Aaron Winter: We are currently witnessing a revival or resurgence in far-right movements and activism, as well as populist radical right politicians and parties, across Europe and in the United States. Some had resigned this set of ideologies to the dustbin of history following the second world war, and again following revivals at different junctures and in different contexts in the post-war period (e.g. the 3rd era Klan in 1960s America and the National Front in 1980s or BNP in early 2010s Britain). In response to today’s situation, … Read More …

Jonna Mannberg: In September this year, Sweden will hold a general election. The country is no exception to the political wave across Europe of extreme right-wing movements rising in popularity. In the last election the nationalist party, the Sweden Democrats, became the third largest political party, and it is predicted they might achieve even higher figures this year. A survey from 2018, commissioned by ‘The Living History Forum’, shows that almost half of the respondents believe that racism will grow in the coming year, and nearly as many have witnessed racism in the last 12 months. Young people are not immune to these attitudes, and it is most likely that racism pervades schools and classrooms all over the country. Read More …

Alana Lentin: Australia is a country obsessed with its racism. A spate of television shows and newspaper articles ask, ‘Is Australia Racist?’ While many acknowledge that the country has a racist past, they object to the implication that the country is still failing to deal with its colonial legacy: the dispossession of the First Nations and the state’s foundation on exclusive white citizenship, The White Australia Policy (1901-1966). Read More …

Ivan Kalmar: Racism (specifically, racism against Muslims) played a large role in the background of the Czech presidential election in January 2018 that returned Miloš Zeman to Prague Castle. When it came to the “migrant question,” the contest was not even about whether Muslim migrants should be welcomed – no candidate wanted that. Rather, it was about who could be trusted as a sincere, rather than a feigned, racist. Read More …