Migrations
International migrations have nowadays become a structural and permanent element of the global economic system, and are the most evident expression of the "uneven development" between the North and the South of the planet. An international economic system based on free movement of goods, capitals, labour (the famous globalisation), and above all the distribution of wealth to the few, cannot expect to contain migrations. Governments of the North declare their will to prevent “illegal” migrations through "paper fortresses" consisting of restrictive laws and decrees. The latter are actually functional to a global labour market which they want more and more flexible, fragmented, precarious, and free from any kind of bond, in which migrants are destined to occupy the most marginal and lower levels.
But migrants are people: the only possible road is the promotion of paths to full citizenship which guarantee to anybody in a given territory equal civil, social and political rights. Such paths must be built on their participation and self organization.
Since 1996 Lunaria has been focusing its efforts in this direction, in a context of progressive stabilisation of foreign citizens’ presence in our country and of its increasing diversification. In addition to the more consolidated phenomenon of immigration for “economic reasons”, we are now seeing the arrival of refugees and asylum seekers from countries destroyed by violent conflicts, authoritarian and corrupt regimes, incapable of offering to their citizens the full exercise of their civil and democratic rights. Parallel to that is the doctrine of the permanent and pre-emptive war based on the idea of “relentless cultures” and the clash of civilizations. Such view suggests again the equation between Islam and terrorism and between terrorism and migrants, promoting forms of intolerance and racism. Therefore, initiatives aimed at guaranteeing foreigners full citizen rights must go hand in hand with the promotion of tangible actions to fight and prevent racism. Lunaria works on these two aspects promoting awareness campaigns, research and documentation activities and communication initiatives, co-operating with local, national and European associations.
But migrants are people: the only possible road is the promotion of paths to full citizenship which guarantee to anybody in a given territory equal civil, social and political rights. Such paths must be built on their participation and self organization.
Since 1996 Lunaria has been focusing its efforts in this direction, in a context of progressive stabilisation of foreign citizens’ presence in our country and of its increasing diversification. In addition to the more consolidated phenomenon of immigration for “economic reasons”, we are now seeing the arrival of refugees and asylum seekers from countries destroyed by violent conflicts, authoritarian and corrupt regimes, incapable of offering to their citizens the full exercise of their civil and democratic rights. Parallel to that is the doctrine of the permanent and pre-emptive war based on the idea of “relentless cultures” and the clash of civilizations. Such view suggests again the equation between Islam and terrorism and between terrorism and migrants, promoting forms of intolerance and racism. Therefore, initiatives aimed at guaranteeing foreigners full citizen rights must go hand in hand with the promotion of tangible actions to fight and prevent racism. Lunaria works on these two aspects promoting awareness campaigns, research and documentation activities and communication initiatives, co-operating with local, national and European associations.