Who are these Turks

On the other hand, the German economy did not want to lose skilled workers or hire new workers that need to be trained again. Also, the next generation of Turkish workers that had been born in Germany was now of school going age and their parents did not want to disturb their education.

Some Turkish workers did go back to their homeland, and this happened during the 1966-67, when the German economy had slowed down. Later when the economy revived, they came back. However, during the next recession of 1974-75 and 1981-1984, they preferred to stay back in Germany.

Turks in Germany today

Today there remains only one-quarter of the number of Turks, who came to Germany initially. Out of these, more than half have immigrated as family members and about 17% of the adult Turks in Germany were born here. They form the largest population of foreigners living in Germany. They live mainly in the high industrialization zones, since that was where the first generation had started their jobs from.

The present economic crisis has hit the Turks with equal force as it has done to other industrial places. There is high unemployment rate as the jobs in the industry are cut.

Status of Indian Americans today

Today the lands that the government gave are the American Indian Reservations, and they have their own laws and their own governments. Some of the reservations have their own police force, and a majority of the Native Americans now live in these reservations.

While giving the Native Americans their reservation lands, there were several treaties that defined the peace that this procedure brought. By signing on these treaties, the Native Americans made sure that the land that the USA was giving to them would be treated as their reservation land. Several grants were also given to them along with the land, one among them being they would not have to pay any taxes to the US government.

No wars now

There were several instances when the US government did not respect the treaties signed earlier and this caused a lot of tension to be built up between the tribes and the government. However, nowadays, instead of fighting wars, the tribes approach the courts and are represented by their lawyers.

The American Indians have a strong presence in the country, and they are keen to ensure that the government of the USA should honor all the treaties it had signed earlier, since this land belonged to the American Indians originally. Other supporters of the Native American people also are present, and together they try and deal with the issues of the Native Americans.

The Aborigine way of life

The Australian aborigines keep their cultural heritage alive by passing on their rituals and performances, arts and knowledge from one generation to another, protecting cultural objects, significant and sacred sites, cultural materials also teaching and speaking languages.

To the indigenous people today, land is at the core of all the spirituality. Land for them is not just the minerals or rocks or soil but a complete environment that sustains the culture and people and is sustained by them in return.

All the Australian aboriginals were primarily semi-nomadic hunters and gatherers. Each clan had its own territory from which they eked out their living. These traditional lands or territories were defined by mountains, rivers and lakes. The aboriginals cared for and understood their various environments, and adapted to them.

Status of Aborigines today

The process of colonization by European powers had a radical effect on the aboriginal culture. As a result of their pacification by force, less than 2% of the Australian population remains as aboriginals.

The Australian government has made attempts to protect the culture of the aboriginals with the creation of special reserves. They are now recognized as official Australian citizens. A policy of assimilation has also been started by the government. The aborigines, however, feel that the process of assimilation will culminate into a complete loss of Aboriginal cultural identity. They opt for integration instead, preferring to maintain the native identity, keeping it as distinctive from becoming Australian.

This reluctance of the Australian aborigines to assimilate with the colonizers has baffled the successive Australian government and has led to a sense of guilt.

Who is INCITE!

INCITE! has thousands of supporters and members. It is constituted of affiliates and grassroots chapters across the US. There are several collectives that work on different projects both at state and national levels. Some of these collectives work on specific projects of political nature, such as media justice, reproductive justice and police violence. There is a national collective that works at the national and transnational platforms to try and project this organization to these levels. Still another advisory collective helps to increase the capacity of organizing at the national levels.

What INCITE! Does

Whatever multiple kinds of violence that colored women experience in their daily lives, on their bodies and in their communities, is handled by INCITE! They develop political projects to address these forms of violence by working with these groups of women of color and the communities they belong to.

The group identifies different types of violence against women of color, and classifies these as combinations of violence oriented towards communities. The violence could be towards communities, such as colonialism, war, and police violence, or could be generated within communities themselves, such as domestic violence and rape.

Different affiliates and chapters work towards projects and strategies that strive to address both state as well as personal violence, taking cognizance of the ways that various oppressions affect the lives of women of color. Projects include producing radio shows involving women of color, challenging anti-violence, and several other movements for social justice. They also organize rallies against street harassment, train women of color in self-defense, organize mothers on welfare, build and run grassroots clinics, and much more.

Who are the UAF

Many mainstream political parties and their high visibility people are involved with the UAF. Ken Livingstone, the erstwhile Labor Mayor of London is the chairman of the UAF. The main aim of the UAF is to prevent the spread of fascism in British politics and stop the racially motivated hate crimes from taking place.

Several people who are not in favor of fascism gaining a hold in politics support the UAF. Sometimes to press their point, UAF resorts to violence and forceful tactics that are not favored by all.

What do UAF do

Unite Against Fascism mainly organizes demonstrations against the British National Party and the English Defense League. The EDL has been campaigning against the Islamification of the West. Both BNP and the EDL have earlier used violence or initiated racial hatred to put forward their political goals.

Most common people are believers in democracy and in the basic love of humanity, irrespective of skin color. They feel that people should love and respect each other and each others' cultures. Allowing fascism to take over once again is a horror that no sensible person is willing to carry through today.

This was the main reason for the formation of a pressure group that could take on the might of the BNP and the EDL combined, with an aim to prevent a repeat of the horrors that were perpetrated by the earlier fascists on humankind. By making a strong stand against fascism, UAF is sending a message to the BNP and the EDL that they will not find it that easy to bring back the dreaded fascism.

What is FARE

FARE was born in Vienna, in February 1999. The initiative came from supporter groups from various regions of Europe. It also included player unions and football associations. The meeting was to develop a common policy and strategies against xenophobia and racism. FARE is a network of organizations from several European countries and includes a plan of action. The FARE network dedicates itself to the fight against xenophobia and racism in football across Europe. All common efforts and coordinated efforts are brought to bear upon, both at the national and local levels. It aims to bring together all those who are interested in contending against discrimination in football.

What FARE does

Today the success of the network spans more than 37 countries where they have active partners. With these partners, FARE is working for the game of football together with players, fans, migrant and ethnic minority organizations, including government bodies such as FIFA and UEFA. Players unions and professional clubs related to football are also members of FARE. It also acts like an umbrella organization supporting those who are challenging the discrimination and racism all throughout Europe. Coordination is done by several partners working within a central administration group.

The concerted campaigning for change by the FARE network is making its effect felt. Not that all problems are totally solved, there are still continuing problems of discrimination, both on and off the playground, exclusion of ethnic migrants and minorities, and racial abuse. However, FARE has started a positive and well-coordinated campaign to end all this.

The picture in the developing countries having no systems of welfare provisions for the elderly is entirely opposite. The population profile is changing here also, but the society is more young than old. Although life expectancy and medical standards have improved, the improvement has proven beneficial solely to the more affluent portion of the population. The lack of any welfare provisions has prevented the benefits of the modern world from reaching the lower strata of the population.

Cultural factors

Cultural factors in the quest for the respect for older people have a much longer history than the economic factors alluded. In many societies, mostly in the advanced capitalistic societies, the improvement in the medical conditions and the economic situations has led to cultural disenfranchisement. To put it in simple terms, a loss of meaning in vital social roles. In the earlier days, dependence on religion and theological ways of life gave old age a natural dignity and purpose. In today's world the dependence is more in materialistic terms.

Though modern medicine and improved living conditions have increased the life expectancy, and given man a longer life as compared to his ancestors, the dependence on materialistic values, and a secular lifestyle, has removed the meaning, dignity and purpose from the lives of the elderly.

Actions by Governments

Governments all over the world are responding to this violence and ensuring that enough tools are available to help communities and agencies to work towards the elimination of violence. Lack of suitable education is one main cause for the continuation of this violence.

The implementation of violence prevention, public awareness and education campaigns is a priority of the Governments all over. The goal here is the initiative to prevention, increasing the awareness and instituting an attitudinal change in order to prevent violence against women, including those most at risk in our societies.

Actions from the society

Though there has been a lot of publicity about prevention of male violence against women, there is a need for more campaigns to prevent violence against youth, children and older adults.

This type of violence is rooted more in inequality and may take several forms. Apart from the physical, other forms of violence women usually face are cultural, spiritual, psychological, emotional and sexual. Neglect, financial abuse and verbal abuse also abound. However, all forms of violence against women are equally damaging and all should be denounced as wrong.

Treating women with equality, fairness and respect goes a long way in preventing all violence of this nature. The steps usually begin in the childhood and mostly at home. While growing up, if the child witnesses violence against women, then this will be ingrained in the child as normal and will be followed up in later life as well.

On the other hand, if the child witnesses equality, fairness and respect towards others in the growing periods, he is likely to develop into a more tolerant human being.

Why there should be reciprocity

Reciprocity is at the heart and soul of a multicultural society. Without this mutual respect and reciprocity, we merely have tolerance for the other cultures and not the respect of other people's practices and values. This does not represent a genuine multicultural society.

Why is this mutual respect and reciprocity for different cultural values and systems often overlooked? This is mainly because the need to respect other cultures is brought upon to protect minority groups, such as an immigrant group. The dominant cultural group is called upon to tolerate the practices and values of the marginal group. The tolerance of the other culture is no doubt necessary and good, but this is not respect. Respect is mostly mutual.

The results of toleration of other groups' values and practices are often to objectify them into a separate class and sort of keep them away. As a result they grow resentful of the tolerating culture and a tendency to flaunt the differences.

Mutual respect

Mutual respect requires education. It requires learning about the beliefs, values and practices that the others have. Tolerance is rather easy since it does not require any knowledge of the others that you just live with. Respect is more difficult, since there is a need to put in an effort to know and understand the others' practices and values.

The education is about what the other culture prizes as their beliefs, values and practices, and why they are important to them. The knowledge is about why it is important that they should be respected.