Topic: Combating the Rise of Xenophobic Violence
Country: Italy
Delegate Name: Brooke Michelson
School: Roeper School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Italy position papers GLIMUN 2011 committees
Through the closing of the twentieth century and the beginning of the twenty-first, xenophobic attitudes have been on the rise worldwide. Distinct from racism, xenophobia specifically relates to the hatred and fear of any foreigner, and is deeply intertwined with pre-conceived notions of foreigner characteristics, as well as ethnocentrism or even jingoism. These sentiments are more national and cultural than they are racial or religious. The cause of this increase in xenophobia and xenophobic violence can be partially explained by the ever-changing aspect of modern immigration. As the labor sector became gradually more international, competition for jobs among immigrants and natives around the world became increasingly heated. This new social and political dynamic quickly spawned xenophobic sentiments.
The Italian Republic firmly believes that this recent rise of xenophobic violence must be combated by a cooperative effort from the global community. As a member of NATO and a leader in peacekeeping and the fight against terrorism, we, the Italian Republic, wish to see this issue dealt with thoughtfully and substantially. As a nation that has seen a dramatic increase in immigration in recent years, with our population rising .04% each year almost entirely due to immigration, we have seen the cause and effects of xenophobia and its corresponding violence. In 2010, violence broke out between local people and immigrant workers in the town of Rosarno in the south. We responded then as we would today, with continued efforts to create a peaceful environment for all, yet the events that occurred that day in Rosarno were undoubtedly the product of years of uncontrolled immigration. If we, as a global community, want to truly ameliorate Xenophobia, we must strike at the roots of the issue.
The Italian Republic firmly upholds the belief that to deal with this issue we must deal with tensions surrounding the economics and politics of immigration. We encourage each nation to carefully examine their own immigration situation and to identify what policies would best support peace and tolerance. In addition, another possible remedy for the increasing rise of xenophobic violence is to focus on bettering the economic status of migrant workers and the communities of local laborers that they are integrated in. A more stable economic society among those who are most effected by the issue would lead to decreased tensions and thus increased peace and tolerance. The Italian Republic looks forward to working with this committee to quickly discuss and agree upon a set of suggestions that will move towards ameliorating this rising global issue.
