An anti-racism campaign will be launched in the city of Amsterdam next week. That is of course a noble idea, but even before the campaign has been rolled out, it has already caused a stir. According to a professor, the campaign can have a polarizing effect.
The campaign slogan reads: ‘Come on Amsterdam, be an Amsterdammer’. According to AT5 the municipality wants to address its inhabitants in a typically Amsterdam way on their responsibility to ban racism and discrimination from the city.
The campaign comes from the sleeve of GroenLinks alderman for Diversity Rutger Groot Wassink. Still, there was a fuss about the well-intentioned action even before the launch. Professor of science anthropology Amade M’charek informs the Amsterdam city channel that, in her opinion, the discussion should be much more substantive. “It now seems like it’s a problem of opinion and how we look at each other,” said M’charek.
M’charek continues:
“This movement (anti-racism, ed.) Indicates that racism is a structural problem. And the danger of such a campaign is that you produce that polarization again instead of counteracting it. ”
Groot Wassink, in turn, thinks very differently about this:
“I think everyone is against racism, discrimination and exclusion. At least I can hope so, so in that sense I’m not so afraid of polarization. ”
Well, if even an anti-racism campaign is already causing a stir, then we should almost wonder whether it is still allowed to breathe. Deep sigh.
–
You upgrade the articles DagelijkseStandaard.nl? Then follow us Twitter!
–
–
