It was Tuesday and my first day at the University of Nicosia. My first lesson was “Introduction to Communication Studies”. When we started analysing the first chapter, the lecturer started with this sentence: “A human is born to communicate, we don’t have other choice because nobody can’t afford the loneliness”.
So from this simple opinion, I started thinking “What about racism?”. Automatically I remembered a subject that we did when I was a student in high school about the Second World War. The main point that we easily understood from this remarkable chapter of world history, is that hatred generated by the German 3rd Reich was rooted in the inability to accept differences, like colour, religion, origin, people with handicaps etc. The end of this horrible situation was the deliberate death of 6 million people.
Now, you’re thinking what are the causes of racism today, eighty years later. Unfortunately, there are still too many people who support and believe that anything that is different is wrong, unacceptable and it must be eradicated. What does that actually mean?
It means that those with differences don’t get the same chances or equal opportunities or even to just be a part of a group / team, which leaves them isolated from the rest of the society.
It is unbelievable that technology, medicine and everything that is evolving & developing by each day, yet the only thing that has stopped eighty years in time, of course in some situations, is the human thinking mind. Nowadays, people with different cultures, religion, thoughts and ideas exist freely everywhere like in universities, schools, work, neighbourhoods, as natural as ever.
My opinion is that everybody has the same rights, with no exceptions. Anyone can study, go for a walk, work, LIVE. Did we ever think how much we can develop as a planet, if we just accept each other? I think not! We will be able to accept, communicate, and as a result reduce the wars and eradicate every kind of racism. There is just no difference.
No one has the ability to completely ignore peoples differences, it’s just not possible, and in specific situations inhumane, when people need our attention and care. However these “differences” are making our planet interesting. We can learn from other cultures, religions, attitudes, beliefs and anyone can be that much wiser, and develop a new amazing heart!
To conclude, a serious and very sensitive part of racism, is the marginalization which is faced by people with physical impairments, because I have personal experience, with my first cousin who has physical impairments whom I spend a lot of time with. It is awesome how you can communicate with these persons, how you can receive back love and pleasure. Maybe this will sound unusual, but they understand everything much more clearly than everyone else, and it is maybe due to the fact that they are not so easily capable of evil, they can give you all the best humanity has to offer!!
Agathi Klonari – Mediazone Tv & Audio Lab Assistant
