A diverse society, a post-migrant society, a society of the many, a New Us: drafts for a more just and diverse society use different terms. However, they are always based on the recognition that migration has taken place over decades and has shaped and formed our society, the demand to deal with social conflicts – such as social injustice, classism and sexism – and the will to stand up for a new togetherness beyond the dividing boundaries of migrant and non-migrant.
The study of right-wing violence has exposed major shortcomings in the practice of remembering and forgetting, of doing memory of right-wing violence in the Federal Republic of Germany. Remembering in a democracy must not only be a privilege of the majority, but must also take smaller groups and migrants into account and should not exclude them. For it is often the public recognition of the victims that makes it possible for them to be mourned in the first place.
The problem of racism
The fact that right-wing violence exists in Germany, even in organised networks, is often denied politically and socially. Such denial, suppression or silence is part of a society’s self-image (base narrative). Racism is relegated to the past, to the time of National Socialism, or is only seen as a problem in other countries.
However, racism is also firmly anchored in Germany, institutionally effective and systematically internalised in knowledge and everyday life. Hence confronting racist conditioning, becoming aware of it and positioning oneself against it remains an ongoing task.
What can we change?
To become a more just society, we have to change a lot: However, being free of racism is an almost unattainable goal. Rather, we should become critical of racism. Constantly challenging our own thinking in this regard is an important step.
Especially on an institutional and structural level, we have to overcome racism in order to make it more difficult and sanction invisibilisation and discrimination, also by means of laws and rules. Only in this way can we achieve the goal: a plural, post-migrant society of the many.
Visions
In the workshops, many visions for coexistence in a ‘post-migrant’ society were discussed as well.
