The federation of student unions (fzs) and the Federal Association of Foreign 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.
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!
If you would like to organize one or more festival events in the months of May – July, register your festival with us: fclr (at) fzs.de. After registering, you will also get access to our thematic Telegram exchange groups. There will also be an online festival from July 4th to July 9th, 2022. You are welcome to contribute yourself and your ideas there as well!
If you have questions and ideas and don’t know how to implement them, contact us at: fclr (at) fzs.de or fclr (at) bas-ev.de at any time and we’ll come up with something together!