Germany: a surge of racial violence is turned around

Shortly after the house of a Turkish family was set on fire, a peace concert was held with the Turkish nationals in Germany. "Operation One for One" was set in motion: people of different ethnic backgrounds - German, Turkish, Italian or Korean - made a commitment to build bonds of friendship with at least one person of another nationality. A network of International Cafés was established.

Solingen is situated in the northwest of Germany and has always been a small, peaceful city known to the world for its metallurgical industry, for its scissors and its knives. But it does have one black spot: the serious problem of unemployment aggravated by the high percentage of foreigners who migrate there in search of work. For many years, however, we had been accustomed to the peaceful co-existence of people of different nationalities.
Until, all of a sudden, in May 1993, the issue of assimilation of foreigners exploded in a dramatic way. They were tragic days which were given wide coverage on the national and international television media. Some right wing youth set fire to the home of a Turkish family and, in the ensuing fire, five people died, including women and children.

This happened close to the time of Pentecost and I was away from home. I heard this dramatic news through a phone call and initially I found it hard to accept such terrible and shocking news. It seemed to be impossible. These kinds of things had happened in other places, but never in Solingen, in our peaceful city and in the neighbourhood just behind where I lived. And yet it was true. When I came home I found the city almost in a state of war: windows smashed, shops ransacked, thousands of police on the streets. And in the city streets there was fighting among extremist German and Turkish groups which had converged there from all over the country. That night I couldn’t sleep – the noise, the helicopters, the sirens, all seemed like an anguished cry which demanded an answer.
The next day we met with our community. Many, returning from home or university, had trouble crossing the city. Everyone was very emotional and upset. They felt a great desire to do something. Together, we had the idea of staging a peace concert in the central square of Solingen. Given the situation, it was a very daring idea. Humanly speaking, it was quite crazy. And yet not one of us hesitated. By the end of the evening we had managed to contact the mayor and the security forces of the city who gave us their support. In fact they encouraged us to do it as soon as possible.
Then a kind of miracle occurred. After only 72 hours of preparation, the concert began. It was conducted jointly by our musical bands a Turkish musical group. This initiative was immediately given publicity by the television network as the only peaceful manifestation in a week of violence. Amongst the one thousand participants were people of many different nationalities – many were Turkish, and even relatives of the victims were present. Every word that was said was translated into Turkish and very soon the tense atmosphere in the square gave way to a sense of calm as people listened intently.
As a conclusion we launched the action "One for One" which was a challenge to everyone regardless of whether they were German, Turkish, Italian or Korean, to seek to build bonds of friendship with at least one person of another nationality. Right there in the square, during the concert, many had the courage to take the opportunity to make their first contacts.
The whole evening was incredibly beautiful. Chiara Lubich wrote an encouraging letter to us in which she expressed her conviction that our contribution of giving witness to unity would leave its mark. And this is exactly what happened.
Of course the concert didn’t turn the situation around instantly, but the whole population endorsed it. And now we know that there are many other groups in Solingen and in other parts of Germany which think the same way that we do, and which are working intensely to combat the new and growing phenomenon of racial intolerance.
This peace concert subsequently gave rise to a network of International Cafés. These are monthly meetings during which immigrants from different countries present in turn their cultures through their costumes, music and typical foods, but also through sharing their sufferings and hopes. By getting to know one another we discover how much these peoples are a gift and an enrichment for others because of their diversity.
This project has had very positive feedback. It continues to expand with the presence of new people from still more nations. And the experience has mushroomed in different cities in Germany – in Cologne, Hamburg, Munster and Hanover.
The last time I went, I was seated at a table with some people from Afghanistan, Serbia, Bosnia and Croatia, who live in a nearby refugee camp. During the meal, the woman from Afghanistan offered me one of their specialities. When I asked if it was a typical dish from her country, she said to me, "No, this is from Bosnia. I learnt to cook it from one of our friends," and she pointed to the woman sitting next to her. "We live in the same compound and we share the same kitchen facilities. Initially, it was very difficult to find ourselves all crammed in together in that tiny room with people of different nationalities, who are often not very friendly towards each other. The International Cafés have helped us become sisters".
Just sitting with these people who, though marked by suffering, were yet filled with new hope, I felt as though I was touching heaven.
Several years have passed since our first activities for peace took place. And now many of the cafés are setting their sights on projects which go beyond the national boundaries of Germany. They have joined forces and made a commitment to work for the needs of other countries. This is a witness to unity which continues to grow, involving and attracting an ever-increasing number of people.