Åland Islands
Talent is great but it is not the only thing you need to become a star.In the absence of dedication and hard work, your talent can be as useless as a chocolate teapot. The Gambian hip hop star, Mo Hawk, has all these and this is why he is waxing more and more strong everyday. On the 17th July 2009, he is travelling to the Åland Islands as the main artist in a program dubbed Åland Summer Jam 2009. This program, which is organised by former What’s On columnist, Alieu Khan, in conjunction with a local youth group, aims at promoting diversity and bringing African and Caribbean music to the doorstep of the islanders.
The Åland Islands is an autonomous region in Finland, situated very close to Sweden. Although reggae and hip hop are popular music on this island, it is hardly played in clubs and pubs. Mo Hawk will unquestionably be the first young African hip hop musician to perform on this popular European Union Island. Speaking to What’s On, the Gambian hip hop star and also sprouting music producer said: “I am glad to be on that island and so happy to support a Gambian brother with his activities.” According to Alieu Khan, the event is expected to attract lot of immigrants living on the island and possibly tourists.
He thanked the youths of Mariehamn city for offering him the opportunity to stage the summer Jam 2009. “I want this to be an annual event and hope it will interest the local people. So the forthcoming one is more like a trial and I am so grateful to Mo Hawk for his cooperation,” said Alieu.
Alieu Khan moved to the Åland Islands 14 months ago and since then he has been involved in lot of community initiatives. In The Gambia, he was the founder and National Coordinator of Children against AIDS. He was popular in student and youth activism and has worked both as a journalist and teacher.
Culled from Daily Observer, Gambia's first and leading daily newspaper
Thursday, 2 July 2009
WE APOLOGISE - Indigo Bar & Restaurant
Following the Indigo Bar and Restaurant security guard’s deliberate refusal to let me and a fellow Gambian in, on the night of 5th June, one of the owners of this Mariehamn popular night spot has written to apologise. His name is Stig and in his email he wrote;
“I personally think every human being is equal and that is the policy of Indigo restaurant too.”
He went further to indicate that, as one of the owners of the restaurant he is not racist and when he was living in Sweden his best friends were from Africa, Asia and other developing parts of the world.
Stig quoted Martin Luther King Jnr; “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin, but by the content of their character.”
I wrote back to accept his apology and assured him that despite how I was been humiliated by the security guard, in the presence of others, I would still continue to patronise them.
Tuesday, 23 June 2009
Åland multicultural cafe set to undergo evaluation
I was on the bus heading to Mariehamn, while surfing the internet I came across a message inviting me to a get together at the famous Café Bönan.
Here is the message:-
Dear all who have contributed to a successful year of multicultural cafés!
It was on the 14th of April 2008 that the first multicultural café took place at Café Bönan. The country to be presented was Kenya and the atmosphere was wonderful despite the crowded room. Since then we have arranged cafés about Russia, Singapore, Gambia, Japan, the Baltic countries, Cuba, England/Scotland/Wales, Tanzania and Philippines. You sll have been outstanding ambassadors for your country and we are very grateful for your contribution!
Åland has residents coming from 82 different countries, so this gives us plenty of opportunities to get together and learn more about them and their representatives. The team of organisers is motivated to continue with multicultural cafés and therefore would like to invite you to an evaluation dinner and multicultural party on July 3 (Friday) at Café Bönan. We will start with dinner at 19.00 for everyone who has been involved in the cafés by preparing food or making presentations of your home country. The multicultural party will start at 21.00 and then your family members and friends are welcome to join. We will prepare some games and we hope that the evening will result in a lot of laughter and great fun!
Some of the questions that we would like you to reflect over before the meeting are the following:
- What is your strongest memory from the multicultural café that you have helped to arrange?
- What has been most exciting?
- What have you had troubles with?
- Do you have any suggestions how the cafés can be developed in the future?
Your feed-back and ideas are very valuable in order to make the cafés even better. If you can't come on Friday the 3rd of July we would appreciate if you sent us a short comment about your experiences by e-mail.
Hope to see you next week! Have a wonderful summer!
The Multicultural Association of Åland
The Finnish Red Cross
THe Åland Islands Peace Institute
Café Bönan
Read my next update soon about my views on the multicultural café and integration on Åland!
Pic: A Swedish and a Senegalese girl during an intergration program in Stockholm
Tuesday, 9 June 2009
A letter to Indigo Restaurant
Parkgatan 18
Mariehamn 22100
Tel: 0408795270
E-post: xaritnexna@gmail.com
7th June, 2009.
Manager
Indigo Restaurant
Nygatan 1
22100 Mariehamn
Dear Sir,
REQUEST FOR AN APOLOGY
My name is Alieu Khan, a Gambian immigrant living in Mariehamn, Åland. I moved to the Island a year ago and since then your restaurant/bar has been my favourite hang out place and this I mentioned in my book-Within a Year-An African Immigrant on the Åland Islands.
I want to bring your attention to a very dehumanising encounter I had with your security guard on duty, Friday night 5th June 2009.
I had a friend from Italy (also Gambian) and I decided to take him out to see the Island’s night life. When we arrived at the Indigo main entrance, the security guard let me in (because he recognised me as a regular customer) but asked my friend to show his identity. My friend did so and was also let in. After staying in the bar for about 20 minutes, I decided to take him to also see Dinos, leaving our jackets behind.
When we returned to Indigo the security guard surprisingly asked both of us to show our identities.
“But my friend already did so and I guess you recognise me,” I said to him.
He insisted that we should show him and we complied. After checking our identities, he interesting said to us that he doubt our ages and not sure of our identities.
“You are not invited today. You can come back another time,” he revealed.
“But we have our jackets in and if we are not invited why did you let us in, in the first place?” I asked him.
I tried to make him understand that I am a regular customer and Indigo is my favourite place and that’s why I decided to bring my visitor there. He insisted that we should collect our jackets and leave. It was a very embarrassing moment because there were lot of other people outside.
When I entered to collect my jacket, I felt I shouldn’t allow the security guard to take the law into his own hands and make us a subject of discrimination. I boldly told him that I am not leaving until he tells me, why we are not invited.
I wasn’t drunk ( I don’t even drink likewise my friend), I have never created trouble in Indigo and I am not underage, so why should I be asked to leave a place that open its doors to the general public.
The security wasn’t ready to budge and we spent close to an hour push and pulling. At the end some members of your staff called the police and they came for me. The police disappointedly wasn’t even interested in hearing our story and they started to check our identities like if we were criminals. They asked us to leave and we just did that.
As far as I am concerned I think what your security guard did was tantamount to discrimination. I was just a decent guy, who was out to have fun with a friend. It’s very clear that owners of restaurants, bars, night clubs etc have all right to remove people from their property BUT provided they do so fairly and give their reason for doing so. Security guards must learn to treat people equally and should not discriminate. I have the right to the same treatment and courtesy as anyone else.
Throughout my one year stay on Åland I have never been mistreated and disrespected like your guard did last Friday. I would like to share with you some of the reactions I have been receiving after I posted the incident on my facebook profile and hope you will reflect over it;
“They all bunch of racists that’s all,” Mo Hawk a hip hop musician based in Stockholm.
“Sorry to hear that Alieu. you should come to Old Pueblo in arizona and we will love you!” Saundra Levitz, an American university student.
“That stinks. I'm so sorry you had to go through such a mean-spirited, hateful experience. if you feel like it, you might think about writing Amnesty International or another human rights organization about what happened. big hug!” Jodi Rafkin, an American Human Rights lawyer.
“Sorry to hear this Alieu, just shows that people are still ignorant and that racism is very much alive and kicking. You should feel sorry for these people what are they so afraid of to treat you so badly? Are there no laws to protect human rights on the Åland Islands?” Nadia Barnett, a British teacher.
“I'm very sorry, Alieu ! Some people just need to show abusing control to feel better about them selfs..It's very sad,” Tina Bonn, a Finnish national.
“For heaven sake, someone need to tell those people we are not in the 18th century. Europe, we are in the 21st century!” Murhi Baks, a Gambian immigrant in Helsinki.
I’m requesting for an apology from your restaurant for treating me like a sub human being. I think this is the easiest thing you can do and make me regain my confidence and love for your restaurant.
In a situation, where you feel your guard was completely right for hand picking me and my friend and asking us to leave with NO REASON, then I would be very disappointed and thinks that might require a sort of protest.
Remember the business slogan:-The customer is always right!
Looking forward to hear from you.
Regards,
Alieu Khan
Founder and Coordinator: Hej Åland, an initiative geared towards bridging the gap between immigrants and the local people of Åland
Mariehamn 22100
Tel: 0408795270
E-post: xaritnexna@gmail.com
7th June, 2009.
Manager
Indigo Restaurant
Nygatan 1
22100 Mariehamn
Dear Sir,
REQUEST FOR AN APOLOGY
My name is Alieu Khan, a Gambian immigrant living in Mariehamn, Åland. I moved to the Island a year ago and since then your restaurant/bar has been my favourite hang out place and this I mentioned in my book-Within a Year-An African Immigrant on the Åland Islands.
I want to bring your attention to a very dehumanising encounter I had with your security guard on duty, Friday night 5th June 2009.
I had a friend from Italy (also Gambian) and I decided to take him out to see the Island’s night life. When we arrived at the Indigo main entrance, the security guard let me in (because he recognised me as a regular customer) but asked my friend to show his identity. My friend did so and was also let in. After staying in the bar for about 20 minutes, I decided to take him to also see Dinos, leaving our jackets behind.
When we returned to Indigo the security guard surprisingly asked both of us to show our identities.
“But my friend already did so and I guess you recognise me,” I said to him.
He insisted that we should show him and we complied. After checking our identities, he interesting said to us that he doubt our ages and not sure of our identities.
“You are not invited today. You can come back another time,” he revealed.
“But we have our jackets in and if we are not invited why did you let us in, in the first place?” I asked him.
I tried to make him understand that I am a regular customer and Indigo is my favourite place and that’s why I decided to bring my visitor there. He insisted that we should collect our jackets and leave. It was a very embarrassing moment because there were lot of other people outside.
When I entered to collect my jacket, I felt I shouldn’t allow the security guard to take the law into his own hands and make us a subject of discrimination. I boldly told him that I am not leaving until he tells me, why we are not invited.
I wasn’t drunk ( I don’t even drink likewise my friend), I have never created trouble in Indigo and I am not underage, so why should I be asked to leave a place that open its doors to the general public.
The security wasn’t ready to budge and we spent close to an hour push and pulling. At the end some members of your staff called the police and they came for me. The police disappointedly wasn’t even interested in hearing our story and they started to check our identities like if we were criminals. They asked us to leave and we just did that.
As far as I am concerned I think what your security guard did was tantamount to discrimination. I was just a decent guy, who was out to have fun with a friend. It’s very clear that owners of restaurants, bars, night clubs etc have all right to remove people from their property BUT provided they do so fairly and give their reason for doing so. Security guards must learn to treat people equally and should not discriminate. I have the right to the same treatment and courtesy as anyone else.
Throughout my one year stay on Åland I have never been mistreated and disrespected like your guard did last Friday. I would like to share with you some of the reactions I have been receiving after I posted the incident on my facebook profile and hope you will reflect over it;
“They all bunch of racists that’s all,” Mo Hawk a hip hop musician based in Stockholm.
“Sorry to hear that Alieu. you should come to Old Pueblo in arizona and we will love you!” Saundra Levitz, an American university student.
“That stinks. I'm so sorry you had to go through such a mean-spirited, hateful experience. if you feel like it, you might think about writing Amnesty International or another human rights organization about what happened. big hug!” Jodi Rafkin, an American Human Rights lawyer.
“Sorry to hear this Alieu, just shows that people are still ignorant and that racism is very much alive and kicking. You should feel sorry for these people what are they so afraid of to treat you so badly? Are there no laws to protect human rights on the Åland Islands?” Nadia Barnett, a British teacher.
“I'm very sorry, Alieu ! Some people just need to show abusing control to feel better about them selfs..It's very sad,” Tina Bonn, a Finnish national.
“For heaven sake, someone need to tell those people we are not in the 18th century. Europe, we are in the 21st century!” Murhi Baks, a Gambian immigrant in Helsinki.
I’m requesting for an apology from your restaurant for treating me like a sub human being. I think this is the easiest thing you can do and make me regain my confidence and love for your restaurant.
In a situation, where you feel your guard was completely right for hand picking me and my friend and asking us to leave with NO REASON, then I would be very disappointed and thinks that might require a sort of protest.
Remember the business slogan:-The customer is always right!
Looking forward to hear from you.
Regards,
Alieu Khan
Founder and Coordinator: Hej Åland, an initiative geared towards bridging the gap between immigrants and the local people of Åland
Sunday, 31 May 2009
A presentation at Yrkesskola
On the 28th May, 2009 i was invited at the Yrkesskola to do a presentation about Africa and some of the challenges Africans face as residents on the Åland Islands. The presentation, which was organised by one of the teachers, was attended by more than 30 students from both the technical and social sciences department.
I started my presentation, via powerpoint,by explaining why i left my home country for Europe and how i finally landed on Åland. I also spoke about African history and the Berlin Conference for the partition of Africa.
Speaking on the challenges African immigrants encounter on the island, i explained to the students that we feel very isolated and lonely. Some of them were little bit surprised and i went further to tell them that the migration of Africans to the island is a new phenomenon.I took the opportunity to inform them about a new anti-racism campaign that is about to kick-off.
Pic: Getting prepared for my presentation
En present till min son!
On monday, 25th May 2009 i received a photo frame as a present to my son Biran Khan. It was from my boss' wife at the Notviken Camp in Eckerö and that was the first time i recieved a present for my son.
"Vi har en present till ditt barn" said my boss' as she approach with a package.
"Tack så mycket" I said to her with a broad smile of happiness.
"Hur gammal är han nu" she asked without knowing that very day was my son's four months.
"Han är 4 månader idag"
What a coincidence it was! Thanks to my wonderful boss and his wife.
Saturday, 23 May 2009
My book now in the hands of the Liberals
It was very disappointing that during my book launching no member of the Åland government attended and also a single member of the parliament attended but unfortunately she didn’t stay long.
Before the book launching I distributed invitation letters to almost all the politicians who matter in immigration matters and multiculralism. I also tried to get the Culture Department under the Local Government to deliver a solidarity message, but they never replied.
“Are the politicians ready for integration?” this is a question that keeps on lingering in my mind.
Recently I was invited by the Finnish TV/radio channel YLE to take part in a debate about integration in Swedish speaking Finland. I wasn’t sure what exactly I should have said at this debate, because there is not much happening on Åland. The only integration activities I know is the SFI course, which is international and the monthly cultural cafes, which attracts mainly the immigrant community.
Right now, we have a good number of immigrants unemployed and some of them are people with great expertise that can be very useful to the island. The Local Government should promote social inclusion and the responsible participation of the immigrants in the society. How do we get immigrants to work in public places like the libraries, supermarkets, banks….jobs that can bring them closer to the local people?
Good News!
The Liberals (Liberalerna på Åland) have just ordered 2 copies of my book. I was very surprised when they emailed asking if I have books left.
I am so happy that my book, which talks a lot about the challenges involved in being an immigrant on the island, is getting into the hands of the decision makers. The Liberals are undoubting enjoying a great popularity on Åland. They made great gains in the last elections in 2007. Their party leader is currently the head of the Local Government.
Pic: viveka eriksson, the head of the Liberals
Monday, 11 May 2009
City of Vantaa Plans to Boost Immigrant Hiring
The city of Vantaa is planning to set an example to local employers by increasing the number of city employees with immigrant backgrounds, reports the daily Helsingin Sanomat.
Currently, immigrants make up 2.4 percent of Vantaa’s 12,000 city employees.
Eight percent of the Vantaa's inhabitants are immigrants, and by 2012 immigrants are expected to make up ten percent of the city’s population.
“The proportion of non-native Finnish workers should be raised to reflect the number of immigrants living in the city,” states Vantaa’s multicultural programme.
Vantaa also aims to encourage immigrants to start their own businesses.
City officials say Vantaa’s diverse population boosts the city’s image and helps attract companies and job-seekers to the area.¨
Multicultural affairs top the agenda of the city's council meeting on Monday.
Culled from YLE
Currently, immigrants make up 2.4 percent of Vantaa’s 12,000 city employees.
Eight percent of the Vantaa's inhabitants are immigrants, and by 2012 immigrants are expected to make up ten percent of the city’s population.
“The proportion of non-native Finnish workers should be raised to reflect the number of immigrants living in the city,” states Vantaa’s multicultural programme.
Vantaa also aims to encourage immigrants to start their own businesses.
City officials say Vantaa’s diverse population boosts the city’s image and helps attract companies and job-seekers to the area.¨
Multicultural affairs top the agenda of the city's council meeting on Monday.
Culled from YLE
Sunday, 3 May 2009
Finland Collects Human Rights Court Judgments
Finland has received more judgments handed down by the European Court of Human Rights than the rest of the Nordic countries together over the past 15 years.
According to the newspaper Turun Sanomat, Finland has received a total of 75 binding decisions, of which all but one have been made over the past 15 years.
Sweden, for example, has received a total of 22 court judgments, Norway 19, Denmark 9 and Iceland just one.
In April, the European Court of Human Rights reprimanded Finland over the eight-year long case of a Helsinki man. The court intends to hear nine Finnish cases concerning questions of freedom of speech.
Finland has, so far, lost three-quarters of its cases before the court.
According to the newspaper Turun Sanomat, Finland has received a total of 75 binding decisions, of which all but one have been made over the past 15 years.
Sweden, for example, has received a total of 22 court judgments, Norway 19, Denmark 9 and Iceland just one.
In April, the European Court of Human Rights reprimanded Finland over the eight-year long case of a Helsinki man. The court intends to hear nine Finnish cases concerning questions of freedom of speech.
Finland has, so far, lost three-quarters of its cases before the court.
Friday, 1 May 2009
Multicultural Day at Strändnas
On Friday, 30th April I was one of the invited speakers at the Strändnas Skola Multicultural Day. I did an interactive PowerPoint presentation about Africa in conjunction with Save the Children-Åland.
Strändnas Skola is one of the popular schools in Mariehamn. Some of the students going to this school are refugees from Iran/Kurdistan. It was very interesting meeting these children and finding out what they think of Africa.
Majority of the children referred to Africa as the continent with the largest number of wild animals and also the continent where poverty is at its peak. Like many other people in the West, some of them thought Africa is one land and that all Africans are BLACK.
During my presentation I spoke about the countries in Africa and also education in Africa. I also used the opportunity to talk about the presence of Africans on the Åland Islands and that there are children, like them on the island, who have African dads.
I also held a quiz competition and the winners were offered African beads, dresses and CDs. Almost all the children said the presentation was interesting and they have learnt a lot about Africa and Africans.
Tuesday, 28 April 2009
Julia's opinion about my book! culled from her blog
I lördags var jag, Kayleen och de Manders tvillingarna inbjudna till Alieu "Alex" Khans boklansering. Det var en underbar afton med underhållning och ett superb tal av författaren. I slutet kallade Alex upp ett x antal personer som betytt mycket för honom. Jag blev helt rörd och chokad när han läste upp mitt namn!
Alexs bok streckläste jag. Han är en fantastisk skribent! Det roliga är att både jag och Kayleen är nämnda i hans bok. Vilket är hur kul som helst!
Boken, With In A Year" handlar om Alex. Om hans första år på ön Åland. Denna bok lämnar inte några hemligheter, utan han berättar öppet om hans fru och hans tankar om de ålänska invånarna.
I Sverige träffar Alex en ålänsk kvinna. Han fattar fort tycke för henne och flyttar med henne till Godby, Åland. De gifter sej och hans fru blir gravid. Han letar febrilt efter jobb och får till slut jobb i ett jordgubbs land. Lönen är urusel. På grund av detta så börjar det dala mellan Alex och hans fru. Även språket och de olika kulturerna gör att de skapas missförstånd mellan dem. Alex hittar ett nytt jobb igen, som städare. Lönen är bättre och han trivs bra. Förhållandet mellan honom och han fru blommar upp igen.
Men efter solsken kommer regn. Och Alex måste sluta på jobbet. Turisterna var få och ägarna hade inte råd att hålla honom kvar.
" My continuing lack of job became unbearable for Tessy and this was what led to our second and final separation".
Alex fick tag på ett rum som han kunde hyra. Hyran fick han betalat med hjälp av socialen. Nu började en jobbig tid för honom. Han älskar och saknar sin fru. Och han känner sej mycket ensam, eftersom han inte hade några specifika vänner på ön.
"I believe that the greatest gift a man can give his pregnant wife is his time".
Alex börjar på en Medis kurs för att lära sej svenska. Det är en heltids kurs och eleverna får 600E för att gå där. Han får bra kontakt med lärarna och bildar snabbt nya vänner. Men mitt i allt tappar han kontakten med sin fru. Och han börjar fråga sej själv om han någonsin kommer att få träffa sitt barn...
Hur det slutar är något ni får läsa om själva. Jag rekommenderar verkligen den här boken. Den är oerhört intressant och välskriven. Jag är även imponerad och stolt över Alex, trots alla hans motgångar så kämpar han vidare. Som han säger om sej själv "I'm not a quitter".
Alexs bok streckläste jag. Han är en fantastisk skribent! Det roliga är att både jag och Kayleen är nämnda i hans bok. Vilket är hur kul som helst!
Boken, With In A Year" handlar om Alex. Om hans första år på ön Åland. Denna bok lämnar inte några hemligheter, utan han berättar öppet om hans fru och hans tankar om de ålänska invånarna.
I Sverige träffar Alex en ålänsk kvinna. Han fattar fort tycke för henne och flyttar med henne till Godby, Åland. De gifter sej och hans fru blir gravid. Han letar febrilt efter jobb och får till slut jobb i ett jordgubbs land. Lönen är urusel. På grund av detta så börjar det dala mellan Alex och hans fru. Även språket och de olika kulturerna gör att de skapas missförstånd mellan dem. Alex hittar ett nytt jobb igen, som städare. Lönen är bättre och han trivs bra. Förhållandet mellan honom och han fru blommar upp igen.
Men efter solsken kommer regn. Och Alex måste sluta på jobbet. Turisterna var få och ägarna hade inte råd att hålla honom kvar.
" My continuing lack of job became unbearable for Tessy and this was what led to our second and final separation".
Alex fick tag på ett rum som han kunde hyra. Hyran fick han betalat med hjälp av socialen. Nu började en jobbig tid för honom. Han älskar och saknar sin fru. Och han känner sej mycket ensam, eftersom han inte hade några specifika vänner på ön.
"I believe that the greatest gift a man can give his pregnant wife is his time".
Alex börjar på en Medis kurs för att lära sej svenska. Det är en heltids kurs och eleverna får 600E för att gå där. Han får bra kontakt med lärarna och bildar snabbt nya vänner. Men mitt i allt tappar han kontakten med sin fru. Och han börjar fråga sej själv om han någonsin kommer att få träffa sitt barn...
Hur det slutar är något ni får läsa om själva. Jag rekommenderar verkligen den här boken. Den är oerhört intressant och välskriven. Jag är även imponerad och stolt över Alex, trots alla hans motgångar så kämpar han vidare. Som han säger om sej själv "I'm not a quitter".
Monday, 27 April 2009
Embracing diversity!
I am very happy that my book launching went well, although majority of the island's important personalities i invited were absent.
The program started with an introductory remark by Nadja from Källbo Skola. Her colleague Hedviq did a powerpoint presentation about The Gambia and the other African countries (nationalities)on the Åland Islands.
In my speech, as the author of the book, i appealed to the Local Government to re-intensify their intergration activities on the island. I emphasized the need for inclusion and the responsible participation of immigrants in the community.
I used the program to honour people who are very receptive to black immigrants on the island. Some of these people include Petra Berg, Heidi Ost, politician Carina..etc.
I would like to thank the City Mayor for launching the book. Special thanks to ÅSUB and FPA for their presentations. I cannot also forget to thank my young friends from Källbo Skola. Tack så mycket to all my guests!
Picture: Shows the African percussion group at the program
Friday, 20 March 2009
Jasmine to storm Åland during my book launching
Jasmine is described as one of the promising young gospel musicians of Sweden. Born on the 26th February 1998, she started singing at the age of 5.
Jasmine had performed with Swedish big names like Charlotte Perelli, the winner of the 2009 Melody Festival- Sweden.
Book review- Within a Year-An African Immigrant on the Åland Islands
Alieu Khan left his native Gambia for Austria to pursue a Master's Degree in Peace and Conflict Transformation. When financial problems deferred his dreams, he went to Sweden for a while before moving to Åland, a cluster of islands in Finland, to live with his Finnish wife, Tessy. He shared his experience in this foreign world in a memoir: Within a Year — An African Immigrant on the Åland Islands.
Alieu's marriage with Tessy became characterized by a lot of misunderstandings: cultural and language barriers, which relentlessly frustrated him. Lack of job and inability to speak the language of the Island made things even more difficult for him. But never a quitter, he would attend some language classes to incorporate himself in the system; attend programs; write in newspaper columns; attend community and music concerts; meet different people and a lot more.
Alieu's memoir is typical of what most immigrants in Europe and America go through. For him, it was time for Europeans to recognize the valuable contributions of their immigrant populations. While he intends in the memoir to give a good exposure to the outside world about this notable Island, the tale is driven more by his passion to set an example for other immigrants. He reiterated the need for a diverse world in which all humans are seen and treated equal.
Alieu’s living tale of a true adventure will give hope and confidence to many immigrants during darkest hours of struggle.
Yero Ghedda Jallow (Dalton)
Co-editor of Gainako Online Newspaper
Minnesota, USA
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