Borders of the mind: With awareness against racism and discrimination

Borders are not only to be understood as political-territorial demarcations. They live on as boundaries within society, both in politics (e.g. asylum law), administration (e.g. “foreigners’ office”), as well as in people’s minds and thus in interpersonal interaction.

The rise of right-wing, racist and often anti-democratic ideas, which is also reflected in the success of right-wing populist parties in Europe, is strongly linked to demands for further border closures. Due to the ongoing closure of Europe, borders or border conflicts are repeatedly the subject of media coverage in Germany. However, the actual experiences of people affected by boundaries, such as exclusion, racism and discrimination, still receive too little attention.

In Germany, numerous associations such as Pamoja Afrika e.V. Cologne work to combat everyday racism. In addition to empowerment work for people experiencing racism, they offer awareness recommendations for white-privileged people.