In the wake of the murder of George Floyd in the US, many conversations which have been somewhat dormant in recent years find themselves reinvigorated by a fresh wave of anger. Conversations regarding racism, institutional racial discrimination, prejudice, oppression, and exploitation are once again in the spotlight, and people from all over the world are demanding justice by dismantling the oppressive structures that to this day subjugate and discriminate against communities of racial minorities in the US.
Sign
here
:
The US, however, is not the only nation guilty of racism and oppression, as many European nations play an instrumental role in perpetuating the modern day neocolonialism that economically subjugates many primarily African nations. European nations have shaped the development of many of the world”s poorest nations to suit their own needs, not only in the past through blatant military imperialism and colonialism, but also in the modern day through less obvious economic imperialism and neocolonialism.
In spite of this involvement with the global “third world”, little is said about the atrocities and evils committed at the hands of Europe, both during the colonialist era and the modern era. More specifically, in the context of our European School history and geography education, many of us students notice a distinct lack of attention given to these darker moments of our history, and therein lie our demands.
As students of the European School system, we have been educated with European values in mind. These values include finding strength in our diversity, showing solidarity with the plights of others, and striving for a peaceful future built on learning from the evils of the past, as opposed to perpetuating them. In the interest of upholding said values and promoting a more truthful, balanced view of European history, we demand that the European School system”s history syllabus dedicate more attention towards the atrocities committed under colonialism and imperialism, and educate students on ongoing neocolonialism and economic imperialism, which currently constitute a mere footnote in the S7 geography syllabus.
The fight against racism in all its forms is one which starts with education. Let us use this tumultuous period as an opportunity to learn and grow, instead of remaining complicit through silence.
Alumni Europae couldn”t agree more. This is why we support and urge you to sign the petition on the links available below.
Sing the petition
here
:
http://chng.it/BGRrtJrWVn
