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.

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

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

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.

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.