Newsletter Borderline Sicilia – August 2018
- The Diciotti case and the civil society’s resistance against barbarism
- Counter-information and counter-narratives to oppose political instrumentalisation
- Hidden economy and worker exploitation in the countryside: conference at Marsala on September 12th
THE DICIOTTI CASE AND THE CIVIL SOCIETY’S RESISTANCE AGAINST BARBARISM
The arrival of the Diciotti in Catania and the Minister of the Interior’s ban on the 177 on board landing after having been rescued at sea led to the organisation of a permanent sit-in at the Levante port where the ship was docked, which concluded on August 25th with a large demonstration at the port. Local and national organisations raised their voice against the abuse of power used against the migrants trapped on board the Diciotti for day. On August 24th, Borderline Sicilia and the Catanian Antiracist Network deposited an official complaint to the Catanian office of the public prosecutor of the Republic in order to solicit the intervention of judiciary bodies. Late in the evening on August 25th the migrants were finally allowed to disembark, and many were taken to the Messina Hotspot. The Hotspot has been criticised by Antonio Mazzeo for its abusive practices, as witnessed by the council’s own technical note, that judged the project as inadequate and incompatible with the Regional Regulatory Plan. Furthermore, the Hotspot offers inhumane living conditions, as reported by Borderline Sicilia in 2017.
http://localhost:81/newborden/the-diciotti-incident-the-shaming-of-a-state/
COUNTER-INFORMATION AND COUNTER-NARRATIVES TO OPPOSE POLITICAL INSTRUMENTALISATION
The Diciotti case is emblematic of the current moment, inasmuch as it has exposed the propaganda involved in managing a complex phenomenon such as immigration, knowingly enacting extremely serious violations of human rights. This kind of political propaganda removes attention from a deeper and more truthful analysis of the phenomenon in Italy, in which vast sums of money have been used to finance the Libyan Coast Guard and thus push people back into concentration camps, and in which the bad management of reception centres is not the exception but the rule; it is rare that people talk about the hidden economy enabled by people being forced out of the reception system and into a situation of irregularity. As Professor Mangiameli reminds us, migration is an integral part of human history and bears with it moments of potential and growth for receiving countries.
http://localhost:81/newborden/the-murder-doesnt-stop-in-summer/
HIDDEN ECONOMY AND WORKER EXPLOITATION IN THE COUNTRYSIDE: CONFERENCE AT MARSALA ON SEPTEMBER 12TH
The question of the exploitation of seasonal workers and the hidden economy will be at the centre of the conference to be held in Marsala on September 12th, organised by Borderline Sicilia within the remit of the project “Europe for Citizens” funded by the Education, Culture and Audiovisual Executive Agency, in which Borderline Sicilia is the Italian partner, and in collaboration with Middlesex University London.
http://localhost:81/newborden/the-hidden-economy-and-the-exploitation-of-seasonal-workers-theory-practice-and-comparing-views-1209-marsala/
http://localhost:81/newborden/the-diciotti-crisis-interview-with-prof-mangiameli-migration-isnt-an-emergency-its-a-constant-part-of-our-history/
Project “OpenEurope” – Oxfam Italia, Diaconia Valdese, Borderline Sicilia Onlus
Translation by Richard Braude