Countering the virus: Discrimination and protestation in multicultural Europe

As part of the project Countering the virus: Discrimination and protestation in multicultural Europe (funded by the Migration and Societal Change Focus Area of Utrecht University), a hands-on workshop ‘Make it viral: Countering discrimination with awareness-raising media’ was organised on 27 January 2021, in collaboration with Common Frames.

With over 40 participants of diverse backgrounds, the possibilities of art and social media as spaces of protestation against stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination were explored. We thought of ideas of how to create effective awareness-raising campaigns against such discrimination. The workshop was given by Issa Shakerman independent filmmaker with a passion for breathing life into untold stories. Over the course of his career, he has become widely recognized for his ability in generating viral content, 250 million views at least, as well as his coaching and consulting skills for journalists and other professionals.

Short film about Covid19-related discrimination

As the virus Covid-19 spreads across space and time, discrimination spreads too. Some individuals and groups have used the virus as an excuse for scapegoating, stigmatization and discriminatory acts. 

This has happened across continents, with different groups as targets. In the beginning of the Corona crisis, the blame was put on China and Chinese people. People of Asian appearance in Europe were also reported to be discriminated against and stigmatized. A few months later also other vulnerable and minority groups started being discriminated against. This was seen in the Netherlands as well where politicians such as Geert Wilders used the virus to blame non-westerners for its wider spread.

In a multi-layered short video, Wendy looks at some shocking examples of discrimination against people of Asian descent; from the former U.S. president to a Dutch radio station’s mocking and discriminatory song. She reflects on these examples, and tells personal experiences from her own life. A vivid example of the implications discrimination can have upon its victims. 

The video was produced by Shaker Productions, Common Frames and Utrecht University (Maggi Leung, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning). It is one of the creations of the project Countering the virus: Discrimination and protestation in multicultural Europe (funded by the Migration and Societal Change Focus Area of Utrecht University)