Anti-immigration, violent riots took place in the UK at the start of August. These deeply worrying events show how far right extremism is polarising our communities and spreading anti-immigrant and refugee rhetoric.
We stand in solidarity with displaced communities. We must continue to work together for a just, tolerant, and compassionate world. Below are 5 talks that will help you understand far right extremism, migrant rights, how polarisation works and the fight for justice. We believe spreading ideas and knowledge is the first step to taking action for a better, more equitable and just future for all.
1. Why I talk to white supremacists by Vidhya Ramalingam
“What makes change possible? Well over the years, I’ve come to see a pattern. Through the numerous studies and encounters I’ve had with people who have left hate behind, the common thread is human relationships. It’s often times a moment where they experience kindness and compassion… It’s human relationships that so often get people into these movements and it’s human relationships that I know can get people out”
How does the daughter of Indian immigrants end up attending white nationalist rallies in Sweden? While advocating for migrant rights and working against far-right extremism, Vidhya Ramalingam didn’t see anyone talking to people in these movements to try and understand why they were there. So, she began to immerse herself in white nationalist environments and a pattern emerged: being made to feel accepted and understood is what gets people into hate movements – and this same feeling can be used to get people out.
2. Why stripping rights from migrants strips rights from everyone by Sangeetha Iengar
“Injustice thrives in the darkness. Sunlight is the best disinfectant. We have to keep shining a light on the darkest, messiest, unseen corners of society, telling and retelling invisibilised stories until they no longer feel other”
Imagine waking up one day and having access to far fewer rights… Human rights barrister, Sangeetha Iengar, wants to take you on a journey into the messy, uncertain, rightsless space that migrants are condemned to. Moving through the phenomenon of immigration detention, to the expansive police powers created by counter-terrorism legislation, and onto the dangers of an arbitrary anti-extremism policy, Sangeetha powerfully reminds us that migrants’ rights dictate our rights.
3. The genie of polarisation – how can we get it back in the bottle? By Kris De Meyer
“If people on the other side of disagreements really were bad people, we’d have to beat them by force. But if they are essentially like us, good people who justify the things we do, then we can engage with them differently. We can be more generous and less judgmental…”
Ever been terrified by the growing polarisation you see today? Yes, us too. That’s why Kris De Meyer’s TEDxLondon talk in 2019 hit such a nerve. With his unique neuroscience background, Kris shares ways to communicate with people who have radically different views: less judgement, more comprising.
4. Why we need to find common ground to save democracy by Keith Magee
“How do you empathise with someone who expresses views that you find offensive? The answer is simple, it’s love. I’ve never in my life met a person that I could not love. However distasteful their words may be, their language, their actions, I can always find the humanity in another.”
With warmth, welcome and humour, Keith shares why he believes despite our differences, it’s possible for all of us to find common ground. He believes that democracy only functions if we can come together, disagree and still find an abiding empathy for each other. But in the era of tribalism and growing polarisation, it’s difficult to act with empathy and compassion, and it’s a skill we must practise. So with democracy more at risk than ever, Keith argues it’s time to stop waiting for politicians to help unify us. Instead, he invites us to use empathy and courage to build relationships and common ground with those you disagree with.
5. We need to talk to boys about online misogyny by Ben Hurst and Jamie Windust
“This messaging is being specifically targeted at young people, which obviously makes sense. When you think about it, what the messaging is, it’s harder to persuade a 35 year old man that he’s less of a man because he doesn’t own a Bugatti than a 16 year old boy”.
“If we can have some good conversations with young people, where they’re really allowed to explore, then hopefully they can move towards better conclusions for themselves”
Ben Hurst is Head of Facilitation at Beyond Equality where he works with boys and young men to discuss and dissect (toxic) masculinity and what it means to them. In this interview, with Jamie Windust, he explores the worrying trend of online misogynistic influencers, like Andrew Tate and the consequences of such toxic, online misogyny and sexism. Ben shares practical tips and advice on how you can talk to young men and boys about online misogynistic influencers – being compassionate, asking questions, having open and honest conversations.
