Izabela Marx

“The populist tendencies to present refugees and immigrants as a threat to ‘European values’ and traditions of tolerance, freedom, and democracy are misplaced. There is a need to change misperceptions that members of the host society and newcomers have of each other. Bridging the gaps that separate different groups would strengthen communities, mitigate divisive social tensions, and, of course, position immigrants to participate more effectively in the wider society.”
― Elzbieta M. Gozdziak, Europe and the Refugee Response: A Crisis of Values?

“it is the justification of violence against children that distinguishes it from other types of violence in our society, and is an unspeakable disgrace. A large section of public opinion, as well as countless experts and intellectuals, who in other respects are educated, kind and understanding, maintain that a “timely smack” is not only acceptable, but recommendable: a useful “educational” tool that helps the victim become a better person. The victim is told: “It’s for your own good”, or even, the height of shamelessness: “It hurts me more than it hurts you.” No one, or no one living in a democracy at the beginning of the twenty-first century at any rate, would dare justify violence in this way if the victim were an adult.”
― Carlos González, Kiss Me: How to Raise your Children with Love

“Excluding the language barrier, the worst thing in Brazil is being a woman in a very male dominated, looks obsessed culture. I thought the United States was bad when it came to presenting girls with unrealistic body expectations. Brazil is so much worse. Now that I’m raising a daughter, I realize just how bad it is. All girls are called princessa and told not to cry because it’s ugly (Não chora! Vai ficar feia!). I could not find baby girls clothes in any other colour than pink. Toddlers go with their moms to the salons and get mani-pedis. On billboards, in magazines, everywhere you see advertisements for plastic surgery that you can pay for in 20 instalments! Brazil has more plastic surgeries per capita than any country in the world. It will be an uphill battle to raise a girl who does not think makeup is necessary for the gym.”
― Cyril Richert, My life abroad: A selection of expat stories

“Colonialism is not simply content to impose its rule upon the present and the future of a dominated country. Colonialism is not satisfied merely with holding a people in its grip and emptying the native’s brain of all form and content. By a kind of perverted logic, it turns to the past of the oppressed people, and distorts, disfigures and destroys it.”[9] Put succinctly, colonialists attempt to colonise not just territories, resources and destinies, but the mind, culture and history of a people as a necessary means to achieve total and perpetual exploitation.”
― Choolwe Mwetwa, Why Africa is Poor: And why removing poverty will be painfully slow