‘If we invest in getting to know one another, living together can be so wonderful.’ - LDE white paper
image: Bart Weerdenburg
In the new white paper by Leiden-Delft-Erasmus Universities, diversity researchers and professionals share practical insights into diversity dilemmas. From migration and integration to care for the elderly and sport. On 26 June, the collection of eight pair interviews will be presented at the Knowledge Day of the Association of Netherlands Municipalities (VNG).
Research as a bridge between science and policy
LDE’s eighth white paper stems from the research programme ‘Dilemmas of Doing Diversity’ within the National Research Agenda (NWA). Researchers from Leiden University, Delft University of Technology and Erasmus University Rotterdam are collaborating on the project with professionals from policy and practice.
By linking scientific insights with experiences from local authorities, care organisations, residents’ initiatives and social institutions, the programme aims to contribute to better-informed policy on diversity and inclusion.
‘Progress is slow, but knowledge is seeping through nonetheless.’ That is the observation of Ira van der Zaal from the Ministry of Justice and Security and Marlou Schrover, emeritus professor of Economic and Social History at Leiden University. Each from their own position, they are trying to make knowledge a guiding principle in (migration) policy and they are seeing, for example, an increase in the focus on labour migration.
Learn more from the past
Even though there is still a disproportionate amount of attention on asylum migration. The two experts note that the media do focus a great deal on the negative – more on protests surrounding asylum centres than on examples of successful integration of asylum centres into communities. We can learn much more from the past than we currently do, emphasises Schrover. For instance, she is surprised that return incentives are being considered again – they did not work in the 1980s and 1990s either.
Care for the elderly
Now that the first generation of migrant workers are growing old and in need of care, a range of dilemmas are arising regarding care for elderly migrants. Diagnosing Alzheimer’s in someone who, due to language or cultural barriers, does not understand a test question about scooters and bicycles makes diagnosis more difficult, explains social care worker Kadriye Sahin-Ozogul. On the other hand, researcher Nina Conkova says of residential care homes: ‘You don’t even need to speak the language, as long as people feel your empathy, feel that you are there for them, that you are kind. People can sense that.’ Making assumptions about target groups – for example, that older migrants necessarily do not want to go into a care home or that this is taboo – is counterproductive.
A crying civil servant on the phone
Project leader Carla Delgado Swiatkowski and ethnographic researcher Lieke van der Veer see many meaningful residents’ initiatives come to nothing, as if they were square pegs that won’t fit through a triangular hole. The council is then unable to provide funding, however much a civil servant might want to. ‘I recently had a civil servant on the phone who was almost in tears,’ says Delgado. ‘The council thinks in boxes and initiative organisers think in terms of neighbours.’ On initiatives worth a few thousand euros, a much higher amount is sometimes wasted on meetings. Whereas it doesn’t really have to be complicated: ‘If we invest in getting to know one another and talking to one another, living together can be so wonderful.’A square peg in a triangular hole
Single parents too – often mothers of colour – sometimes feel like square pegs that won’t fit into a triangular hole. Policy-makers push them towards paid work. And they do want to work, but they simply don’t have the time. The 1Ouderpunt Foundation offers these women empowerment, but policy and practice have been at odds for decades. The Surinamese-Dutch feminist collective Ashanti identified these sore points as early as 1980. The government continued to stubbornly implement policies that primarily suited traditional nuclear families, whilst tailored solutions are needed.
Traces of a colonial past
The colonial past is still strikingly present in our current society, observes historian Suzan Abozyid. We view other groups as inferior, and this was evident in our integration policy both in the past and today. Groups of newcomers are expected to adapt extensively to our way of life. The solution is actually simple, according to local government official Raphaël Boon: ‘We need a shift from “you must adapt” to “how are we going to do this together?”’
Across generations
The various generations of migrants now living in our country are also affected by colonial thinking. Researcher Lara Fizaine says: ‘In the colonial past, the rituals and traditions of other peoples were not tolerated.’ We still have that tendency, but it is very beneficial if older people are able to express traditions and rituals from their culture and pass them on to younger generations. So says Thérese Nleng of the Network of Organisations of Older Migrants.
Queer community: stories rather than statistics
A company takes part in Pride, but its employees do not know where to report discrimination. Or a foundation campaigns for gay rights, but against migrants. Researcher Andrew Shield: ‘I think policymakers need to listen more to people from civil society, who hear first-hand accounts of diversity dilemmas. If you want to develop policy on housing for queer asylum seekers, it is easy to gather quantitative data: how many queer asylum seekers are there, and what percentage of them complain about their housing? But qualitative data can teach us much more. The story of a single queer migrant can sometimes offer more insight than a statistic.’
Sport doesn’t always bring people together
Sport connects people, improves health and brings people together. Or does it? Experts Agnes Elling of the Mulier Institute and researcher Kay Mars believe these are problematic assumptions. The more positive the narrative surrounding sport, the easier it is for structural inequalities to be overlooked. We take some forms of difference for granted – such as age or physical disabilities – but immediately view others as sensitive or suspect. For instance, politicians and civil servants in The Hague have wrongly dismissed an initiative for a weekly hour of women’s swimming as something intended for one specific group: Orthodox Muslim women. Mars: ‘And even if it were mainly for Muslim women: why would that be a bad thing? There are also separate swimming sessions for other groups, such as the elderly or parents with young children.’
Don’t make policy about people, but with them
Mars’ conclusion, which certainly applies beyond sports policy: ‘You cannot fully map out inclusion on paper in advance. And perhaps most importantly: don’t make policy just about people, but with people. Involve the various target groups you have in mind when developing policy.’ Elling also has a piece of advice that many policymakers would do well to heed: invest in long-term relationships and trust rather than in short-term projects.
About the white paper
The white paper *Dilemmas of Diversity – Diversity Policy and Practice* contains eight dialogues between sixteen experts from academia, government and civil society organisations on current issues. The publication is intended for policymakers, administrators, professionals and anyone working to promote inclusive public services and social participation. Marlou Schrover will present the booklet at the Knowledge Day organised by the Association of Dutch Municipalities; it will be distributed to all participants. The publication will be available for download from that day onwards via leiden-delft-erasmus.nl