Far-right, populist and nationalist organizations are growing all over Europe, and many of them have become present in national parliaments for the first time in many decades – in Germany the populist anti-immigration party “AfD” got 13% in the national elections, in Greece the far-right party “Golden Dawn” as seen an increase in both militant activity and electoral results and in Italy the populist anti-European Five Star Movement won the national elections and openly fascist movements such as Casa Pound saw a considerable growth in militancy and street violence against immigrants and minorities.
These are just a few examples of a phenomenon that, although different in intensity and specific conditions of each country, is common to all countries of Europe. Considering the past of European countries and the last time that there was such disbelief in liberal democracy and the so called “traditional parties”, it is safe to say that Europe is now a fertile ground for the growth of racism, xenophobia and, ultimately, authoritarian regimes, which compromise the European Union’s core beliefs from within and it’s stability. Nevertheless, even if these parties/movements are not able to form governments they represent a very real and imminent danger, as we have seen as hate crimes based on xenophobia, racism and political persecution become more and more frequent around Europe and the world.
To counter these movements, the project “Build The Resistance!” was developed, which aims at giving youngsters the tools to combat this phenomenon at their root: their home towns, especially in under-privileged communities.
Right now, CGE’s members Frederico and Bojana are hosting the APV with the group leaders of partner countries to agree on administrative issues and program.
Are you interested in street-art, grass-roots movements and finding new strategies to create a more inclusive and safe communities? Do you want to discuss with young people from other European countries about how to respond to the current social and political challenges that the world faces today? Are you between 16 and 26 years old?
Then come join us in the project “Build The Resistance!”, where youngsters from Serbia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Germany, Portugal, Italy and Greece will have the opportunity to share their ideas about how to respond to the current growth in far-right ideology all over Europe by building united, resilient movements in their community, and how to incorporate street art and graffiti in this struggle. Participants will also have the opportunity to discover the history and culture of Portugal and Germany by visiting important historical landmarks, learning from historical witnesses and connecting with the locals.
The project is divided in two activities:
✊🏽 Never Forget! – 29.10.2018 – 07.11.2018
Youth Exchange held in #Sintra, Portugal 🇵🇹
This youth exchange will look at far-right growth and the movements that tried to counter it from an historical perspective, analyzing their how their strategies and ideology has mutated along the years. There will be street-art workshops for the participants to experiment creative and innovative ways to combat racism, xenophobia and prejudice in general.
✊🏽 Never Again! – 01.02.2019 – 10.02.2019
Youth Exchange in #Weimar, Germany 🇩🇪
This youth exchange will look at far-right movements now-a-days and the initiatives trying to counter their growth, analyzing how their strategies and ideology have changed since the thirties and how the response of anti-racist activists should adapt to be more effective. There will be street-art workshops for the participants to experiment creative and innovative ways to combat racism, xenophobia and prejudice in general, mostly with through stencil art.
💰 All costs of transportation, accommodation and alimentation are covered.
[ap_call_to_action button_text=”Apply Now!” button_url=”https://www.surveymonkey.de/r/JWHYCZ7″ button_align=”center”]Interested to join “Build the Resistance!” project?[/ap_call_to_action]
