What would happen if the four and a half million immigrants who live in Italy decided to stop work for a day? And if the millions of Italians who are sick of racism supported their actions?
On March 1st 2010, at least 300 thousand people coloured the streets of Italy yellow - from Trieste to Siracusa, from Palermo to Turin. And so many workers, both Italian and non-Italian did really stop work witnessing to the fact that legal and constitutional instruments cannot have a copyright.
All the demonstrations were peaceful and well attended. And the success of each one cannot be measured only by the number of participants - the hundreds who filled the streets of Siracusa have the same worth as the 30 thousand in Milan or the 20 thousand in Naples. Each reality expressed what was possible to express and gave the best. .
The women in black took part - foreigners not from the point of view of registration, but foriegn to the climate of racism that is poisining Italy today.
We sign up to the manifesto of the 1st of May movement with all our hearts:
1st March 2010, a day without us is a non violent movement that unites people from all backgrounds, genderes, faiths, education, and political orientation.
We are immigrants, children of immigrants, and Italians, brought together by a rejection of racism, of intolerance, and of the closure that characterises Italy today. We recognise the importance of immigration (not only from an economic standpoint) and are indignant about the denigratory and xenophobic campaigns that, in recent years, have led to the approval of laws and ordinances that are far awy from the letter and the spirit of our constitution.
We condemn and reject stereotypes and discriminatory language, racism of every type, especially institutional racism, the manipulatory use of appeals to cultural roots and to religion to justify national and local policies of rejection and exclusion.
We recall that the right to emigrate is recognised in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and that human history has always been a history of migrations without which there would have been no process of civilisation and construction of cultures. The violation of this and other fundamental rights damages and offends society itself, not just the individuals who are directly affected.
Seeing immigrants as an anonymous mass of parasites or an inexhaustible font of cheap labour represents an immoralf, irrational and counterproductive position.
The overwhelming majority of immigrants present in Italy work hard and fulfil functions that are essential for the maintenance of a complex society such as ours. They are an integral part of Italy today.
The counterposition of "us" and "them" "natives" and "foriegners" is destined to fall, leaving place for the recognition that today we are together, old and new citizens, involved in building the future.
We want an end, here and now, to the politics of double standards, both in law and in the actions of people. Our first objective is to organise a large non-violent demonstration on March 1st 2010,in common with other European countries, non only has France inspired us with la Journée sans immigrés, 24h sans nous, but also Spain, Greece and other countries are gradually taking action.
Together with them, we want to stimulate a serious consideration about what would happen if the millions of immigrants who live and work in Europe decided to stop work or go away . On March 1st, we will make our voices heard in various ways which will be defined in collaboration with regional committees on the basis of feasibility and effectiveness.
We do not rule out anything, but we will always act with respect to the law and to non-violence.
We are immigrants, children of immigrants, and Italians, brought together by a rejection of racism, of intolerance, and of the closure that characterises Italy today. We recognise the importance of immigration (not only from an economic standpoint) and are indignant about the denigratory and xenophobic campaigns that, in recent years, have led to the approval of laws and ordinances that are far awy from the letter and the spirit of our constitution.
We condemn and reject stereotypes and discriminatory language, racism of every type, especially institutional racism, the manipulatory use of appeals to cultural roots and to religion to justify national and local policies of rejection and exclusion.
We recall that the right to emigrate is recognised in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and that human history has always been a history of migrations without which there would have been no process of civilisation and construction of cultures. The violation of this and other fundamental rights damages and offends society itself, not just the individuals who are directly affected.
Seeing immigrants as an anonymous mass of parasites or an inexhaustible font of cheap labour represents an immoralf, irrational and counterproductive position.
The overwhelming majority of immigrants present in Italy work hard and fulfil functions that are essential for the maintenance of a complex society such as ours. They are an integral part of Italy today.
The counterposition of "us" and "them" "natives" and "foriegners" is destined to fall, leaving place for the recognition that today we are together, old and new citizens, involved in building the future.
We want an end, here and now, to the politics of double standards, both in law and in the actions of people. Our first objective is to organise a large non-violent demonstration on March 1st 2010,in common with other European countries, non only has France inspired us with la Journée sans immigrés, 24h sans nous, but also Spain, Greece and other countries are gradually taking action.
Together with them, we want to stimulate a serious consideration about what would happen if the millions of immigrants who live and work in Europe decided to stop work or go away . On March 1st, we will make our voices heard in various ways which will be defined in collaboration with regional committees on the basis of feasibility and effectiveness.
We do not rule out anything, but we will always act with respect to the law and to non-violence.
http://www.primomarzo2010.it
