Port of Call LAST UPDATE November 24, 2009
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October 30, 2009 Las Palmas, Spain — Celebrating Cultural Diversity
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Laura from Peru (center) was among the migrants from South America who met with Peace Boat participants at El Patio de las Culturas.
Carmen migrated to the Canary Islands ten years ago. A widow and mother of two sons, she was convinced that leaving Ecuador was the only way to secure a good future for her children. She said she felt guilty and heart broken as she packed up her life to face an uncertain future. Carmen’s story was one of several shared by members of El Patio de las Culturas during an exchange with Peace Boat participants in Las Palmas.

As Carmen reflected on her own story, she made the observation that human history was a story of migration. The exchange of culture has played an important role in shaping our societies and should be valued, she said. For Mikel Albandoz, Coordinator of El Patio de las Culturas, this appreciation of cultural diversity is what his association is working to cultivate in the Canary Islands.
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In keeping with the philosophy of El Patio de las Culturas, Peace Boat participants introduced Japanese origami, calligraphy and games to members of the association and enjoyed a Samba dance lesson.
Migrants face a number of challenges securing a livelihood and getting settled in the islands. Educational qualifications and professional backgrounds often become irrelevant, and new migrants in many cases can only gain employment as manual laborers in agriculture, construction and sanitation. Members of El Patio de las Culturas spoke about the difficulty of getting legal permission to work in the Canary Islands. Illegal immigrants live in constant fear of detection. In addition to legal issues, some migrants, especially those from Africa, also confront racial and religious discrimination.

The experience of migrants in the Canary Islands is also impacted by the belief that immigration is negatively affecting the economy. Mr Albandoz spoke about the role of the media in nurturing reservations towards migration by broadcasting negative and sometimes inaccurate information about migrants. He shared the example of the impression created by the media that most African migrants arrive in the islands surreptitiously in small boats. According to Mr Albandoz, only a small percentage of migrants enter by small craft because the voyage is too dangerous.

For the Japanese participants on the tour, the exchange with the migrants was particularly eye opening. Japan remains a largely homogenous society and has been criticized for its resistance to fully integrating foreigners into the society. Peace Boat participants also readily indentified similarities between exploitation of foreign workers in Japan and the Canary Islands.
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One of Peace Boat’s Spanish Communication Coordinators Daniela Brito was a guest on the El Patio de las Culturas radio programme. She shared her experience as a Venezuelan national living in Japan.
Founded in 2004, El Patio de las Culturas offers a community to migrants where they can find support and understanding. It is both a physical and social space for migrants and Spanish nationals to share their culture and learn from each other. El Patio de las Culturas brings together support groups for various religions and ethnicities in the islands and is currently comprised of more than 35 migrant or pro-immigration associations.

The organization advocates on behalf of migrants and also organizes a number of workshops, festivals and exhibitions each year to celebrate cultural diversity. When Peace Boat visited in October, El Patio de las Culturas was preparing to host its annual music and arts festival. The association also produces a radio programme promoting multicultural appreciation through music and interviews. The El Patio de las Culturas radio programme broadcasts every weekday from 6-7 pm on Radio Guiniguade.