New Icelanders' Party FAQ
The announcement that I've formed The New Icelanders' Party is only a few days old, and already, I've received many inquiries from immigrants and Icelanders alike, all of it thoughtful and positive material. I'd like to address a few of the more commonly asked questions.
Why do you need to form a special party? Wouldn't it be easier just to work within an already-established party?
This question was posed to me this morning on NFS, and it's one I wrestled with over the past year before coming to my decision. The fact is, we've already tried working within established parties, with little result. I have personally spoken to MPs and ministers about immigration issues and received dismissive responses both on and off the record. Immigration issues were also ignored during the campaigning of the municipal elections last spring, even by parties that allegedly have an immigrant platform. Most important of all, little if anything has been done by elected officials to address the most pressing issues the immigrant community faces. All this being the case, a significant percentage of the country is going unrepresented in both city hall and parliament. If no one wants to represent us, we have no choice but to represent ourselves. This is why we will run for parliament in 2007 and Reykjavík city council in 2010.
Won't creating The New Icelanders' Party further divide immigrants from Icelanders?
On the contrary - one of our primary goals is to further assist the assimilation process. Iceland is in the unique position of being able to learn from countries who were in the same position decades ago; countries that welcomed immigrants as a source of labour but did little to help them get acclimated to their new homes. Today, we see the effects of this hands-off attitude in countries like Denmark and the Netherlands. Rather, we believe that not only should immigrants be taught the Icelandic language, but also its history, its culture, and its social mores. In addition, because Icelandic law requires immigrants to take 150 hours of language classes in order to be eligible for permanent residence status, but the cost of these classes keeps rising, we would like to see the cost of these classes fully subsidized. I would think that our party's intention to help new arrivals become more integrated into Icelandic society would be welcomed by both immigrants and Icelanders alike.
How do immigrant needs differ from those of anyone else living in Iceland?
While all of us living in Iceland are concerned with several common issues, such as education, the economy, and the health care system, there are certain areas that effect the immigrant community first and foremost, if not exclusively. Among these are the previously mentioned language classes and assimilation.
But there's also the issue of religious freedom. Not everyone who immigrates to Iceland is Lutheran - there are several hundred Muslims and Orthodox Christians living in Iceland who do not yet have houses of worship, despite the fact that they've applied for plots of land five years ago. We find this unacceptable, and hope the matter will be resolved before the 2007 parliamentary elections. If it isn't, though, rest assured that this will be one of our priority issues.
Also, many immigrants in Iceland are still unaware of their labour rights, despite the fact that the Confederacy of Icelandic Labour (ASÍ) has written up an informative booklet - translated into nearly 20 languages - explaining what a foreigner´s labour rights are. Sadly, this information is unknown to most of the immigrant community. This information needs to get into the hands of every foreigner living and working in Iceland.
Other points of our platform will be decided democratically by those within the party. Which brings me to . . .
How can I get involved in the New Icelanders' Party?
The New Icelanders' Party is open to anyone; immigrants and Icelanders alike. We need people who are concerned about these issues, who are willing to help finalise a platform, organise a campaign, and naturally, to run for office. We will meet regularly, and put this party into action. All those interested can contact me at paul_f_nikolov@hotmail.com.
Why do you need to form a special party? Wouldn't it be easier just to work within an already-established party?
This question was posed to me this morning on NFS, and it's one I wrestled with over the past year before coming to my decision. The fact is, we've already tried working within established parties, with little result. I have personally spoken to MPs and ministers about immigration issues and received dismissive responses both on and off the record. Immigration issues were also ignored during the campaigning of the municipal elections last spring, even by parties that allegedly have an immigrant platform. Most important of all, little if anything has been done by elected officials to address the most pressing issues the immigrant community faces. All this being the case, a significant percentage of the country is going unrepresented in both city hall and parliament. If no one wants to represent us, we have no choice but to represent ourselves. This is why we will run for parliament in 2007 and Reykjavík city council in 2010.
Won't creating The New Icelanders' Party further divide immigrants from Icelanders?
On the contrary - one of our primary goals is to further assist the assimilation process. Iceland is in the unique position of being able to learn from countries who were in the same position decades ago; countries that welcomed immigrants as a source of labour but did little to help them get acclimated to their new homes. Today, we see the effects of this hands-off attitude in countries like Denmark and the Netherlands. Rather, we believe that not only should immigrants be taught the Icelandic language, but also its history, its culture, and its social mores. In addition, because Icelandic law requires immigrants to take 150 hours of language classes in order to be eligible for permanent residence status, but the cost of these classes keeps rising, we would like to see the cost of these classes fully subsidized. I would think that our party's intention to help new arrivals become more integrated into Icelandic society would be welcomed by both immigrants and Icelanders alike.
How do immigrant needs differ from those of anyone else living in Iceland?
While all of us living in Iceland are concerned with several common issues, such as education, the economy, and the health care system, there are certain areas that effect the immigrant community first and foremost, if not exclusively. Among these are the previously mentioned language classes and assimilation.
But there's also the issue of religious freedom. Not everyone who immigrates to Iceland is Lutheran - there are several hundred Muslims and Orthodox Christians living in Iceland who do not yet have houses of worship, despite the fact that they've applied for plots of land five years ago. We find this unacceptable, and hope the matter will be resolved before the 2007 parliamentary elections. If it isn't, though, rest assured that this will be one of our priority issues.
Also, many immigrants in Iceland are still unaware of their labour rights, despite the fact that the Confederacy of Icelandic Labour (ASÍ) has written up an informative booklet - translated into nearly 20 languages - explaining what a foreigner´s labour rights are. Sadly, this information is unknown to most of the immigrant community. This information needs to get into the hands of every foreigner living and working in Iceland.
Other points of our platform will be decided democratically by those within the party. Which brings me to . . .
How can I get involved in the New Icelanders' Party?
The New Icelanders' Party is open to anyone; immigrants and Icelanders alike. We need people who are concerned about these issues, who are willing to help finalise a platform, organise a campaign, and naturally, to run for office. We will meet regularly, and put this party into action. All those interested can contact me at paul_f_nikolov@hotmail.com.
posted by Paul F Nikolov at 10:51 PM
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