Hello Steemers
this is my entry to @reonlouw Share your world contest 3.
Source
Topic
The topic is twofold this time. Please include both aspects in your post.
Tell us what the greatest challenge is that your country/ region / cultural group/area where you are currently living is facing in 2018. (It can be anything but give us some detail. Not just a one-word description like 'poverty'.)
Now tell us why or how you think your people will survive or overcome their challenges. Describe an aspect of who they are that will enable them to be successful. (I'm not looking for socio-economic or political solutions. I want to hear who your people are.)
We live better times now in our country if I can compare it with ages not so long ago, when the communist party ruled us. First, we have freedom ! Everyone can tell out our meaning without fear that he will be imprisoned for that. Everyone can travel all over the world, we have the right to study what we can if we pass exams and people don't loose their job for political preferences.
Second, economic situation of the country and also common people improves year by year.
But there is still much to do and hurdles we have to overcome. Mr. Havel, our first president after communist period, said once, that he feels "bad mood in the society". Enthusiasm disappeared from people, new structures of politics and enterpreneur's lobby started to master in governments of cities, regions and state. New and new cases of corruption and logrolling without punishment were revealed. But the situation got worse when some parties started to play on xenophobian strings and frighten people by non-existing threatens. And there are many people who are influenced by it and believe to simple solutions which demagogues offer.
Now it is fashion to protest against immigrants from Northern Africa. But there isn't almost anyone and Czech Republic is not their final destination. Sometimes people protest against employing foreigners, mostly from Ukraine and other post Soviet countries, Bulgaria, Slovakia, claiming they are stealing their jobs. But next time (I am sure about that) the same people protest against gypsies because they don't want to work and benefit from high allowances and against positive discrimination. On one hand it is true that there is higher violence in areas with higher concentration of gypsy inhabitans, also drug abusion and alcohol compsumption. On the other hand it is true that it's more difficult to find a job for gypsies because of their lower education and low willingnes of employers to hire them. (We have two gypsies in segment where I work and both of them do their job well.)
The second part of the task I am not sure whether I can do. But I try and one example of one "best practise" helps me, I hope.
When I aim at gypsies, the demagogues say: We have to move them away, we send them to the country of their origin (India).
I say: That's a nonsense and stupidity. They also have human rights and cannot be moved against their will.
Other demagogues solution is to punish them strictly for anyact against law.
I say: It is also not wise. Imprisoning costs a lot of money and prisoners don't learn to behave nice in the jail.
In the city I live there is a long-term effort to work with gypsy community. Priority is children education, schools have special pedagogues and there are less pupils in such class. There are assistants and street workers helping families with problems they could hardly solve (eg. debts).
Three years ago our city hall started programm for improving living standard of young (not only gypsy) families at the edge of society. They made a big survey with many volunteers and mapped the situation. For example they found a mother living with her child in a cellar without water and heating.
At the same time they made a revision of the city property and found hundreds of unused flats in a desolate state. They get funds from the city budget and the European Community for reparations and within a year they could offer to hundreds of families new flats. They also hired caretakers ( often gypsies living in the house) and it worked! Street work assistants still were monitoring situation. Unemployed people were offered to keep the streets clean. It also helps them in self-esteem. This social project got big publicity and city also won a reward in Austria (Sozialmarie) for it.
Conclusion
The process is long-term and expensive. It costs money and a lot of effort. It is also necessary to convince your opponents and public. But finally there is a positive result.
Simple solutions also cost a lot of money and its result just deeps anxiety in society. We cannot close the door and say: Go elsewhere!
Thank you for attention!