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	<title>Migrant Tales</title>
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	<link>http://www.migranttales.net</link>
	<description>Civilizations should be measured by  &#34;the degree of diversity attained  and the degree of unity retained.&#34;  W.H. Auden, English poet (1907-1973)</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Mon, 20 May 2013 10:34:24 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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		<title>Statement by the Council of Europe&#8217;s Human Rights Commissioner: &#8220;Europe must combat racist extremism and uphold human rights&#8221;</title>
		<link>http://www.migranttales.net/statement-by-the-council-of-europes-human-rights-commissioner-europe-must-combat-racist-extremism-and-uphold-human-rights/</link>
		<comments>http://www.migranttales.net/statement-by-the-council-of-europes-human-rights-commissioner-europe-must-combat-racist-extremism-and-uphold-human-rights/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 20 May 2013 10:29:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Enrique Tessieri</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Nils Muižnieks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Europe]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[far right nationalism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nationalism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Racism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[xenophobia]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.migranttales.net/?p=20481</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Migrant Tales comment: This statement by the  the Council of Europe&#8217;s Human Rights commissioner, Nils Muižnieks, is a good example of  how racist anti-immigration groups are gaining more power in Europe. In Finland we saw the spectacular rise of the Perussuomalaiset (PS) party in 2011. Finland&#8217;s anti-EU, anti-immigration and anti-Islam voice got stronger in parliament.  Matters in Europe appear they will get far worse before before the threat of racism, xenophobia and nationalism are contained.   ______________ Europe has been experiencing a worrying intensification of activities of racist extremist organisations, including political parties. According to some commentators, the upsurge has even reached the point of “an early form of far right terror”. It worries me deeply that the European community and national political leaders appear not to be fully aware of the serious threat that these organisations pose to the rule of law and human rights. The philosophy of racist extremist organisations is centred on denying the entitlement of “others” – mainly migrants and members of national, ethnic and religious minorities – to human rights and fundamental freedoms. They invent “enemies” who have to be fought and eliminated. In Greece, for example, between October 2011 and December 2012 around 220 racist [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.migranttales.net/statement-by-the-council-of-europes-human-rights-commissioner-europe-must-combat-racist-extremism-and-uphold-human-rights/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Dominic-Savior Chukwu: How to avoid migrant exploitation in the Finnish labor market</title>
		<link>http://www.migranttales.net/dominic-savior-chukwu-how-to-avoid-migrant-exploitation-in-the-finnish-labor-market/</link>
		<comments>http://www.migranttales.net/dominic-savior-chukwu-how-to-avoid-migrant-exploitation-in-the-finnish-labor-market/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 19 May 2013 11:54:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Enrique Tessieri</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Enrique]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Finland]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[labor exploitation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Labor immigrants]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[unions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[workers' rights]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.migranttales.net/?p=20457</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[&#160; Dominic-Savior Chukwu&#8217;s BA thesis addresses some of the challenges that immigrants face when employed at a Finnish company. Apart from practical problems like understanding  the work contract that he or she will sign, some immigrants are apprehensive about demanding their rights.  Chukwu’s states that some migrants come from countries where there are inadequate labor laws that don’t defend workers‘ rights or if they exist they are not enforced adequately.  ”Some prefer to be quiet for fear that they’ll get fired if they demand their rights,” he said.”This leaves many vulnerable to exploitation by the employer.” According to Chukwu, who is a native of Nigeria, joining a union is one way of overcoming some difficulties at work. Chukwu believes that another problem that some immigrants face at work is being treated as second-class employees. ”Since you are a foreigner, your opinion doesn’t count or doesn’t count as much as that of a white Finn,” he said. ”This is a very stressful situation for many migrants since it doesn’t empower them but encourages them instead to be apathetic of their rights.” Chukwu’s thesis, Experiences of Labor Exploitation &#8211; Case study of some male migrant workers in Finnish facility service industries, highlights some [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.migranttales.net/dominic-savior-chukwu-how-to-avoid-migrant-exploitation-in-the-finnish-labor-market/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Dear Migrant Tales&#8230;when the workplace becomes a hostile place</title>
		<link>http://www.migranttales.net/dear-migrant-tales-when-the-workplace-becomes-a-hostile-place/</link>
		<comments>http://www.migranttales.net/dear-migrant-tales-when-the-workplace-becomes-a-hostile-place/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 19 May 2013 05:07:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Enrique Tessieri</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Enrique]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[discrimination]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Finland]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[immigrant employees]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social exclusion]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.migranttales.net/?p=20438</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Dear Migrant Tales, Being the only black person at work can be challenging but what about if the workplace becomes openly hostile to you? By hostile I mean being constantly watched by your coworkers, if you make a mistake it&#8217;s always a bigger deal than if a white coworker did it, if you&#8217;re speaking on the phone, your work mates are the first ones to tell you that you&#8217;re not on a break.   I got fired from my last job after working there for about four months. I’ve had many jobs but the last one was the worst. The work atmosphere there was terrible. I confided in a worker, an older man, at my former job. I spoke openly to him about myself and some of my problems. I found out from another coworker that he was talking behind my back and exaggerating what I had told him. One day while I was on a break, the person I confided in started to raise his voice at me. He told me that Somalis shouldn’t live in Finland and why don’t I  return back to where I came from.  I couldn’t take it anymore and raised my voice back at him. [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.migranttales.net/dear-migrant-tales-when-the-workplace-becomes-a-hostile-place/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>19</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Otavan Sanomat: Opiskeleminen Suomessa</title>
		<link>http://www.migranttales.net/otavan-sanomat-opiskeleminen-suomessa/</link>
		<comments>http://www.migranttales.net/otavan-sanomat-opiskeleminen-suomessa/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 18 May 2013 15:20:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Enrique Tessieri</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Iise Ali Hassan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[opiskeleminen Suomessa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ruotsin kieli]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Suomen kieli]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Suomi]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.migranttales.net/?p=20434</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Iise Ali Hassan Suomessa on paljon mahdollisuuksia opiskella mitä sinä haluat. Kaikki opiskelu on lähes ilmaista ja tämä kannustaa ihmisiä jatkamaan opiskelua. Ilman opiskelua on vaikea päästää eteenpäin elämässä Suomessa.    Opiskelen Otavan Opiston monikulttuurisella peruskoulunlinjalla. Vaikein asiaa minulle on Suomen kieli. Silti olen oppinut paljon tänä vuonna. Ensimmäinen asiaa johon ulkomaalainen opiskelija törmää koulussa on suomen tai ruotsin kieli. On erittäin tärkeä, että opiskelija oppi puhumaan Suomea. Ilman Suomea on vaikea tutustua ja kotoutua Suomeen yhteiskuntaan ja työelämään. Yksi hyvä tapa harjoitella suomen kieltä on tutustua suomalaisiin. Tämä joskus on vaikea muttei mahdotonta. On selvää että Suomessa kannatta opiskella kovasti ja yrittää kannustaa itseä eteenpäin elämässä. Tämä mahdollisuus on annettu meille ja olisi huono juttu olla käyttämättä tämä lahjaa. Minulla on ollut helppoa opiskella Suomessa, koska olin opiskellut ala- sekä ylläasteella Somaliassa. Opiskelen paljon samoja asioita mutta eri kielillä! Paitsi suomen kieltä ja tämä maan kulttuuria, opiskelu Suomessa on antanut minulle uusia mahdollisuuksia päästä eteenpäin elämässä. Tämä kirjoitus julkaistiin Otavan Sanomissa (toukokuu 2013). Iise Ali Hassan on Otavan Opiston monikulttuurisella peruskoululinjalla.]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.migranttales.net/otavan-sanomat-opiskeleminen-suomessa/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Muhamed Abdimajed Murshid: Osatko suomea? Can you speak Finnish?</title>
		<link>http://www.migranttales.net/muhamed-abdimajed-murshid-osatko-suomea-can-you-speak-finnish/</link>
		<comments>http://www.migranttales.net/muhamed-abdimajed-murshid-osatko-suomea-can-you-speak-finnish/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 18 May 2013 09:25:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Enrique Tessieri</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Muhamed Abdimajed Murshid]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Finnish language]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[learning]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.migranttales.net/?p=20428</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This cartoon by Muhamed Abdimajed Murshid was published in Otavan Sanomat in May 2013. It was a magazine project by the students of Otava Folk High School. The cartoon shows what a lot of immigrants face when studying Finnish. Picture one: Studying Finnish in the beginning. Picture two: Two years later&#8230; Do any of you know basic Finnish grammar? Picture three: At a job interview&#8230;You have learned Finnish but your accent doesn&#8217;t sound Finnish.]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.migranttales.net/muhamed-abdimajed-murshid-osatko-suomea-can-you-speak-finnish/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>17</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Assaulted Helsinki, Finland, black bus driver: Immigrants are treated unfairly by the police and law</title>
		<link>http://www.migranttales.net/assaulted-helsinki-finland-black-bus-driver-immigrants-are-treated-unfairly-by-the-police-and-law/</link>
		<comments>http://www.migranttales.net/assaulted-helsinki-finland-black-bus-driver-immigrants-are-treated-unfairly-by-the-police-and-law/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 17 May 2013 18:48:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Enrique Tessieri</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Enrique]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Finland]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hate crime]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Helsinki]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Immigrants]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Racism]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.migranttales.net/?p=20419</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Ali Dahir, the black bus driver who was assaulted Tuesday in Helsinki by a white Finn, claims that the police and the law treat foreigners differently from Finns. The bus driver, who is a Finnish citizen and a native of Somalia, was attacked while at work and suffered concussions. While the police and government officials may disagree with Dahir, his statement by him reveals a wider known problem: There is little  credibility of the police and our laws by some immigrants. It is a serious problem that should be addressed. &#8220;The police and the law treat foreigners [or people who aren't white Finns] unfairly,&#8221; he told Migrant Tales. &#8220;If I would have attacked a white bus driver, you can be certain I&#8217;d be arrested and jailed.&#8221; Dahir asked the policemen why they didn&#8217;t arrest and lock up the attacker after he was apprehended. &#8220;All they said was that they understood why I was angry [by what happened],&#8221; he said. Dahir, who has lived 17 years in Finland, believes that the police and law continue to treat people who aren&#8217;t white Finns unfairly. &#8220;I am certain that if this would have happened in the UK or Sweden, they&#8217;d have locked up [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.migranttales.net/assaulted-helsinki-finland-black-bus-driver-immigrants-are-treated-unfairly-by-the-police-and-law/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>UPDATE: Black bus driver assaulted in Helsinki</title>
		<link>http://www.migranttales.net/black-bus-driver-asualted-in-helsinki/</link>
		<comments>http://www.migranttales.net/black-bus-driver-asualted-in-helsinki/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 16 May 2013 07:51:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Enrique Tessieri</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Enrique]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[black bus drivers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Finland]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hate crime]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Helsinki]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Racism]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.migranttales.net/?p=20398</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A black bus driver from Somalia was assaulted Tuesday in Helsinki by a white Finn, who apparently didn&#8217;t like a black man honking the horn at him.  Ali Dahir, the victim who has been given sick leave from work, was hit by the attacker and suffered concussions.  &#8220;I had to stop at an intersection and almost crashed into a car that came from the wrong direction,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I honked my horn at him. He followed me [to the bus stop], walked inside and attacked me.&#8221; The bus driver said that the man was clearly upset. &#8220;I was born in Finland,&#8221; he said, &#8220;and nobody honks the horn [in this country except for foreigners].&#8221; The Somali bus driver, who is a Finnish citizen, got away from the assailant and locked himself in the attacker&#8217;s car until the police arrived. According to Dahir, none of the passengers in the bus came to his rescue. Only two immigrant passengers inside the bus called the police. &#8220;I was surprised that they didn&#8217;t arrest the man and lock him up,&#8221; he said. &#8220;If a Somali would have attacked a [white] Finnish bus driver, I&#8217;d be in jail. I&#8217;ve seen this happen before.&#8221; The news [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.migranttales.net/black-bus-driver-asualted-in-helsinki/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>29</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Go GO PS MP Hirvisaari! Let all of your intolerance and racism hang out!</title>
		<link>http://www.migranttales.net/go-go-ps-mp-hirvisaari-let-all-of-your-intolerance-and-racism-hang-out/</link>
		<comments>http://www.migranttales.net/go-go-ps-mp-hirvisaari-let-all-of-your-intolerance-and-racism-hang-out/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 15 May 2013 21:39:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Enrique Tessieri</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Enrique]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Finland]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[intolerance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[James Hirvisaari]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Perussuomalaiset]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Racism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Swedish-language rights]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.migranttales.net/?p=20383</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[We have written so much about the outbursts of far right Perussuomalaiset (PS) MP James Hirvisaari that it isn&#8217;t funny. One of his latest statements on Facebook, where he considers using the Swedish language in parliament as &#8220;ridiculous,&#8221; is not an attack on this language minority but serves to expose the intolerance and loathing that the PS has for minorities in Finland.   Every time a PS MP like Hirvisaari opens his mouth, he actually helps the PS lose its appeal among voters and what&#8217;s most important its chances of being a partner in a future government. We hope that Hirvisaari, who was sentenced for ethnic agitation in 2011,  continuous to stoop to ever-lower levels so that voters in his home municipality of Asikkala will give him the thumbs down in 2015. A party that accepts politicians like Hirvisaari and a too long list of others like him doesn&#8217;t belong in parliament unless our aim is to send Finland back to the political dark ages when scapegoats and political witch hunts were the rule.  PS MP James Hirvisaari claims that speaking  Swedish, Finland&#8217;s second official language, in parliament is &#8220;arrogant snobbery&#8221; and a waste of time. Thank you @DrMKuismaa.]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.migranttales.net/go-go-ps-mp-hirvisaari-let-all-of-your-intolerance-and-racism-hang-out/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Councilman Mika Hiltunen gets sentenced for ethnic agitation but gets pat on the back by the PS</title>
		<link>http://www.migranttales.net/councilman-mika-hiltunen-gets-sentenced-for-ethnic-agitation-but-gets-pat-on-the-back-by-the-ps/</link>
		<comments>http://www.migranttales.net/councilman-mika-hiltunen-gets-sentenced-for-ethnic-agitation-but-gets-pat-on-the-back-by-the-ps/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 15 May 2013 20:15:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Enrique Tessieri</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Enrique]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ethnic agitation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Finland]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hate speech]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mike Hiltunen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Perussuomalaiset]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Racism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[timo soini]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.migranttales.net/?p=20368</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[After Perussuomalaiset (PS) party Kontiolahti town councilman Mika Hiltunen was sentenced Tuesday by a court for ethnic agitation, we saw once again a familiar balancing by the PS: stating to moderates it doesn&#8217;t accept racism but at the same time assuring the extreme right that the party accepts racist outbursts by its members. We have seen this time and again. The PS and Timo Soini, who said in 2009 that any party member who got sentenced for ethnic agitation would be sacked from the party, are political Houdinis. How can you be against racism and support it at the same time? That takes special politcial skills and a public that is by and large pretty ignorant of what racism is. It&#8217;s too early still for the PS to count it&#8217;s promising political chicks. Soini and the party leaders know that its double talk and political chicanery on intolerance could backfire badly. Let’s see how the latest balancing act by the PS works. In order to stand out and award the extremist and racist voters of the party, councilman Hiltunen claims on his Facebook page that asylum seekers and refugees are “social-welfare bums and rapists.” Ethnic agitation charges are then brought [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.migranttales.net/councilman-mika-hiltunen-gets-sentenced-for-ethnic-agitation-but-gets-pat-on-the-back-by-the-ps/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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