Flanders celebrates 50 years of migration
Flanders marks the 50th anniversary of labour treaties with Turkey and Morocco with a year full of activities
In search of a better future
In difficult economic times, like today, migration is often subjected to rigorous control and perceived as a problematic issue. But in the 1960s, the Belgian economy was in full swing and needed plenty of strong hands to work in the mines, textile factories, steel industry, metros and other sectors. Half a century ago, Belgium signed bilateral labour treaties with the Turkish and Moroccan governments, inviting migrant workers or “guest labourers”, as they were called at the time.
In many cases, family members joined the newcomers after they had settled in. Flanders became a more multicultural region, but of course, the Turkish and Moroccan workers were not the first migrants to seek a better future in the region: The Italian, Spanish, Greek and Polish communities in particular were already strongly represented at the time. The celebrations of 2014 take the labour treaties as a starting point, but focus attention on a variety of migrant histories and cultures.
Cultural identity
The programme of 50 Years of Migration is supported by culture minister Joke Schauvliege, who with others made €100,000 in subsidies available for associations’ related projects. In Flanders, the co-ordination is in the hands of Faro, the government agency for the support of Flemish cultural heritage. In Brussels and Wallonia, cultural centre Espace Magh takes up this task.
It’s essential to show respect for their cultural identities and their stories of integration
An important goal of Faro is to improve the perception and celebrate the culture of ethnic minorities during this jubilee year. “We want to illustrate how these diverse groups have contributed to the construction of our society,” says Faro’s communication officer Katrijn D’hamers. “It’s also essential to show respect for their cultural identities and their personal stories of integration, which involve language difficulties, family concerns and homesickness.”
A next step, according to D’hamers, could be the founding of a museum about migration in Belgium with a broader scope than the Red Star Line Museum in Antwerp. “We notice a large demand and a lot of ideas for such a museum among the minority associations,” says D’hamers, “but there are also many different opinions about the concrete implementation of these plans.” Abroad, there are for example migration museums in the German city of Hamburg and the French capital Paris.
Although the programme is far from complete, we can already distinguish certain top events. The federations of Turkish (UTV) and Moroccan (FMV) associations are taking the opportunity to establish ambitious projects, with financial support from the Flemish government. With the heritage organisation Kardelen, UTV is organising the Miras 50 project, while the FMV is setting up the Dakira project. Miras is Turkish for “heritage” and dakira means “memory” in Arabic.
Via a website and Facebook page, the UTV wants to tell the tales of immigration from the perspective of the pioneering and later migrants themselves. The project documents the conditions of the labour migration but also the evolving life circumstances, leisure activities and religious customs of the community. With the collected material, a documentary and travelling exhibition will be created.
Rituals and traditions
The exhibition will be set up in Antwerp, Brussels, Genk and Ghent. There will also be informative events such as debates, meant especially for young people who have only fragmentary knowledge about their own background. The purpose is also to promote the project in Turkey, with the principal aim of reaching migrant workers who returned there.
We want to illustrate how these groups have contributed to our society
The aim of the Dakira project is to attain similar goals through its own website, book and an exhibition in the same four cities. Special attention will be devoted to the confrontation and dialogue with the Flemish society, the different urban and industrial settling environments and information on festivities, rituals and traditions. The FMV will also organise activities involving singing, dancing, storytelling and workshops.
In Ghent, for example, the city museum STAM offers thematic city tours under the banner of “Blijven plakken” (Lingering On) and the Museum of Industrial Archaeology and Textile is setting up several related exhibitions. The Red Star Line Museum and Museum aan de Stroom (MAS) are two Antwerp locations where thematic expos are being organised. Until 2 February, an exhibition in the Limburg town of Heusden-Zolder puts the lives of Italian immigrants in the picture.
To learn about the lives of migrant women from all over the world, visit the expo Ik kom van ver (I Come From Afar), at Leuven’s Museum M until 16 February 16. The University of Leuven will invite experts for a series of lectures throughout the year. In Bruges on 11 February, journalist and writer Dirk Musschoot lectures on the history of Flemings who left for the US and Canada between 1850 and 1930. On 27 April, the annual Heritage Day will form the high point of the programme.
See the website for the full programme.
Photo: Najat Saadoune, who came to Flanders from Morocco in the 1960s. Photo by Faro/Artur Eranosian
