Report
11th February 2010
Presentation of the Project / ORF Kulturcafe, Vienna
Discussion Panel
“Migrant – what’s that supposed to mean? The challenge of integration in Austria”
Nowadays topics related to migration and integration have dominated the media and the Public opinion in Austria. What does it mean to live as a migrant in Austria? How do experts see the actual situation? A conversation over the perspectives and challenges for a positive discussion in Austria needs to be strenghtenened …
Welcome speech by: Dr. Eva Nowotny (President of the Austrian Commission for UNESCO)
With Eser Akbaba (Journalist)
Maria Vassilakou (Deputy Federal Spokeswoman of the Green Party)
Kenan Güngör (Head of the Office [difference:] Expert for questions of Integration and Diversity)
Bernhard Perchinig (Political Scientist, Researcher on Migration issues)
Julya Rabinowich (Author)
MODERATION: Florian Klenk (FALTER, Chief Ressort Politik)
The high-level panel attracted a large and interested audience to attend the event. Maria Vassilakou, Eser Akbaba, Kenan Güngör, Bernhard Perchinig and Julya Rabinowich discussed the challenges and perspectives of these highly topical subjects. The discussion was moderated by Florian Klenk and questions such as “What are the current living conditions of migrants in Austria” and “How do experts assess the present situation?” were discussed.
On 11 February 2010, the Austrian Commission for UNESCO in cooperation with the project partnerTermNet invited to the opening event of the one-year project ‘Go4Diversity’ into KulturCafé ORF in Vienna. During the panel discussion the core objective of the new project was also presented: Namely to encourage a positive discourse on cultural diversity, migration and integration in Austria.
Eser Akbaba, presenter and journalist at the magazine Biber, and Julya Rabinowich, author and painter, reported especially from their own personal experiences (Eser Akbaba was born in Austria from Kurdish parents; Julya Rabinowich fled at the age of 8 years with her family from the former Soviet Union to Austria). Both stressed how strange it feels to be still addressed as a migrant after so many years. They explicitly stressed the importance of education, i.e. for a child it is of utmost importance to be guided when learning this new language (German) but to further be able to continue to speak the native language. Self-confidence and the acceptance by the new community are the keys to a successful integration.
Bernhard Perchinig, political scientist and migration researcher took the audience on imaginative trips abroad - and explained in exciting manner different models of integration - according to Perching the countries with the most appropriate models are Canada and Finland.
Perchinig’s opinion on the Austrian integration policy and polemic: fortunately the population is smarter than the politics and has far fewer problems in daily life with multiculturalism as it is conveyed through politics and the media.
Güngor Kenan, director of the office [difference:] and an expert on integration and diversity issues, emphasized that the ‘Defizitdenken’ (the pointing out of only negative aspects) is not productive. Rather -with all the existing problems in mind- it is important to convey what has been already achieved, what progress has been made so far within the context of integration policy in Austria.
Moderator Florian Klenk used the panel discussion to envisage Austria after 10 years of “Dornröschenschlaf” (following the period of deep sleep in the fairy tale of sleeping beauty). The panel hoped that the integration issue is no longer of an issue - and if still, then it should be one that is much more objective, less emotional and without religious context.
Maria Vassilakou, deputy spokeswoman of the Green Party, who was born in Athens and later came to Vienna for her studies, stressed the importance of separating issues of migration and integration from religious discussions. From a politician view point, the question should (ideally) be on how to create the most favorable conditions for integration. Maria Vassilakou further stressed - as Eser Akbaba and Julya Rabinowich before - the importance of a good start for newcomers: Stability due to continuous speaking of the mother tongue and self-confident integration due to the learning of the local language.
Speaking of education budget, even the audience got heavily involved in the discussion: The means are too little and wrongly spent. For years, studies about relevant models of nursery and high schools existed but the application has unfortunately always been blocked. Moreover, the fact that politics is (mis)using the subjects of integration and migration makes an objective and solution-oriented debate very difficult.
