Tuesday, February 7, 2017

21. Dignity for refugees

Abstract

Resettling refugees with their families in communities where they can keep their culture, their language and bring their extended families and even friends and live a dignified life as pioneers is a solution to the refugee problem.  Just like pioneers of the past were not expected to integrate and lose their language and culture, refugees of today turned pioneers should also not be expected to integrate. They need to be treated with respect and dignity and should not only be tolerated, but as well accepted and appreciated.   

Countries that deny or greatly limit admission to refugees seem on the surface to be inhumane. But when this “closed door” heartless policy regarding refugees is seen in a long-term context, it can become easier to understand. Just imagine finding yourself alone in Saudi Arabia as a refugee. 

Many people feel self-gratification by offering refugees refuge and shelter in their countries. They believe that as long as refugees integrate into their society, they can become immigrants and with time benefit the country by becoming productive tax paying citizens.  But this is a very unrealistic possibility for most of them. Many of them in the beginning do not wish to stay but rather would prefer to go back to their families and friends and the homes they left behind, as soon as it is safe for them to do so.

The harsh reality is that in the beginning, all of them end up on welfare in a foreign culture where they cannot speak the language and are looked down on, resented, despised and feared by the locals. They are separated from their families and friends they left behind. Supported by welfare, with a guaranteed roof over their heads, food and enough money for mobile phone, television, cigarettes, and entertainment, they soon feel that they are better off staying than going back home. They develop false hopes that if they stay long enough, they could eventually get a job and bring their families over.

Unfortunately for most, they find themselves in a hole, become hopelessly depressed and end up finding it too difficult to climb out of and too easy to stay in.  Most that successfully flee their countries because of famine, war, or persecution are the most capable and skilled and they are the people that the countries can afford the least to lose.   

One solution is to offer refugees “safe zones” in neighboring countries where they can be closer to their homes, families and friends they left behind and where they find themselves in a culture and language less foreign and where they can easier return home one day.

Another solution is to resettle refugees with their families in communities where they can keep their culture, their language and bring their extended families and even friends and live a dignified life as pioneers. This possibility is described in detail in the following posts in this blog.

Just like pioneers of the past were not expected to integrate and lose their language and culture, refugees of today turned pioneers should also not be expected to integrate. They need to be treated with respect and dignity and should not only be tolerated, but as well accepted and appreciated.  

The concept:

The concept is to have an international cooperation to help refugees help themselves by allowing them and helping them to resettle and integrate in a new land. As an example, Canada and Switzerland are used.

It is proposed that Canada, which has plenty of unsettled lands with a potential to be used by tourists, reenacts its homesteading laws to provide land.

It is proposed that Switzerland , which has successful apprentice programs, organizes, manages and trains communities of refugees to become successful pioneers.

It is proposed that private sector and NGOs help the pioneers get started by providing them with material needed.

The goal:

The goal is to start a pilot project to allow refugees which have a very negative connotation to become pioneers which have a very positive connotation.

What I have done so far:

I have documented these ideas and published them on the internet so that they are available to read, to be commented on, and to be promoted. 

I have emailed an open letter with the link to the blog to European and Canadian universities and NGOs.  

I have emailed an open letter with the link to the blog to all the Canadian and Swiss politicians on provincial and national levels suggesting that they fund a university study program to carry out a feasibility analysis of such an idea.  

I have emailed an open letter with the link to the blog to the editors of Canadian English daily newspapers.

Win-win situation:

Canada can benefit by gaining prestige, tourism and new productive citizens.
Switzerland can benefit by gaining prestige.
Private donors can benefit by advertising their businesses.
 
This blog has 20 Posts that can be opened by clicking on the links below.

CLICK on Titles

Post 1. Proposal for pilot pioneer community

This is a proposal to start a pilot pioneer settlement in Canada for refugees. It is argued that Canada can benefit from pioneers in much the same way it has benefited from pioneers in the past - provided that homesteading laws of the past are adapted for the present modern situation. Careful selection of refugees to guarantee availability of skills, cooperative self-sufficient environment, modern materials and machinery, friendly neighbors and existing infrastructure such as railway lines and roads make homesteading much easier and less dangerous then what it was in the past. The growing tourist industry and the rich forestry and mineral resources of unsettled land in the north allow homesteaders a niche market that can be exploited.  It is not a question of whether it be profitable but rather if it can be self-sustainable and offer refugees and their children a dignified free life that we all deserve. Canadians are seen not willing to move to remote regions and face the hardships of living and trying to make a profit in remote unsettled lands.  Many refugees on the other hand would be thankful to be given a chance to do just that. Refugees make the best pioneers. Refugees, turned into modern day pioneers to settle and open up Northern Canada for tourists, can offer Canada a lot more than just international prestige.

The proposal covers the concept and highlights the international cooperation needed between EU countries, Switzerland, and Canada to implement such a project. A location is proposed as well as the needed facilities, skills, and tools, the needed financing and legislation, statistics and arguments for the concept, scenarios of future pioneer settlements and other suitable locations if the pilot project is successful. Finally a proposal is discussed to fund a joint university program to convince the politicians to implement such a project.  



Post 2. Proposed location for pilot pioneer community


The 35 million Canadians living close to the USA border in the south are unwilling to live in more remote areas further north. These remote areas further north are rich with natural resources such as lumber and attractive places for tourists.   The entire 5000km length of Canada, from east to west, borders on a norther frontier which is undeveloped nature laced with rivers and dotted by lakes in a virgin forest setting rich with wildlife. There are many possible locations for pioneer communities along roads and railway lines leading to existing settlements that attract tourists.  

One example is near Thompson Manitoba, between Winnipeg and Churchill. Churchill is situated along Manitoba's 1,400 km coastline, on Hudson Bay at the meeting of three major biomes: marine, boreal forest and tundra, each supporting a variety of flora and fauna. There is a growing tourism industry. Each year, 10,000–12,000 eco-tourists visit, about 400-500 of whom are birders. It is most famous for the many polar bears that move toward the shore from inland in the autumn, leading to the nickname "Polar Bear Capital of the World".
 

Post 3. Proposed infrastructures for pilot pioneer project


Examples  are given of  communal facilities that need to be built to house the pioneers when they arrive, as well as the homestead houses. The construction uses local available lumber and stone. Heating is by wood obtained locally and charcoal manufactured locally. Insulation materials and windows are used to make the housing ecologically efficient. The facilities are constructed by the pioneers. 


Post 4. Proposed people selected for pilot pioneer project.


The community members are carefully selected so that it has necessary skill for self-sufficiency.


Post 5. Proposed financing of pilot pioneer project

Financing is necessary to help the community reach a level of self-sufficiency.    


Post 6. Putting this proposal into perspective


 It is not a question of profitability, but rather of  being able to live a dignified life in freedom. Nature rich in natural resources provides the possibility to not only survive, but to live a healthy life. Modern technology allows people to live in remote wilderness safely and comfortably.


Post 7. Proposal for new “Homesteading” legislation for pioneers/refugees


"Homesteading laws" of the past need to be revitalized and adapted to meet the needs of the present. 


Post 8. Statistics and information on Refugees

Both Switzerland and Canada are successful and prosperous countries thanks to their immigrants.  



Post 9. What we can do to help refugees now


By treating refugees humanely, we are showing our children by our example that we are all brothers ans sisters in the family of mankind and have a responsibility to treat others as we would like to be treated ourselves.  We all have a worth and we can all learn from each other.  By including refugees in our communities, all gain a sense of thankfulness. We become more aware and grow to appreciate more our own good fortune to be able to help, instead of to rely on help. We realize that giving is much more rewarding than  getting.  Refugees in our communities allows us to live a life of love, compassion and tolerance rather than just to preach it. 
 



Post 11. Scenarios of what can follow the “pilot pioneer project”.


Examples of other locations that need pioneers to build trails, roads, campgrounds, and facilities to open them up to tourists.
 

Post 12. Proposal for a feasibility study for this pilot pioneer project


Politicians need to be convinced by academics of the feasibility of such a pioneer project as described in this blog.
 


Post 13. Self-sufficiency in the pioneer settlement


Nature provides all animals, including humans to live healthy self-sufficient lives. The internet provides people to gain the necessary knowledge to live self-sufficiently off the land. 
 

Post 14. A call to action


It is the role of universities to offer solutions to the politicians to solve problems.  Both universities and politicians seem to be sleeping at the wheel.
Für eine Zusammenfassung des gesamten Blog in deutscher Sprache, finden Sie in diesem Post.
Pour un résumé de la totalité du blog en français, voir ce post.
This Post 14 contains a summary of this blog in English, 


Post 15. Proposed work projects for pioneers


Pioneers can build trails, roads, campgrounds, tourist facilities and offer tourist activities. 
 
Post 16. Proposed reward system for pioneers to motivate them to work without pay


Working for someone else without a salary is not very motivating. Working for yourself and your family without a salary is very rewarding.  

Switzerland can not only select the refugees with the right skill sets to start a pioneer community, 
pilot , but train refugees for the right skill sets they will need as pioneers to be successful. 

Post 18. Win-win outcome 

All, except for the dictators and the exploiting business, will benefit if refugees are allowed to find their freedom as pioneers. 

Post 19. Pioneers for Russia

Canadian and Swiss politicians are not yet ready or willing to share their freedom with the people that many claim they helped to a great extent to be robbed of freedom. How about Russian politicians? 

Post 20. Pioneers for the World

If you know of a place near where you live that is a worth-while tourist attraction site, but there are no facilities and roads or trails getting there. The reason why these gems are missing roads and trails leading to them is probably because the roads and trails would cost too much to build and are thus deemed to be not profitable in the short term. Here is where refugees turned pioneers can help you.

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