by Wolfgang Jamann, Secretary General and CEO of CARE International
As published in EUobserver
When Karl Marx opened the Communist manifest with the words “a spectre is haunting Europe,” he had an idea, and a vision. That vision was a socio-political approach called communism entailing an economy which was fair, equal and that provided opportunities for the masses. It did not really ever work, and communism took forms of authoritarian regimes and economic incompetence, and was finally buried in Europe.
Today, new spectres haunt the world, fuelled by real or perceived threats such as the refugee crisis, Islamist terror, rising economic inequality and anything, as the Brexiters would say, that threatens our values of freedom and independence. We watch an increasing divide of societies, deteriorating public debates, and anxiety and disillusionment wherever we look. No doubt, our society is changing in ways that call for deeper reflection and a more constructive response. At stake is a European idea of borderless movements and free trade as well as the protection of the many gains we have made as a global society, despite the calls of some to revert to a golden age that perhaps never really existed.
In the decades since Marx’s manifest, our societies and economies have generated considerable wealth, choices, opportunities, and democratic participation. While grave injustices and inequalities have occurred in many countries on the way, and progress has been uneven, overall poverty rates in all regions have declined in recent years in a world that is – on average - better off than ever. According to the compelling statistician and Swedish Professor Hans Gosling, health and wealth are on the rise globally, (https://www.gapminder.org/), while a World Bank study revealed that 721 million fewer people lived in extreme poverty ($1.25 a day) in 2010 than in 1981.
My own organisation, CARE International, seeks a world of hope, tolerance and social justice, where poverty has been overcome and all people live in dignity and security. We work around the globe to achieve this vision and to build our impact, all too aware that the tolerant, unified world we are fighting for can so easily slip from our fingers if politicians, press and public no longer share this vision.
In this respect, as NGOs, our means are limited. Conflicts such as those in South Sudan, the Middle East and elsewhere have to be solved by much stronger coalitions than an NGO could ever bring to the table, and we continue to work to defeat poverty and injustice in the places that many refugees are fleeing, but they are still fleeing. We try to offer an alternative narrative by showcasing the many successes that can be made by taking an approach grounded in humanity, while simultaneously tackling the fall-out of irresponsible governance, gender discrimination, and ongoing impunity for human rights abuses.
While there is a clear need to tackle the chronic protracted conflicts that continue to place demands on our work overseas, there is an equally important issue in terms of the work that must be done within our own countries. We need to expand the dialogue with people who choose to put up walls instead of build bridges and those bent on sealing off their borders to potential neighbours who come in need. We cannot accept that intolerance takes over the hard-won achievements of our open-minded societies, and that is why CARE has extended its work in Europe.
Through our “Kids Welcome Initiative” (KIWI) in Germany, CARE helps young refugees integrate into European society and adapt to their new homes. Similarly, in Greece we are working with partners such as “Solidarity Now”, a national NGO initially set up to support the poorest Greek populations affected by the 2008 economic crisis, now working with us to help build bridges between refugees and the local population.
Yet despite many successful models of refugee integration, why does resistance persist? There is a cognitive dissonance at play. According to research by the Tent Foundation, 81 per cent of the public surveyed felt that arriving refugees deserved assistance, yet many admit to not knowing how to help them, citing financial concerns as a key barrier. People want to help, but there is an underlying fear that is grounded in domestic discontent, one that arguably has nothing to do with refugees.
The latest Edelman Trust Barometer shows an increasing divide in terms of trust in institutions such as governments or the EU, with the “informed public,” representing 15 per cent of those surveyed, showing higher levels of trust compared to the “mass population.” This corresponds with growing income inequality, and with the fact that certain strata in society, particularly the lower middle class in Western countries, have not benefitted from opportunities to increase income significantly over the past 20 years, according to the World Economic Forum. It is therefore not surprising that the support for nationalist and secessionist politicians come from these groups – and it is here where most dialogue is needed.
Those who represent the European Governments and Commission need to take seriously the issue of failing trust in their institutions by large swathes of the voting public. We know that inclusive economic and political institutions are essential for functioning and prospering societies. We even know that, despite the current scepticism, most people want to believe in functioning institutions. But the willingness to stay engaged with governing institutions is fragile, and in turn, so is the faith that we can provide safe haven to more men, women and children fleeing the horrors they face in their homelands. It is a tangled web that must be unpicked at all levels of society if we continue to strive towards a vision of a truly unified and tolerant society, and Europe may have to re-invent itself in order to chase away today’s increasingly present spectres.
Notes to editors:
- CARE is one of the world’s largest poverty-fighting organisations, providing relief to people hit by disasters and emergencies, and contributing to economic empowerment that strengthens livelihoods over the long term, starting with women and girls who are often marginalised and among the poorest. Full CARE story here.
- In 2015, CARE worked in 95 countries supporting 890 poverty-fighting development and humanitarian aid projects reaching more than 65 million people. Download Annual Report 2015