Can the migration crisis become the focus of a positive political message?
That is why last 9-10 May twenty elected officials and key policy officers in charge of diversity and integration within Intercultural cities participated in a workshop focussed on ways and techniques for communicating through media positive intercultural messages based on the diversity advantage. A team of 4 experienced journalists challenged and trained mayors and cities’ spokespersons on how delivering pragmatic messages framed by values. Susan Downs-Karkos, Director of Strategic Partnerships at Welcoming America, was one of the trainers and she delivered us her views on combining engaging, optimistic and timely messaging.
Reflections from Welcoming America
The last several years have brought significant challenges - economic recession, migration, and political upheaval - to countries across the globe. With every crisis comes a choice: to react in fear and resist the winds of change or to respond with courage and forge a positive way forward. It is in times of pressure that a nation is tested on how welcoming it is to the increasingly diverse people who call our cities home.
At Welcoming America, we recognize that people are our nation’s greatest asset. The world is changing. Newcomers are coming to communities, seeking opportunity, safety, and a brighter future. The world is on the move, and we can react from a place of fear, or we can find new ways to harness the global talent that is at our door.
How do we communicate these ideas in our communities? We start with a positive vision, because most people want to live in a hopeful world where there is more unity and less discord. We also help people recognize that immigrants are here to contribute – in the United States, for instance, immigrants are entrepreneurs at rates that are twice the average, and they contribute billions of dollars to local economies, showing that when people are welcomed, they can thrive. Many immigrants have come seeking a safe environment – they’ve been victims of violence in their home countries and want what the rest of us want: a sense of security, belonging, and to live in peace.
In times of crisis, it’s more important than ever that we lean into our core values, and help everyday people understand how we all benefit by being welcoming to people from across the globe. Many longer-term residents of the communities where newcomers settle may not understand who their new neighbours are or how much they may have in common with each other. An ongoing, positive communications strategy can help recognize and then address the fears that people may have while also building greater longer-term understanding. An effective communications strategy needs to happen 365 days a year, not just in the weeks following a crisis. Building a solid, proactive communications approach will yield future dividends, so that the next time a challenge arises, people will spend less time blaming and more time supporting each other as one community.
