On the occasion of March 21, the International Day against Racism, we are publishing this article from the Mission 2024 yearbook (to be published in German in June) in advance with the kind permission of Evangelische Mission Weltweit (EMW) in Hamburg. It relates primarily to racism and prejudice in ecumenical North-South partnership work, but also provides inspiration for non-church actors. It is written primarily for Germans/Europeans.
Deutsche Version: Rassismus. VorUrteile. Begegnung. Blick auf (ökumenische) Nord-Süd-Partnerschaften
Racism. Prejudice. Encounter.
Looking at (ecumenical) North-South partnerships
The topic of racism can no longer be ignored, and that is a good thing. A long-needed debate about global inequality and colonial history is reaching the mainstream. And also the realization that racism is more than just xenophobia, not just a radical right-wing idea of the past, but a structural construct that has grown over centuries and perpetuates inequalities, privileges and discriminates. There are no human races, but there is racism. And it is violent and damaging - regardless of the intention with which it is practiced, according to the experience of Henriette Seydel and Dorcas Parsalaw from their many years of North-South partnership work at Tanzania-Network e.V., based in Berlin.
Malicious, deliberate, violent hatred of non-whites is probably not willingly practiced by those involved in partnerships. But racism is still an issue, writes Sarah Vecera in her book "Wie ist Jesus Weiß geworden - Mein Traum von einer Kirche ohne Rassismus (How Jesus became white - My dream of a church without racism)" (p. 130):
"Diversity, tolerance and internationality are particularly emphasized in the worldwide ecumenical movement. The cheerfully colourful community masks the systematic racism within the community, which plays a major role and remains unrecognized, although this is exactly what we want to prevent. We often don't even notice it and are left with question marks from time to time."
We are familiar with these question marks and uncertainties.
What are we allowed to say now? What is just prejudice, what is racism? Who is a victim, who is a perpetrator and what do all these terms "white saviorism", "intersectionality" or "postcolonialism" mean? We European partners are the good guys, aren't we? What's wrong with helping other people?
Well-intentioned is not always good and "help" is a difficult word. Not out of malice, but because there are often strong definitions of rescuer and victim, so it is clear who gives and who takes and needs. This help is often provided with money as a matter of course. In view of the unfair distribution of goods and the fact that German wealth, for example, is built on the poverty and exploitation of "others", it is clear to many that something has to be given back.
However, physical dependence through financial means and donations turns into psychological inequalities in the long term. Partners no longer speak to each other as equal adults. Instead, the givers of money fall into a paternalistic tone as moralizing or caringly protective parents ("I'll take care of my project down there") and the recipients of money fall into the role of the conformist child who wants to meet every expectation when requesting a donation, has little confidence in their own abilities and is perceived as "still developing".
These racist stereotypes express superiority and inferiority, which have a long tradition, especially in the context of ecumenical church partnerships. We must not forget that many countries in the Global South with which we now maintain partnerships were once subject to brutal violence and colonial exploitation. That is why we cannot avoid dealing with missionary and colonial history: whether it is the Christianization of Latin America, Africa or Oceania.
I am not a racist! - Or am I?
"Mzungu" is the Kiswahili word for "European/white" and almost all white travelers to Tanzania report being called this word. For many it is the first time that their whiteness has been marked and named and they feel angry, lumped together with Americans, Danes and Australians and confronted with many prejudices before getting to know each other individually. They feel made different.
Is that racism? No, it is not. Because racism is defined as negative discrimination based on skin color, (supposed) origin and/or religion and also refers to a centuries-long history of systematic and structural oppression of non-white people, for example through slavery, colonization, forced labour or religious prohibitions.
Of course, white people can be racially discriminated against, and black people and people of color can discriminate against others, for example because of their religion or ethnicity, or because of their gender, their love preferences or their physical health conditions. Attributing discrimination solely to victims and perpetrators does not help.
But before we claim that "all people are equal", we need to look at the current situation, in which unfortunately not everyone is treated equally or with equal rights. First and foremost, it is about a social structure, a system and the question of what images and words we have grown up with about "the others". It's less about me as an individual or my intentions.
The harmony sought in many partnerships and the ignoring of economic, social, political or cultural inequality factors are counterproductive. Expressions such as "at eye level" or "I don't see skin color" conceal the actual global inequality and racism that does not disappear simply because we do not speak out about it. "Solidarity in action" - another buzzword - should not only refer to monetary and material donations, but also to being an ally in the fight against racism.
No checklist - change processes for everyone involved
This is (unfortunately) not a checklist or a ten-point plan for overcoming racism. Because it's not that easy. There is no set of rules as to what is racist and what is not, what you are allowed to say and what you would rather not say, but unlearning and relearning are processes of change for everyone involved. All partners must sensitize their intercultural skills, perceive and accept differences and learn from them (this is called tolerance of ambiguity). North-South partnership work gives us the opportunity to meet different people from other countries, cultures and religions. We not only learn about their knowledge, traditions and experiences, but also gain a new understanding of ourselves.
But conflicts also arise. The "one" does not understand "the other", feels offended, social rules are not observed, hierarchies are violated. While many German partners complain about a lack of understanding of time, Tanzanians find the way their German partners work to be hectic and meticulous. The consequences: Frustration, resentment, anger or helplessness - on all sides! We must therefore be careful not to nationalize and stereotype multicultural, diverse realities of life as one culture, but to remain open in our individual dealings with each other and avoid cultural racism ("that's just the way they are").
A good first step is certainly to learn about racism and unlearn racist socialization. This is exhausting and can hurt. The knowledge of academics, activists and theologians (especially if they are themselves affected by racism and deal with it professionally) can help. At the same time, not all Black people or our partners have to explain what racism means or what you are still allowed to say, like a kind of moral supervisory authority. Limiting People of Color to their experiences of racism is absurd. They have just as much to say about other topics, are vulnerable and have only limited educational resources.
Members of the white majority population in particular have a responsibility to take action against racism: by confronting their historically grown, (ascribed) white social position and seeing the structural advantages they often have due to their appearance, name or origin, for example when looking for housing or a job, when their skin color is represented in children's books or in advertising, during police checks or when visas are issued for partner meetings.
Impulses for recognizing racism and prejudice
The following questions provide impulses for dealing with racism and prejudice in North-South cooperation. The Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Eine-Welt-Landesnetzwerke in Deutschland e.V. (Working Group of One World Regional Networks in Germany), for example, recommends the following reflection aids for dealing with racism and prejudice: „Reflecting Partnerships“ or Glokal e.V.: „Das Märchen von der Augenhöhe“:
- Which (stereotypical) images and words do we use on our homepage and in flyers? Which images do we not show because they do not fit in with our concept of underdevelopment and otherness? Which images do we use to attract attention and generate donations? And: Is our media also available in the language of our partner country - if not, why not?
- What (one-sided) stories do we tell about the others after an encounter trip? What statements do we make about poverty, originality or closeness to nature? To put it bluntly: who dances and drums, who thinks and directs?
- Why do we want to help? Who decides on the money and the goals of projects?
- What common understanding do we have of core issues such as development, security or justice? Do we also use other low-threshold exchange opportunities such as social media or video conferencing in addition to project work and meeting trips?
- How diverse are we in our German partnership circles? Do we involve the local diaspora?
The United Evangelical Mission (UEM) in Wuppertal also proposes trilateral concepts: Church communities from three continents maintain a partnership. The issue of money takes a back seat and the focus shifts to other topics such as faith, peace and sustainability.
"I hope that the fight against racism is not seen by white people as a burden, but as an opportunity. As an opportunity to be part of the change. Part of the solution and not the problem."
(Anti-racism trainer Tupoka Ogette on Instagram, October 2023)
Racism is particularly offensive and hurtful when it comes from people who call themselves friends and partners. Ecumenical North-South partnerships have a strong common foundation. The practical expression of global Christianity and the sibling metaphor can only motivate us to fight racism and other injustices and to work for peace, justice and diversity.
About the authors: Henriette Seydel is a sociologist and is doing her phd on tourism in Tanzania. Dorcas Parsalaw is a lawyer and works on sustainability issues at Mission EineWelt. Both are on the board of the Tanzania Network e.V., the German nationwide network of Tanzania-related stakeholders (church groups, associations, diaspora, science and business). The association carries out a wide range of development education work and is committed to anti-racist cooperation.