Editions – Pike & Hurricane

At the end of the day, aren’t we all “Punks”?

Eman Said Omran — Thu, 30 Dec 2021 20:12:18 +0000

When we decided on this edition of “Punk”, I knew I will have to do immense research and reading about the topic, because, to be honest, I do not know much about it and I do not listen to the punk music much.

What caught my interest first, once I started reading, was the definition of the word. Immediately I found the connection I was looking for. I trust articles of my fellow writers will add some interesting information and views about the topic. But for me, I choose to dwell around the abstract concept of “Punk”.

Cambridge dictionary defines punk as “culture popular among young people, especially in the late 1970s, involving opposition to authority expressed through shocking behaviour, clothes, and hair, and fast, loud music”. Referring to this definition, aren’t we all punks in our own way?

When you think about it, one realizes that each and every one of us, humans, are living our lives according to our own personal taste, listening to the types of music of our interest, dressing in the outfit that suits our style and practicing the values of our choice, the ones we believe in. When it comes to politics, we all have our political inclinations. Doesn’t that make us “Punks” in our own way?

Analyzing the definition of the word further, we find that punks expresses their views through “shocking behaviour”, so apparently, being a punk is demonstrating your own behavior out loud. In my personal view, if we all came to know each other closely, we would find out unique “shocking” facts about ourselves as well as others. The way I see it, what characterizes us as humans, is our own personal behaviour, which is sometimes shocking to others who do not adapt our same values and beliefs.

This brings me to the thought of “acceptance”, which should be connected to the mentioned definition of the word “Punk”. I believe that when we come to fully accept others, we can relate the word “punk” to a new culture of tolerance. Another thought that crosses my mind is the reason behind the negative connotation to the word “Punk”, is it because some people fear the brave or because some others do not like the ones who speak out loud and hit on controversial matters!

Let me end my line of thoughts with a very simple question. Wouldn’t the world be a better place if we all “Punks” accept eachother?

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Poems by Tim Klaenfoth

Tim Klaenfoth — Wed, 29 Dec 2021 00:42:37 +0000

Johnny’s tune

Free people

in black boots

write

Songs

that no one sings,

because the lyrics

change all the time.

Songs

that are adored

for the craze

they could cause.

Songs

that have yet

to mean

something.

Sid’s Song

In your

new leather jacket

you’re somebody

else.

Your tattoos

aren’t as permanent

as the frown

on your face.

If we’re not talking

about a revolution,

then we’re not talking

at all.

And when I ask you

how your mom’s doing,

you say she’s still

not with the cause.

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Pussy Riot – Between Balaclava and House of Cards

Runa Ziegler — Wed, 29 Dec 2021 00:40:34 +0000

Russia probably is not the country which comes to mind when thinking about punk music; but Pussy Riot is one Russian band that is known across the world, first of all because of the group’s distinct appearance which includes wearing balaclavas and clothing in as many colors as possible, and secondly because of the media attention it received, including an appearance of two members in the Netflix show “House of Cards”.

The band was founded in 2011 and emerged from the art group Voina. Pussy Riot set off by staging punk rock performances in public places in Russia – in the metro, on rooftops and on the Red Square for example. The band first landed international headlines in February 2012 when they attempted to perform their song “A Punk Prayer” in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow. Back then, their performance was aimed at criticizing the relationship between the Orthodox church in Russia and Vladimir Putin’s election campaign as the church embraced Putin as a candidate for the presidency. Even though the performance was interrupted and didn’t take place the way it was planned, a cut-together video was later uploaded on YouTube with the title “Punk Prayer – Mother of God, Chase Putin Away!” and was seen worldwide. One year later a documentary called “Pussy Riot – A Punk Prayer” about the band and the trial, which followed the performance, was published.

However, perceptions of Pussy Riot remain ambiguous and encourage us to take a closer look.

“Free Pussy Riot” by gaelx – licensed as CC BY-SA 2.0

Between punk band and performance activism

After the trial following the attempted performance in Moskov in 2012, Pussy Riot received solidarity from queer-feminist punk bands, Riot Grrrls members and other celebrities like Madonna. This put the musical aspects of the collective in the foreground. Pussy Riot was specifically set in the punk context as the genre traditionally focuses on criticizing state power which was and still is one of the main objectives of the group. However the performances that took place were less about music and a lot more about intervention and interruption in relation to the location of the performance. For example in 2011, the performance “Death to prison, freedom to protest” took place in front of a prison where political activists were being held after demonstrating against the results of national elections.

Pussy Riot is affiliated with Russian political artist collectives like Bombily, Chto delat? and MediaUdar. More broadly their usage of the balaclavas has also been connected to non-Western feminisms like the Chiapas movement. Members of the Chiapas movement cover their faces with balaclavas to avoid the development of personality cults.To add another view, apart from Pussy Riot being described as a punk band and a collective of performance activists, the group’s work is also described as media art,as every performance is later edited and spread on the internet in various forms.

“Cathedral of Christ the Saviour (Khram Khrista Spasitelya), Moscow – Russia, Set2013” by Ana Paula Hirama – licensed as CC BY-SA 2.0

Between individual personification and collective

The second aspect which presents a dichotomy in relation to Pussy Riot is the tension between individual’s being in the center of attention and the group’s goal to not have a personality cult. The group states that:

“We are anonymous, because we act against any personality cult, against hierarchies implied by appearance, age and other visible social attributes. We cover our heads, because we oppose the very idea of using female face as a trademark for promoting any sort of goods or services”.
https://pussy-riot.livejournal.com/ – Pussy Riot Blog 2014

The dress code of Pussy Riot has been the object of debate, but as previously mentioned, it allows the group to perform as collective and to not fall into individualizing the group and its media presence. Although not allowing individual personification was Pussy Riot’s goal, after the trial in connection to “A Punk Prayer”,the arrest of Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Maria Alekhina and Yekaterina Samutsevich, put them in the international spotlight. This directly went against the collective’s agenda and was extensively promoted by international media.

Between Western Gaze and Russian political sphere

The third ambiguity that I came across exists between the Western Gaze and Western (white) feminism on the one hand and Russian feminist perspectives. This too can be exemplified by looking at what happened after “The Punk Prayer” in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior: In Western discourses the performance was soon labeled as a queer-feminist punk performance and ascribed punk values. This includes anti-religious sentiments. From a critical point of view, this can be seen in the setting of what is sometimes called a New Cold War in which – among other things – a divide is created between the progressive and secularized West and a non secularized, religious and dogmatic Other, namely Russia. Therefore counter-hegemonic collectives like Pussy Riot are seen as rising up against state-values like religion.

But when looking closely at the group’s activism it is observable that they don’t promote anti-religious sentiments. What they do criticize is the commercialization of religion and how it is used as a facade for generating profit. The collective notes that religion can be the oppressor’s tool, but it can also be a way of empowerment and they acknowledge that there are religious as well as non-religious members of Pussy Riot.

Furthermore the title of the video uploaded after the church performance was “Punk Prayer – Mother of God, Chase Putin Away!” and they reclaim Mary as a feminist figure. The activists even explained that performing in the altar area of the church was aimed at raising awareness to the issue that women are not permitted in this area of Orthodox churches and not even Mary would be allowed to go there.

Overall this demonstrates that the values which are often connected to Western queer-feminist punk related groups, have to be viewed differentiated in Non-Western contexts.

“Free Pussy Riot” by Nuria Fatych – licensed as CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Conclusion – More balaclava or House of Cards?

This brief introduction to Pussy Riot demonstrated that the group exists in betweens and can hardly be analyzed from a singular perspective. It is therefore important to consider local and national Russian contexts when looking at the collective’s activism. There has been tensions between its status as a band or as a political performance group, between acting as a collective and individuals getting into the media spotlight and lastly between a Western view of the group and their activism in the current Russian framework.

Regardless of all those dichotomies what goes without questioning is that Pussy Riot had and has a crucial influence on Russian feminist discourses and if you haven’t heard of them so far I hope you’ll open Spotify, YouTube, Deezer or any other music streaming provider now and start listening to their songs!

hejhej – Founding a sustainable business at Malmö University

Maya Diekmann — Sun, 25 Apr 2021 10:32:14 +0000

In 2017 Anna Souvignier and Sophie Zepnik, then-students at Malmö University, founded hejhej. Starting out by selling recycled and closed-loop yoga mats, the company now sells a range of circular yoga products. We have talked to one of hejhej’s members, Pia, about the brand, what it stands for, and what it takes to found a sustainable business as a student at MAU.

Pike & Hurricane: Can you tell us a little bit about the background of hejhej? How did Anna and Sophie get the idea to found a business selling recycled yoga mats?

Pia: When Anna and Sophie got the idea, they were studying the master’s programme Leadership for Sustainability at Malmö University. While the nature of the programme made them consider sustainability issues all the time, it was an art exhibition in Gothenburg that gave them the actual idea for hejhej. There was one piece by an artist called Pinar Yoldas that was calling out the hypocrisy of yogis: On the one hand they very much embrace the respect for the people and environment around them but at the same time they practice with equipment that is made out of plastic. And Anna and Sophie felt like they were caught red-handed. And they absolutely agreed with the artist. They were practicing yoga without even thinking about the implications of what kind of material they used. So after the exhibition they kept thinking about the issue. They never really considered the option to found a business before, so in their case the whole foundation process was very intrinsic. They departed from this problem that really spoke to them and then weighed their options: What can we do, what do we want to do? That’s how they came up with their very first product, the hejhej-mat. And when they thought about the product that they wanted to produce, and how they wanted to go about it, it was clear to them from the beginning that they wanted to reach for the highest sustainability standard, which is the closed-loop approach, the circular approach. They would never create a product that does not fulfill these sustainability criteria.

P&H: So they created a business because there was a need for it rather than because they wanted to merely supply something?

P: Exactly. hejhej follows something called the “sufficiency strategy”, which means that they openly communicate: “Do not buy our product if you don’t need it.” It’s a major part of their communication and their beliefs that you should only buy if you need it and that you ask informed questions about where and how something is produced. For their second crowdfunding campaign, they launched a video that started with: “If you already have a bag for your yoga mat, then this video isn’t for you.” That’s a pretty bold statement and they felt that this was something very courageous––of course they need people to buy their products. But they 100% believe in the sufficiency strategy and that they only want people to buy when they need it. Because that’s part of the highest standard of sustainability, that you consume when you need to, not for the fun of it.

P&H: hejhej advertises their products as being 100% recyclable. How about the resources that are used in the production? Are those 100% recycled, too?

P: Most of the material that we use is already recycled, yes. And as you said we only use material that is recyclable. Otherwise that wouldn’t meet the closed-loop criteria, if we couldn’t take back the products at the end of their lifespan and recycle them. So every product is designed to be sent back to us and be recycled.

The biggest part of the mat is the foam and that is made from recycled foam off-cuts that we get from other productions, like mattress productions for example. So it is actually waste for others but we turn this waste into a new resource and turn it into the hejhej-mat. There is a textile between the foam layers that is keeping the mat together and making it tear-proof and very durable. In the beginning it was not recycled, but a few months ago we finally developed this layer to be made of a recycled material. Often it is also a very long process for us to talk to our producers, develop new ways of doing things, or producing these materials. The one part of the hejhej-mat that is not made from recycled material is the top layer, because that needs to be medically confirmed. So there is a very thin layer on top that is made from a virgin material. We would love to also use recycled material there too it is just not existing yet. Once we recycle the mat though, we can use all of the material again––including the top layer.

The bag is made of recycled PET bottles and the zipper is made from recycled fishing nets. The strap of the bag, which is also the yoga belt, is made from hemp. This material is chosen very consciously because it uses much less water than other alternatives like cotton for example. But we actually have to import this from Asia, just because there is so little hemp being cultivated in Europe. This is the only material that we import from afar, all the other materials are from Germany or neighbouring countries, like Austria, Switzerland,France, and Italy.

The outer layer of the bolster is made from a mix of material: cotton, recycled cotton, and hemp. With these, as with all materials, we always opt for the organic version. We also, if possible, try to go for recycled materials or at least a mixture. What is also cool about the bolster is that it is filled with the husks of spelt grains. It can be given to animals as a supplement to their food or as a natural fertilizer for soil, but in the end it is mostly considered as waste product by the industry. But we can use this perfectly as a filling for our bolster instead of using a virgin material. So what we always try to do is to use material that either exists in abundance or is considered waste by other producers.

P&H: “Sustainability” is such a catch phrase these days––it’s the red thread in every major company’s responsibility report, even those whose nature is wholly unsustainable. As a circular business that whole-heartedly believes in and promotes sustainability, how would you create more awareness around the problem of greenwashing?

P: Yes, many companies have started introducing what they call “circular products” or “sustainable fashion”. The problem is that there is no catalogue of criteria that a company needs to fulfill before they can call something sustainable. So even Primark offers “sustainable” jeans now, that still only cost 20€. At this price it is self-evident that there will be workers in the supply chain that are not paid fairly, and it is virtually impossible to uphold environmental standards in the production at such a low price. The same goes for closed-loop or circular products: There are big companies that are advertising circular denim––but they are not taking the products back. They are not closing the loop, which means it is not circular. They merely use recycled fabric, which in itself does not fulfill the circular standard. We sent them a message because we are always interested to see how other companies apply the concept and they replied: “Bring the product to your local denim recycling at the end of the lifespan.” There is no such thing as a local denim recycling!

We always have to remind ourselves that not everyone is familiar with the concept of a circular economy and we have to keep explaining a lot and try to be as transparent as possible about everything. So that includes being honest about our progress, for instance the top layer of the mat. Okay, the top layer isn’t made from recycled products yet but hey, we just found a way to use a recycled middle layer. We are not perfect but we are always aiming to become better, more sustainable and circular in every aspect. And most importantly we are transparent about it. People know exactly what material we are using, where we are producing, how we are producing, that we take products back and so on. And by that we want to motivate people to ask well-informed questions-–Where is it from? Do I need it? Who is involved?––when they are buying products elsewhere, too. So hopefully people will realise that when other companies advertise something as “sustainable” or “circular” that this might not actually be the case.

P&H: What role do sustainable startups play, in your eyes, when it comes to building a truly greener economy?

P: I would say that especially startups that are financially independent from investors and follow a strong vision––something which I have often experienced to be the case––are moving towards their goals in very determined and fast ways. Larger companies, where many more people, especially investors, are involved take longer to achieve these goals. Of course you can’t generalize this, but in my perception, there are so many startups with great visions, full of ideals, that are striving to change the way people think and consume for the better. They are really acting out of their ideals and their wish to change the economy. They are not only driven by their profit but by people and the planet. They are just always a great source of inspiration and they help create a climate in which well-informed customers ask the right questions. And that pressures larger and less-sustainable companies to change their approach.

P&H: Sustainability does not just include environmental aspects but also social dimensions. How does hejhej score in this area?

P: That’s definitely a very big and important part of hejhej’s business. For one, the company is donating a Euro for every product sold to a non-governmental organisation in Cape Town, South Africa, called “Earth Child Project”. The NGO is supporting children in difficult life situations, by enabling them to have weekly yoga classes and gardening classes. The aim is to teach the children resilience: How to listen to their bodies, take care of their bodies and minds. They support kids that already have faced a lot of struggle in their young lives. Through our donations over the years we have enabled 327 kids to participate in weekly yoga classes for a year, and 235 to attend the gardening classes.

Locally, parts of the production take place in workplaces for people with disabilities. So the yoga mat bag is produced there and they also take care of sewing the label on the mats, and they handle the shipping of products. So there is a team in the workplaces that is dedicated to working with hejhej. Sophie visits them approximately once a week to keep in touch, make sure the processes are clear, and include them in the bigger process. It is Sophie’s and Anna’s goal to one day employ a team of their own that can for instance handle the shipping and that hejhej can be an inclusive team, too. Of course, for now that is not possible because we all work remotely all over Germany and we don’t even have an office. But Sophie tries to still work very closely with them.

P&H: hejhej was founded with the help of Drivhuset Malmö, the startup hub for MAU students. How was the experience with Drivhuset?

P: Anna’s and Sophie’s experience was extremely good. They just took the idea to Drivhuset and they found it really helpful to get feedback, to have someone asking the right questions, to get input from people with entrepreneurial experience. They said that before it was just them and their friends talking about the idea and planning, and then through Drivhuset they had contact to experts that helped them develop and grow their idea. They also instructed them about the next steps, which is very important because in the beginning you have no idea about so many things that are awaiting you down the line. Drivhuset also connected them with external experts who could help them further down the line, and informed them about scholarships like Leapfrog, for which they applied and received funding. They really recommend Drivhuset and are very thankful for the experience. They would suggest to anyone with even just a vague idea to go there, make an appointment, and make use of this great opportunity. The Swedish spirit of founding is so different from the German one, for instance, so for them it really was a unique opportunity to start a business. Especially because that wasn’t on their agenda before.

P&H: What are some of hejhej’s favourite circular startups founded in Malmö?

P: Seljak Brand is definitely a startup that we’d recommend. They produce wool blankets made from wool offcuts. They are located in Tasmania, Australia, but Sammy, one of the co-founders, also studied at MAU. Anna and Sophe met her during their master’s. They have been a great inspiration for hejhej because Sammy had already founded the startup before starting her studies at MAU, so she gave some really helpful advice. Basically all the lessons that Sammy had learned, she passed on to Anna and Sophie so they could avoid those mistakes.

There is also Repamera, located in Malmö. They are founded by Henning (who is the founder of Circular Monday) and they are a shop that repairs clothes. A very cool circular startup!

P&H: Is there anything that has been left unsaid?

P: I have some advice from Sophie and Anna: They say that the most important thing when it comes to founding is to really trust in your idea. There will be a lot of obstacles––there is no way there won’t be––so that basic trust is absolutely necessary. Also, talk to other people! In the beginning, they were worried to talk to others, because they worried others might be stealing their idea. But there is so much to be learned from others and advice to be gained if you discuss your idea.

Check out their website here.

Related articles:

Circular Economy – Interview with the founders of “sveeka”

Photo credits:

hejhej founders Anna Souvignier and Sophie Zepnik. Photo Credits: Maria-Bayer

hejhej mats and straps. Photo Credits: Maria Bayer

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Unnatural cycles of violence

Oliver Etchells — Sun, 25 Apr 2021 10:28:20 +0000

It seems that there is a consensus forming that is as rare as snow in the Sahara, shared by right and left-wing media outlets, among academic circles, and military strategists alike: Relations between the US and China are becoming increasingly sour, and if something is not done to change course, they might enter a collision course that culminates in armed conflict. Voices from the right of the political spectrum cite China’s expansion into the South China Sea and enhanced military power as proof of the threat, whilst leftwing voices point towards the US’s trade wars, and increasing nuclear stockpile. The discourse surrounding China/US relations is nothing if not foreboding, but it is supported by a questionable theory which represents deteriorating relations as a predictable and unavoidable event in the cycle of global hegemonic powers.

Long cycle theory, developed by the Polish political scientist George Modelski, is a way of explaining the relationship between economic and political supremacy, and cycles of great power conflict. It is predicated on the logic that the relative stability of the international order since 1945, a period the Historian John Lewis Gaddis termed ‘the long peace’, is maintained by the presence of the US as the global hegemon. But according to long cycle theory, this long peace is coming to an end.

Since the 1600’s each period of relative global peace has been maintained by the presence of a hegemonic power which on average lasts around 70-100 years. At the end of this period there is a process of delegitimisation and decline of the hegemonic power, followed by the rise of a challenger, and great power conflict. Thus, the next cycle begins, with another hegemon. According to Modelski, there have been five cycles since the 16th century. Portugal emerged as the hegemonic power in the 16th century proceeding the Indian oceanic wars from 1496-1516. After the Spanish-Dutch wars at the end of the 17th century, it was overtaken by the Netherlands which, in turn, was proceeded by the wars of Louis XIV and the emergence of the UK as hegemon in the 18th and 19th century. Then begins the more familiar story: World War 2 upsets the global order and the US takes its place as the hegemon after 1945 until today.

You will see why the prospect of great power conflict between the US and China has garnered such attention when it is viewed as the inevitable time bomb waiting at the end of this cycle. 76 years have passed since 1945, roughly the length of one cycle and the BBC predicts that China might overtake the US as the global economic power in 2028, five years earlier than previously thought, due to the global coronavirus pandemic. The question therefore becomes: What will happen when this transition of power takes place? Is conflict between the US and China inevitable at this point?

Much of the frantic media and military discourse has already shared predictions in line with long cycle theory. Just to name a notable few, Shi Jiangtao, writing in the South China morning post that ‘there is a growing risk of an unplanned confrontation as relations unravel at unprecedented speed’ whereas journalists writing in the left-leaning Guardian warn that the US and China are entering a ‘new cold war’. Christopher Layne, professor of foreign affairs at Texas A&M University predicts that war between the US and China ‘in the coming decades is not only possible but probable’, and an editorial in the New York Times suggested that with Biden in the white house, ‘China wants to lead a new world order’.

The US’s military strategy seems to echo these sentiments, with the 2020 US defense report regarding China stating that ‘the PRC’s (People’s Republic of China) national strategy and military aspirations will have serious implications for US national interests’. The way that China and the US relate to one another both in long cycle theory and in the wider discourse is framed as fundamentally antagonistic. The problem is that this kind of thinking is highly oversimplified, deterministic, and predicated upon an outdated and incomplete view of human nature.

Within long cycle theory war is not just probable, it is, in Modelski’s words a ‘natural product of the long cycle’ that is ‘part of the living processes of the global polity and social order’. The end of each cycle of hegemonic power, and the chaos and conflict that follow are represented as predetermined, a ‘systemic decision’. The glaring problem with this is that it denies any agency to geopolitical actors, or indeed to ourselves to stop this outcome. Following this reasoning, no changes in government, large scale protest, or new legislation will stand in the way of this dark prophecy, because the outcome is historically determined. It necessitates the logic that not only is agency absent from these cycles, but that none of the changes that occurred in-between cycles will have any effect on the outcome.

US and PRC delegation at the 2018 G20 Buenos Aires Summit

The rise of globalized capitalism, the advent of international law, and the proliferation of powerful non-state actors are simply not considered to be variables. Furthermore, long cycle theory is built upon outdated assumptions about human nature that seem untenable to many: The belief that humans, no matter their cultural and ethnic background are inherently selfish beings that, given the chance, will try to dominate others, and the only way to oppose being dominated is to dominate. It is an ideology that is predicated on paranoia and suspicion of the other because like us, they are only looking out for their own interests. Furthermore, if one opposes this mode of thinking, they are living in a dream world, unwilling to accept the inherent ugliness and reality of the world as it is today. Within this discourse, there is no alternative, and the possibility of hope that things could be different is represented as a dangerous illusion.

All of this makes it a highly flawed model, but that does not make its underlying assumptions any less attractive to political and military actors. By adhering to its structural determinism, the model absolves political leaders from any kind of responsibility to reduce the size of their military budget and act in accordance with the nuclear non-proliferation treaties signed after the cold war. Long cycle theory is the trump card in terms of realist military strategy that allows foreign policy hawks to claim innocence whilst spending vast amounts of money on amassing even greater militaries. ‘It isn’t our fault’, the standard defense goes, ‘we would love to reduce our nuclear stockpile, but the decision is simply out of our hands’. There is certainly irony in the idea that the kind of self proclaimed ruthless pragmatists that deny the historical determinism of Marx’ writing are more than happy to be caught up in a process that denies them a place in the driver’s seat of history.

We can expect this kind of ‘mine’s bigger than yours’-style nuclear posturing from states, but what is concerning is the degree to which the media seem to be complicit in the idea that great powers are fundamentally adversarial, and each of them will turn to violence at the drop of a hat. Knowingly or not, much of the media discourse has blithely accepted the pessimistic assumptions about human nature and an unshakable belief in historical determinism that theories like long cycle theory are built on.

It is neither that the US and China are or have the possibility to be inherently benevolent buddies, nor are they inherently adversarial. The point is that the nature of their relationship is produced through representations disseminated in the media that in turn affects perceptions of their relationship that serve to inform state actions. The representation on offer in 2021 is a casual acceptance of a zero-sum game that starves alternative explanations or solutions of oxygen. At its worst, this discourse takes away our ability to honestly evaluate the complex geopolitical polities of the US and China in all their imperfections and achievements, and turns the debate into an issue of us vs them, eat or be eaten. This is precisely because long cycle theory and the militarized discourse which supports it leaves no room for alternatives. Whether China or the US is viewed as the problem is of less importance, what matters is that from left to right the outcome of a transition of power is seen to pose an existential threat to peace.

Is this really the kind of discourse that should be reproduced? A point of view that sees the next human produced catastrophe as something not only likely, but inevitable, and outside of our control? The term ‘sleepwalking into war’ is often used in this context for a reason. It represents a mode of thinking that says we don’t yet know what the spark will be, nor exactly when it will come, but like an erratic drunk, it will only take one prod to begin the domino effect that leads to war. When an event takes place that causes tensions to rise between US and China, that causes grief and anger amongst their populations and nervousness among their leaders, long cycle theory and the discourse that tacitly supports it simply does not have the vocabulary to explain how states would intervene to de escalate tensions, redirect anger, and put creative human agency to work on finding a solution.

Related articles:

International Relations Theory: An Interview with Barry Buzan

The Tension of Action & Theory

Photo credits:

Lightning flashes over the South China Sea in front of USS Nimitz (CVN 68) by John Philip Wagner, Jr./Released, via Official U.S. Navy Page on Flickr, CC BY 2.0

US and PRC delegation at the 2018 G20 Buenos Aires Summit, by Dan Scavino, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons

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Anti-Asian: The patterns and cycle of racism

Rozarina Bakher — Sun, 25 Apr 2021 10:00:45 +0000

On March 16 2021, a lone gunman shot and killed eight people in Atlanta, the capital city of Georgia, USA. Among those killed were six women of Asian descent, raising suspicion of hate crime. Since then, the social media has been sharing and tweeting #StopAsianHate.

The attack has spiked fears in the Asian American community, which has been experiencing an increase in attacks and harassment since the coronavirus pandemic began. Former US President, Donald J. Trump has been cited as one of the instigators towards the increased attacks during his presidency by using terms such as “the Chinese virus” or “Kung Flu” as a moniker for the virus. Between March 19, 2020 to February 28, 2021, around 3,800 anti-Asian hate incidents were reported.

The tragedy has prompted me to open up about discrimination against Asians, in particular Asian women. As an Asian woman living in Scandinavia, I have had all kinds of “jokes” and casual racism remarks thrown at me; stereotypes, such as us all looking alike, working as nurses or housekeepers, running a nail salon and massage parlour, or that we are the trophy wives to elderly white men.

The objectification of Asian women

An article published by Forbes.com in June 2020, reported that Asian-American women are less likely to progress and advance into senior leadership. Due to their apparent success in education and in the corporate world, Asian-American women are subjected to higher pervasive discrimination when it comes to advancing into supervisory responsibilities. The article cited how Asian-American women find it difficult to advance the corporate ladder which is created by two competing sets of stereotypes. On the one hand, they are seen as intelligent and hardworking, however, on the other hand as modest and low in social skills. Which led to a dilemma whereby, if they behave submissively to be “quiet and nice” they are seen as Lotus Flower or China Doll, however, if they are to speak up to express ideas and opinions, they are then seen as the Dragon Ladies.

Where did all these references come from? Lo and behold, the pattern and cycle of objectification of Asian Women began with how Asian women are portrayed in films, especially in the Western movies. Hollywood and American media corporations have long contributed to the culture of paranoid xenophobia and presenting a mythological “Other” through two Hollywood archetypes of the submissive, delicate, and overly emotional China Doll, and the threatening, cold Dragon Lady, which were the popular media productions of binary representation of Asian women.

Bruce Lee from “Enter the Dragon”

Shortly after the shooting, ephemeral Twitter users were tweeting “no happy endings” to refer to a colloquial term for offering sexual release to a client at the end of a massage. The reference of “happy ending” massage has been associated with the hyper sexualization of Asian women. Asian women have long been reduced to dehumanizing stereotypes, whether meek and speechless or aggressively sexual robots whose only purpose seems to be servicing white men.

When it comes to racism, there is a pattern that follows the severity of an act, and that pattern is gender. Women were more than two times more likely to experience discrimination this past year, according to a Stop AAPI Hate report. Russell Jeung, professor of Asian American studies at San Francisco State University, told NBC Asian America that the coalescence of racism and sexism, including the stereotype that Asian women are meek and subservient, likely factors into this disparity. “There is an intersectional dynamic going on that others may perceive both Asians and women and Asian women as easier targets,” he said. It came to no surprise that Asian women reported more attacks, as their image has consistently been misrepresented in the mainstream media, making them vulnerable targets for racist violent behaviour and their lack of progression within the corporate ladder in white America.

Brief history of anti-Asian racism in the USA.

Xenophobia against the Asian Americans is not something new, in fact there is a long history of discrimination and racism towards the community. While they have been labelled as the “silent community” and used as a model minority, as the immigrants frequently seen as having successfully integrated themselves into western communities, Asian Americans have also long been considered a threat to a nation that historically promoted a whites-only immigration policy. In 1882, the Chinese Exclusion Act was enacted for the purpose of prohibiting all immigration of Chinese labourers. In the early 19th century a xenophobic propaganda by white nativists about Chinese uncleanliness circulated around the area of San Francisco, referring to them as a “yellow peril” and unfit of citizenship.

The Asian-Indian community was not spared the xenophobic propaganda. They were called “dusky peril” in the fear described as “Hindu hordes invading the state” and by 1917, the Asiatic Barred Zone Act was enacted which prohibited immigration from British India, most of Southeast Asia, The Pacific Island, and the Middle East. During World War 2, more than 120,000 Japanese American, many of whom US citizens, were sent to internment camps after the attack on Pearl Harbour.

In 1982, at the height of Japan’s powerful auto industry, a Chinese American, Vincent Chin, was beaten to death by two white males. They mistook him for Japanese, the attack came at a time when Americans were losing manufacturing jobs. Vincent’s death a few days before his wedding saw the mobilization of the Asian-Chinese community to fight for their civil rights.

Is there a pattern of violence in the USA towards the Asian community that seems to occur only when there is an economic crisis, and the privileges of white Americans are at risk?

Anti-Asian: The aftereffect of global pandemic?

Anti-Asian racism is not isolated to the USA. In Australia, where there is a large community of Asians, reports of increased anti-Asian racism since the pandemic continues. One of the sensationalized events was when two sisters of Asian descent living in Sydney suburbs, were spat on and verbally abused by an assailant who called them “Asian dogs”.

Australia too has had a long-racialized history with its Asian communities since the early gold-rush era that saw massive migration of Chinese workers into the continent. It adopted the White Australia Policy 1901, the purpose of which was to limit the immigration of Asians into the country and restrict the labour of the community to specific industries.

In Europe there has also been an increase of reported abuse and acts of violence towards Chinese and other Asian-looking individuals since the pandemic. In Sweden, a journalist of Korean descent, raised in the country, wrote about how, since the pandemic, people had begun to ask of her origin, or tried to avoid her in public transports.

The EU has been criticized for lacking to show the actual make-up of European societies. In the European Parliament, for example, people of colour make up only 3 percent of MEPs; they exist on the margins and have little possibility to challenge the established norms and values within EU institutions in any fundamental way.

There has always been a pattern of discrimination targeted at the Asian community: the pandemic has brought attention to the casual and subtle racism members of this multifaceted community have continued to suffer in silence. Does society at large have to allow for a tragedy to happen to react against anti-Asian racism and other forms of racism? Or can society proactively engage itself to change its behaviour and stop discrimination and racism altogether? There seems to be a pattern and cycle that clearly needs to be disrupted.

Perhaps only by promoting a greater Asian representation in the process of equality policy-making and changing the perceptions and portrayal of Asian men and women in the media and in society at large can the Anti-Asian phenomenon cease to exist for good.

Related articles:

Unheard South Solidarity: The Asian-African Conference

The Social Network of Ethnic Conflict

Photo credits:

#StopAsianHate Community Rally in San Jose by Jason Leung on Unsplash

Bruce Lee from “Enter the Dragon” by Lexinatrix (CC-BY-NC-ND-2.0)

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International Women’s Day 2021 & Sweden’s “Shadow Pandemic” – Amnesty International Malmö Student Group

Elena Wasserzier and Maike Hansen — Sun, 25 Apr 2021 09:44:26 +0000

“The virus we don’t talk about – Sweden’s Shadow Pandemic”

Throughout the last fourteen months you have heard about, read, and seen news and content addressing the global Covid-19 pandemic. In reference to March 2021, the month of celebrating Women’s history and International Women’s Day – we will take the opportunity to talk about another public health issue that deserves our attention.

According to the United Nations, we have witnessed a sharp increase of violence against women and girls on a global scale, since the pandemic has started. Due to drastic lockdown measures and restrictions, people were forced to stay at home, some locked in with violent abusers and unable to access support structures. Levels of domestic violence have a tendency to spike when households experience pressure related to insecurities in financial, security and health domains in addition to living conditions that do not allow for enough personal space. This pandemic, currently taking place behind closed doors, was termed ‘shadow pandemic’ by the UN in 2020.

Although most Covid-19 measures were voluntary in Sweden, the pandemic has left its mark. The Google Mobility report shows that people increasingly stayed at and worked from home, while visiting recreational areas less. The unemployment rate also augmented significantly.

So how has the shadow pandemic manifested itself in Sweden? To get more information about this we have talked to Karin Sandell, the head of information at the National Centre for Knowledge on Men’s Violence Against Women (NCK). NCK is a government-commissioned research institution in charge of Kvinnofridslinjen, the Swedish national helpline for women affected by physical, psychological, and sexual violence.

The NCK was able to give us an overview of their recent monitoring and observations in regard to the shadow pandemic in Sweden. Surprisingly, the national helpline did not experience a significant increase of calls since March 2020: “We were prepared that the calls could rise, because of an increase of violence, but we were also prepared that the number of calls might go down because it is more difficult to call when you are at home with a [violent] man. So we were prepared that it could go both ways – and it did neither. It stayed the same throughout the year.” While some women shelters experienced an increase other shelters did not, leading to the concern that women might be prohibited from seeking support in the shelters. However, no supporting data is available yet.

Although there is no concrete evidence at this point that violence against women has elevated, NCK assumes that there is in fact an increase: “We do not have the facts and figures to say exactly how it has affected the women. But what we know from the calls is that there is a big need for help.” NCK is currently waiting for accurate statistics from the criminal statistics bureau. What the statistics will not show however, are the dark figures: “most women do not seek help, they do not tell anyone. They don’t go to the police and they don’t call Kvinnofridslinjen or any other helpline either, so it is so difficult to know for sure how it has been.”

Due to isolation, many women are likely inhibited to reach out, when living at home with a violent partner. NCK assumes that more women will call the helpline to seek support once the pandemic has passed, as similar tendencies were monitored after regular holidays: “Many women wait until the isolation is over. For example, we see after holidays; after Christmas, after Easter breaks, we often have more calls. Because often you can stand it for some time but then when you are back at work and everyday life it is easier to seek help again. So that is what we expect – when life goes back to more normal, we expect to see a rise in the need for help, that more women will seek help.“

Sandell further emphasized that violence against women is an urgent issue in Sweden, with or without the pandemic. Sweden is notoriously perceived and advertised as a role model of gender equality globally, but much work remains to be done. According to Sweden’s public health agency, almost every second woman (42 percent) in Sweden has experienced sexual harassment and more than every third woman (39 percent) has been subjected to sexual assault. In both cases/in the later case, LGBTQ+ persons tend to be more victimized than the general population.

“We have seen a change in attitude, especially since 2017, and the #Metoo movement was very important in Sweden, to open eyes that even though we have achieved a lot of gender equality, we still have a big problem with the violence that is widespread. It has changed the attitude, it is much more common now, and I think that is an important reason why we have more calls to Kvinnofridslinjen “ says Sandell.

NCK has witnessed a steady increase in calls since 2017, reaching a total of 46,000 calls in 2020. Although the awareness within the population is growing, the Council of Europe formulated a report in 2019, sharply criticising aspects of Sweden’s work against gender-based and domestic violence. These include the “insufficient resources for the investigation and prosecution of such crimes”, as well as the circumstance that “particularly women from national minorities, such as Sami and Roma, migrant women, and women with disabilities face difficulties in finding support and protection from such violence”.

Especially in a county like Sweden, regarded as a paragon of gender equality, it is important to remember that the reality of gender inequality affects, harms, and kills millions of women and gender minorities around the world on a daily basis. We need to pay attention to the manifestations of inequality that are still taking place – by treating every crisis with the required urgency- and strengthen the protection of women’s and LGBTQ+ persons’ rights.

So what can be done in order to help women in violent relationships and to offer support? In that regard, Sandell had several things to say. She urged that it is important to break and avoid isolation by keeping close contact with friends and colleagues. Moreover, to always ask questions about violence in healthcare and social services. But not only in the worksphere, also within friendships, questions about violence should not be stigmatized but rather be posed to remove shame around the topic.

Sandell mentioned that NCK´s webcourse developed with the National Board of Health, has received an enhancement in the last year and many more professionals (e.g. police) were engaging in the content and the education. The media has also played a huge role in spreading awareness about the shadow pandemic in news and magazines. Sandell encourages individuals to educate themselves and spread the knowledge: “Knowledge is the key to battle violence”.

In case you, a friend, colleague, relative, or acquaintance are experiencing violence at home, please call Kvinnofridslinjen, the national helpline of NCK and talk to someone: 020-50 50 50 (only available in Sweden, (however, the language of conduct can be English as well) free of charge and available 24h per day)

Related articles:

White feminists: the dark side of Western feminism

Women’s march: feminism from below smashing the patriarchy

The Swedish COVID-19 pandemic strategy or: The Comeback of the “Ättestupa”

Picture credits:

From the 2021 International Women’s Day march in Melbourne. Matt Hrkac from Geelong Melbourne, Australia (CC BY 2.0)

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Model United Nations – A game with an impact

Julia Kavanto — Tue, 23 Mar 2021 17:11:15 +0000

UF Malmö’s Head of MUN Rebecca Coluccino

I first came across the Model United Nations (MUN) as a child when I was watching Northern American television shows for children. It was something American children did on TV: like prom, but for politics. I did not understand it, and I never got the chance to take part in it.

To learn more about this “simulation game”, I reached out to the one person I know is passionate about MUN: UF Malmö’s Head of MUN Rebecca Coluccino. She first became acquainted with MUN in her school in Italy. There was a bit of luck involved, too. Rebecca’s school sent her to her first-ever MUN Conference at the United Nations headquarters in New York in 2016. At the time, Rebecca did not understand the technical procedures of the conference. Regardless, she was very interested in learning to debate about political issues and understand other cultures.

Is the MUN conference a game?

The MUN is a simulation game. The players are called delegates, and each participant is assigned a country they will be representing in the discussions. The delegates are pretending to be diplomats of a specific country the delegate is assigned to, for example, ‘the diplomat of Sweden to the United Nations’, but that is just a technical term.

In every conference, there are two questions. The debates around the questions aim to obtain a resolution that your country would benefit, and that the resolution is acceptable to the other delegations. There is no ‘winning’ at the conference, but some people will try to win the simulation anyway. The goal is to have good debates and seek common good with the discussions. Sure, there are some awards, but you will not win it if you treat the conference as a competition.

Who organises the conference?

Technically anyone could organise a Model UN conference, but it is often a school organising the conference. In our case, though, it is a student association. UF Malmö has many different committees for different activities. One of them is the editorial committee making this particular magazine possible. Another is the MUN of Malmö committee. Rebecca was elected to be the head of MUN of Malmö for this semester, which means that she is the one organising the conference this year. She collected her team for organising the event this year, and they have set the dates to be 21.-23. of May 2021 (mark your calendars!).

Without going into further details on how exactly is the conference organised, I will say it seems like a lot of work but very doable. If you wish to take a closer look, there is a guide provided by the United Nations. But worry not, to join the conference as a delegate you would not have to know how to organise such an event. The first steps for this year’s conference have been completed as Rebecca has a team working on different topics, such as financial and logistics.

A month before the conference, the application process begins. You do not have to be a delegate, i.e. represent a country in the conference. You could also apply to be a member of staff or a chairperson. There is room for a ton of people, as there are many countries in the United Nations. The only restriction is that you need to be a student. Students at Malmö University will be prioritised, but all university students are considered. The size of the conference depends on the number of applicants. I asked Rebecca if I could join, being an English Studies student, not a Global Politics student. She said that there are people from all possible study paths. To be able to join the conference you just have to be motivated.

Why do students join?

I believe many would be interested to know what you get out of joining the conference: valuable experiences, for the first. Any employer would be interested in an employee who can collaborate with people from different cultures and state their opinions coherently. It looks good on your CV, in other words. There is also a social aspect to it that many are lacking during the pandemic. In ordinary times people taking part in the conference would spend time together after the debating. This year the conference is held in Zoom, so you “start zoom and start debating” as Rebecca says. Her team will try to come up with something to have the social aspect of the conference online, too. Even held in Zoom, you would meet new people who share an interest in global affairs. You should expect the application period to start in mid-April.

People are sometimes scared of the MUN conference, Rebecca says. They worry they do not know enough to join. Rebecca wanted to change that. She encourages people to ask questions and come as they are. Rebecca had her first experience in MUN too. No one explained to her the terms, but she will explain them to you. Remembering all the terms is not important, Rebecca says. You could say: “Ay, can we all just talk about this political issue?” and the chair would know that you mean round robin.

Here are four terms explained by Rebecca:

Round robin: All delegates participating in the debate give a short speech about their position after the chairperson calls their country.

Point of personal privilege: Literally, if something is annoying you and you want to say it. For example: “I can’t hear China’s Delegate, could they speak up?”

Moderated Caucus: a debate on a determined issue (usually “motion for a 10 minutes moderated caucus on topic A/to discuss […] with 30 seconds speaking time”), where delegates have to raise their placards and wait for the chair to allow them to speak. Not everyone has the chance to speak, and it is up to the chair who does and when. In this case, when the 10 minutes end, the Caucus ends too. The “30 seconds speaking time” means that you can only talk for 30 seconds once you have been allowed to do so. Time changes, and theoretically, one can propose anything.

Unmoderated Caucus: same rules apply for timing, but delegates are free to move around and speak to other delegates without restraints or lists. People get confused about this because sometimes it can also be called a lobbying session or informal session.

Have questions about MUN of Malmö? Ask Rebecca at munmomalmo@gmail.com or reach out to her on LinkedIn.

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The Olympic Games Tokyo 2020(1): Can it change the way the Olympics Games are held in the future?

Rozarina Bakher — Tue, 23 Mar 2021 17:11:09 +0000

The coronavirus pandemic has seen many events either postponed or cancelled. The most globally known event by far would be the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo which was originally scheduled from 22 July to 9 August.

The global sporting event is now rescheduled to be held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 instead, but will still retain the name as the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. Despite general worry from the Japanese population on the pandemic and its aftereffects, The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced that there is no “Plan B” and that the games will go ahead as planned. Around 206 National Olympic Committees are scheduled to participate and approximately 11,091 athletes in various sporting games are expected to compete. The choice for the organizer to carry out this event is being met with declining support from the general population over renewed concern of a new strain of the coronavirus. Japan will only begin its vaccination program late February (as of the date of this article, Japan has begun local clinical trials with the Moderna vaccine in January). Many believe vaccination of its 127 million citizens is crucial for the game to take place. A massive $14 billion has been set aside by the government to roll out the vaccine before the games begin, despite growing uncertainty amongst a population which has a history of being deeply wary of vaccines.

A question remains, why is the Japanese government planning to go ahead with its plan to host these Olympic games amidst the threat of the pandemic?

Surely, a potential Plan B would be to cancel it all together? In the Olympics history, the games have been cancelled three times before, in 1916, 1940 and 1944. In fact in 1940, both the summer and winter Olympics were scheduled to take place in Japan but were cancelled due to WW2.

Too far gone

Hosting an Olympic is a big deal for any country, but it also carries huge financial implications. Going ahead with it is a way to recoup the investment that Japanese government and its public sponsors have spent on the games. Japan reportedly spent $75 million for the campaign to host the games and provided a $7.3 billion budget during its bidding in 2013. The coronavirus delay reportedly cost around $2.4 billion, and since then the Tokyo organizing committee has upped the outlays to $15.4 billion. It is now set to be the most expensive summer Olympics. So, the show must go on as the IOC depends on selling broadcasting rights and sponsorships which accounts for 90 percent of its revenue. Note, that this game could go ahead without the anticipated spectators that would bring additional income through ticket sales. It was reported that around 70 percent of tickets are reserved for buyers in Japan and sales are expected to be worth $800 million to local organizers. The remainder is reserved for overseas visitors, who may not be able to travel if the pandemic’s infection numbers continue to rise.

Postponing the game further would also jeopardize plans for the 2024 Olympic games to be held in Paris. A few reasons put forward by IOC President, Tomas Bach was that they simply cannot have overlapping games one after another, the next Olympic game scheduled, the Beijing Winter Olympics in February 2022, is only 6 months away, neither can the committee keep employing the 3,000 – 5,000 people for an indefinite time. If Tokyo Olympics 2020 does not go ahead this year, it could lead to the games taking place further along in 2024, Paris will be 2028 and LA in 2032.

The proud nation

Tokyo Governor, Yuriko Koike has a vision for Tokyo and is betting on Hong Kong’s losing appeal after Chinese crackdowns and Singapore becoming more expensive for investment, that Tokyo will win back some of its former glory as a regional hub for foreign companies in Asia. The Tokyo metropolitan government has launched marketing campaigns, particularly aimed at high-tech and fintech firms, and the Olympics are an excellent chance to highlight the city.

There is also a sense of pride in reliving the 1964 Tokyo Olympics in which Japan gained fame for showcasing to the world how the country recovered from the devastation of the WW2 less than two decades later and how it reformed from an aggressive empire-seeker to a model of peace and democracy. It still craves to showcase the glory of the ’64 successful event, and what better way to reclaim the fame than by hosting the very event that demonstrates the best of Japan and help the world celebrate as it turns the corner on the Covid-19 pandemic.

Forfeiting the games is not an option, as the world’s next global sporting event will be the Beijing Winter Olympics 2022. In the realm of Asian rivalry, this is one that Japan would not want to see itself losing. Japan was the 2nd largest economy after the US from 1968 to 2010, before losing the spot to China, and a few billion dollars to make the games happen may be a small price to pay for a chance at glory.

At this point, pulling off the Olympics is not just a matter of economic damage-control. It is a national project, a matter of honour and saving face from being seen as a nation of give-ins.

The Playbook

The IOC announced on February 3 that the game would take place and have issued the Tokyo Olympic playbooks meant to outline measures against Covid-19. Some of the actions-in-plan from the playbook which aims to keep participants and citizens of Japan safe are:

A vaccination will not be compulsory for those attending the games, although a negative test for Covid-19 is required four weeks leading up to the event and athletes will be tested every four days.
Those coming to the games will be asked to cheer by clapping instead of chanting or shouting.
Athletes, and those attending the games will not be permitted to visit tourist sites or travel on public transport.
A 14-day activity plan is to be submitted ahead by those attending.

In addition to the above, plans are in place to keep strict attendance numbers in the opening ceremony on July 23. Athletes cannot check into the Olympic Village more than five days before the opening and must leave two days after finishing their competition.

Despite all the measures in place, will it be enough to not turn the Olympic Games Tokyo into the “mother of all super-spreader events”?

Certainly, the Tokyo Olympics will be very different from what we are all used to in the past, with a stadium full of spectators cheering and waving their nations’ flag and will be without the grandeur of the opening and closing ceremonies. The IOC have stressed the focus is to host a sporting event without the extravagant hoopla that has become a part of the Olympics. For a while now, the Olympics have been known to cause economic strain to the country that hosts them. Some past examples: Athens spent $15 billion to host the 2004 Olympics, taxpayers in Athens will continue to be assessed annually until the debt is paid and most of the facilities built during the games remain empty. In a nearly similar example of another endemic, the 2016 Olympic in Brazil was affected due to the Zika virus. Extra accommodation was built for the expectation of tourists; however, the virus scares saw the decline in tourists expected during the Games.

While Tokyoites and the rest of the world are Covid-weary, and despite the budget to host the Games having risen, the IOC is still head-on strong to proceed with the Olympics 2020, even if it could mean less spectators and a potential loss in income. The Olympics history has showcased a few past examples as to how the games have caused economic strain to its host country and perhaps the Tokyo Olympic 2020 Games can serve as an inspiration for future Olympics Games and other countries to look for alternative, more cost effective and sustainable ways of hosting.

Note: All currency is in US$

Related articles:

A Volunteer’s View of the Rio Olympics

Photo credits:

Tokyo Tower Special Lightup by t-mizo (CC BY 2.0)

Tokyo Olympics 2020 by Danny Choo on Flickr (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

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The #strajkkobiet phenomenon

Ioana Pavel — Tue, 23 Mar 2021 17:11:08 +0000

The #strajkkobiet phenomenon in Poland is made up of two sides. The first can be grossly defined as the hundreds of thousands of women protesting and demanding unencumbered access to legal abortion, and the Government vehemently trying – and ultimately succeeding – to restrict this particular right. How is the phenomenon unfolding?

On October 22, 2020, Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal imposed a near-total ban on abortions. The ruling allows for abortions in cases of sexual assault, incest or when the mother’s life in danger, but bans it in cases of fetal abnormalities, whereas around 96% of abortions in Poland have taken place in cases of fetal abnormalities. The ruling Law and Justice Party (PiS) has been pursuing an agenda of restricting abortions since the beginning of its mandate, and has promoted it as a campaign promise. Since February, the decision has taken effect.

Both sides use human rights rhetoric to justify their positions. Government rhetoric argues that a human life must be protected from the moment of conception until death, citing the right to life as well as the freedom of conscience and religion, as protected by the Polish Constitution. Meanwhile, the protesters speak of women’s sexual and reproductive rights, arguing that the ban will not prevent abortions, but merely force women to seek them illegally. Beyond the approximate 1,000 abortions carried out legally, women’s rights groups estimated that 200,000 polish women still seek abortions either illegally. Those who can afford it will seek an abortion abroad. Those who carry out illegal abortions and those who aid women in seeking out illegal abortions risk a sentence of imprisonment for up to three years. About a dozen convictions of this kind take place annually.

A key player on the Government’s team is the Catholic Church, which supports the ban wholeheartedly. In 2015, 92% of the population identified as Catholic and 61% said that religion has a very high or a high importance in their life. Whereas the state and the church are by law supposed to be independent from each other, a Reuters analysis shows that priests have been known to display election posters on parish property and talk about the elections during mass.

Meanwhile, a key player on the protesters’ side is the European Union, which nonetheless has no competence to impose law on reproductive rights. It does, however, take a stand on the issue. In a 2020 submission by the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, the Commissioner found that “since 2014 almost 4,000 Polish doctors have signed a “Declaration of Faith of Catholic doctors and medical students regarding human sexuality and fertility”, through which they expressed their commitment to following “divine law” in their professional work and to reject abortion, contraception and in vitro fertilisation.” Whereas a doctor who signs such a declaration must refer the patient to another practitioner, in practice, timely access to an abortion is severely and systematically hindered. According to the same submission, in some areas and in some hospitals, virtually all doctors have signed such a declaration and women are forced to seek an abortion illegally.

The same report found that sexual and reproductive health is further dampened by a 2017 decision that the emergency contraceptive pill would be made available only on prescription, as opposed to over-the-counter. However, prescriptions are delayed by doctors who refuse to sign them based on the same freedom of conscience and religion clause, the long wait or the cost for an appointment, and the fact that minors need a legal guardian to accompany them when making such an appointment.

In a press release on November 26, 2020, the European Parliament has spoken out against the ban, citing that women’s rights were being violated and their lives were put at risk. The EP had found that access to prenatal screening, which could find fetal abnormalities and result in a request for an abotion, was being restricted by doctors using the conscience clause. Meanwhile, Poland has announced that it plans to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention, wherein member States of the Council of Europe vow to “protect women against all forms of violence, and prevent, prosecute and eliminate violence against women and domestic violence”, on that grounds that the Convention imposes “a leftist ideology”. It is up to the same Constitutional Tribunal to review the Istanbul Convention and make a final decision.

Meanwhile, the #strajkkobiet phenomenon is not about a protest against one particular ruling by the Constitutional Tribunal. The phenomenon is about a system of oppression that pushed women to break the law in order to have access to the same rights that other European Union countries choose to protect. Women who do not have the means to go abroad for an abortion will end up getting an illegal one. The lucky ones will be under some kind of medical supervision. Those without that option will go for an at-home improvisation that will, in some cases, be fatal. The #strajkkobiet phenomenon is about a system of oppression that left women with no choice but to protest.

Related articles:

The legality of abortion

Photo credits:

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Editions – Pike & Hurricane

At the end of the day, aren’t we all “Punks”?

Poems by Tim Klaenfoth

Johnny’s tune

Sid’s Song

Pussy Riot – Between Balaclava and House of Cards

Between punk band and performance activism

Between individual personification and collective

Between Western Gaze and Russian political sphere

Conclusion – More balaclava or House of Cards?

Further Readings

hejhej – Founding a sustainable business at Malmö University

Unnatural cycles of violence

Anti-Asian: The patterns and cycle of racism

International Women’s Day 2021 & Sweden’s “Shadow Pandemic” – Amnesty International Malmö Student Group

Model United Nations – A game with an impact

The Olympic Games Tokyo 2020(1): Can it change the way the Olympics Games are held in the future?

The #strajkkobiet phenomenon