Up the international solidarity – No place for right-wing ideologies!

festival contre le racisme 2022: The federation of student unions (fzs) and the Federal Association of international Students (BAS) call for the nationwide festival contre le racisme 2022! The fclr will take place for the 19th time this year and is a campaign against racism and xenophobia that has been held once a year at German universities since 2003. The fzs organized a decentralized festival contre le racisme for the first time in 2003, which consisted of many local events. Since 2005, the fclr has been organized together with BAS.

After more than two years of studying under pandemic conditions, students in 2022 will finally see the campuses reopen, hopefully regularly, and experience (some for the first time since enrolling) the benefits of face-to-face teaching and the direct exchange with fellow students. For 2022, we as coordinators of the fclr have wished for nothing more than to shake off the physically and mentally draining ballast of the last four semester with an empowering and motivating festival and free ourselves.

Despite the currently very high incidences, we hope that the local groups will be able to hold more events in presence again this summer. Of course, we are also happy about all events that take place digitally and can thus also be attended by all those who do not have a festival contre le racisme locally. Online formats remain fundamental for networking with universities worldwide, which we have succeeded in recent years, and we have had the opportunity to exchange with students worldwide and reach students from risk groups.

Even though there is huge hope over the reopening of campuses, the war in the Ukraine overshadows everything at the moment and shows us how irretrievably war can not only destroy a country, a nation, but also every individual person. These events, the needed support, show us that our solidarity must always find new ways and that we must and want to prepare not only for Ukrainian students fleeing their home country, but also support the many international students in Ukraine. By the time of the festival in the summer, we hope that many of them will have a chance to continue their studies. Because times of crisis are often breeding grounds for racism, our festival should offer a platform to deal with the questions of the time, our doubts and fears, our expectations and demands together in order to prevent marginalization and discrimination!
This year’s motto does not only address the events in Ukraine, it also calls for opening the borders here on site, meaning not only access to the university, but also to participation in society. For this, we should talk about the psychosocial aspects, especially with regards to the Covid-lockdown, but also about the interpersonal boundaries and the ever-repeated exclusion of BIPoC and other minorities on campus.

There is a huge need for more safe spaces, anti-discrimination offices, and training opportunities. Many students report experiences of discrimination, but they are not taken seriously which often results in no consequences for the perpetrator. At some universities in Germany, lecturers can currently teach, although they have attracted attention with right-wing and discriminatory statements. It must not stay like this! Silence and being part of the problem is not an option for us. We have to reshape the universities themselves and actively stand up against discrimination!

To make this festival as diverse as possible, we need your support! If you want to join the fclr or if you are interested in the program of the festival at your university have a look at: https://www.contre-le-racisme.de/ . There you will soon find the programs of the individual universities. In the period from 4.7 – 9.7 there will be a joint online lecture series of the fclr. More information will follow. Get involved! Network with us and join our exchange group: https://t.me/joinchat/6IlUxdIQfc05NGNi
contact:
freier zusammenschluss von student*innenschaften (fzs e.V.)
fclr coordination:
Federal Association of international Students (BAS e.V.)
office: