Sent by Elisbeth Voss, NETZ BB, Germany (Picture from Trossenstek #1)

Interview about climate justice, flight and migration with Alassane Dicko from Afrique-Europe-Interact in Bamako

Alassane Dicko lives in the Malian capital Bamako and is active in the transnational network Afrique-Europe-Interact. In the interview, he talks about the role climate change plays in the work of Afrique-Europe-Interact. He also talks about how groups from the North and the South could cooperate more closely in the field of climate change. Dorette Führer asked the questions. She lives in Bremen and is also active in Afrique-Europe-Interact.

The slogan “The climate crisis is racist“ is circulating among climate and anti-racist activists in Europe. What do you think about that?

Yes, it’s true, the way international politics deals with it is racist. Because although the effects of the climate crisis are mainly felt in the Global South, the situation of the people affected is hardly taken into account in political decisions. This also has to do with the fact that most decisions are made in the North. Accordingly, it is often only about adjustments and improvements in the rich countries. At the same time, those people who have to leave their home region because of the climate crisis become refugees without international recognition. Worse still, because of the European migration regime, it is becoming increasingly difficult to cross borders. And by that I primarily mean borders within Africa, not between Africa and Europe. Because only very few climate refugees leave the continent, most migrate geographically or to their respective neighbouring countries.

You will find the whole interview in Trossenstek #1, the online-magazine of the network “In welcher Gesellschaft wollen wir leben” (In what society do we want to live?).
More about the network here.