The work of the Expert Council of the Federal Government Commissioner for Anti-Racism, Reem Alabali Radovan, is “intended to help strengthen a democracy that is well-fortified against populist, anti-pluralist forces and the administration that supports it,” said Yasemin Karakaşoğlu, a professor of intercultural education at the University of Bremen and member of the expert council.
The contemporary and comprehensive definition of racism is specifically tailored to administrative action. In this way, the council is creating a basis for sustainable anti-racism strategies in public institutions. “The aim is to provide the administrations of the federal, state, and local governments with a tool that provides practical guidance,” explains Professor Karakaşoğlu.
“The definition describes racism not only as conscious discrimination and violence, but also as structural and institutional mechanisms that operate unconsciously. These manifest themselves, for example, in institutional processes, norms, and routines that can systematically disadvantage and exclude people on the basis of actual or perceived ethnic, cultural, religious, or national characteristics.” It is aimed primarily at employees in administration, politics, and public services to create a common understanding and enable effective measures.
The expert council emphasizes that state institutions in particular must be pioneers in the fight against racism. The definition developed is intended to help administrations at the federal, state, and municipal levels to better recognize and systematically dismantle racist structures. This includes, in particular, the review and reform of institutional routines, processes, and procedures that may unconsciously facilitate racial discrimination.
Professor Karakaşoğlu emphasizes: “Systematically combating racism is essential in order to eliminate disadvantages in the communication and work of authorities and in their dealings with the public, and to effectively implement the principles of equal treatment.”
The Expert Council
The Expert Council on Anti-Racism was established by the Federal Government Commissioner for Anti-Racism, Minister of State Reem Alabali-Radovan, and consists of twelve members from academia, administration, and practical fields. The Expert Council on Anti-Racism develops proposals for an effective, sustainable anti-racism policy and thus supports the work of the anti-racism commissioner. It advises the Minister of State on a range of issues, including developing a definition of racism for use by administrative authorities.
Professor Yasemin Karakaşoğlu
Professor Yasemin Karakaşoğlu has been teaching at the University of Bremen since 2004. Her areas of focus include educational inequality and racism-critical school development in the migration society. In 2021, she was awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany for her special commitment to coexistence in Germany.
Further Information:
Https://www.integrationsbeauftragte.de/ib-de/medien/presse/pressemitteilungen/-arbeitsdefinition-von-rassismus-fuer-verwaltungshandeln-vorgestellt-2337370 (only available in German)
Contact:
Prof. Dr. Yasemin Karakaşoğlu
Director of the Unit for Intercultural Education
University of Bremen
Phone: +49 421 218-69020
Email: karakasogluprotect me ?!uni-bremenprotect me ?!.de
