George - from over at allaboutgeorge - clued me to Rashunda Tramble's site & what she's written about Black life in Switzerland in "Opening Old Wounds".
"A study by the [Swiss] Federal Commission against Racism, presented in Bern on Wednesday, found that black people felt they were viewed negatively and treated with mistrust."
Meanwhile, my friend Vincent, who is from India, sent me a quote.
Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. - Martin Luther King, Jr., PhD
This is what happens when the racial discrimination is reported. The higher authorities suppress it. This has happened to a PhD student at the University of Zurich.
Date: Thu, 1 Jun 2006 08:54:59 -0700 (PDT)
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: I need help Re: Discrimination: your anonymous mail to our University
Sir,
I am curious to learn what rights does a foreign national have in this country when such injustices occur. With the University of Zurich officials safegaurding the identity of the professor and the immediate supervisor.
With such people holding responsible positions. Having a fascist and racist mindset, would they be able to safegaurd the values you speak of in your constitution. The judgement of such people is always biased. My career is being affected because of their racist ideology.
Is it that being non-white one is entitled by birth for such suffering? Is it that being white they have the right to do any thing? I hail the swiss justice system for nourishing such values ?
My only crime was being born as non-white and non-christian is it? When approached to the highest authorities. We are threatened and bullied. These are the words of the professor and immediate supervisor.
"keep quiet and live ".
My identity is keep anonymous, for lack of faith in the swiss justice system. However, it has been my responsibility to inform the higher authorities.
With best regards
A victim PhD Student
> Rechtsdienst wrote:
>>
>> Wir beziehen uns auf Ihre anonymen E-Mails an den Rektor der
>> Universit�t Z�rich betreffend Diskriminierung.
>> Solange wir nicht wissen, wer Sie sind und wo Sie genau arbeiten,
sind
>> wir leider nicht in der Lage, etwas zu unternehmen. Wenn Sie jedoch
>> Ihre Identit�t offen legen, uns dokumentieren und uns konkret
>> mitteilen, gegen wen sich Ihre Anschuldigungen richten, so werden
wir
>> die Vorw�rfe der Rassendiskriminierung untersuchen, unsere
>> Vermittlungsdienste anbieten und die allenfalls notwendigen
Massnahmen
>> treffen.
>> Wir weisen darauf hin, dass im Falle von Diskriminierungen und bei
>> Fehlverhalten gegen�ber Angestellten innerhalb der Universit�t,
>> neben
>> dem Rechtsdienst auch die Personalabteilung oder die
>> Personalkommission, unter vertraulicher Behandlung der Anfrage,
Hilfe
>> leisten k�nnen. Ausserhalb der Universit�t steht f�r
Beschwerden
>> gegen kantonale Beh�rden und Amtsstellen der kantonale Ombudsmann
>> zur
>> Verf�gung.
>>
>> Weitere anonyme E-Mails k�nnen wir jedoch nicht mehr beantworten.
>>
>> Mit freundlichen Gr�ssen
>>
>> Rechtsdienst der Universit�t Z�rich
>>
>>
>
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Posted by: Racism in Swiss Universities | 01 June 2006 at 17:52