(THIS ARTICLE IS MACHINE TRANSLATED by Google from Norwegian)
Section 167 of Amnesty International has been talking to and distributing flyers to Turkey tourists at Gardermoen since the end of August. The flyer informs about the human rights situation in Turkey and encourages tourists to show responsibility, by thinking about the case, by familiarizing themselves with the human rights situation in the country they are traveling to, and by raising the case with at least one Turkish person they come in contact with on the trip. . On Saturday, they will resume at Gardermoen.
Every year, tens of thousands of tourists travel to Turkey, a country that constantly violates human rights in great style. Some have suggested a tourist boycott of Turkey. However, it is an open question whether a boycott is feasible in practice and whether any boycott would have a particularly positive impact on Turkish politics. You rarely change people's practices by withdrawing from contact.
Then dialogue and attempts at influence – even though it may be a long-term and painstaking strategy – seem to have more to offer.
Such a dialogue on human rights is constantly being conducted between the Norwegian authorities and the authorities in different countries. We wish it were brought with more energy and in part with sharper words. Nevertheless, it is obvious that the slogan that "the authorities must take up" issues with other countries' authorities is a strategy with clear limitations.
Eliminate myths
Historical experience, including in relation to human rights problems in the Soviet Union, seems to show that contact between ordinary people on each side of borders in the long term is an equally important means of improving human rights.
Therefore, trying to raise awareness of Norwegian tourists in relation to the countries they travel to, in this case Turkey, is an important and untested strategy. Norwegians visiting Turkey who are informed and aware can discuss these issues in discussions with the Turks, be it torture, minority rights or other issues that are on the human rights agenda. This must also be a two-way communication. While there is much to criticize Turkey for, there are also many negative myths that should be removed. And if one does not arrive in the first place, the actual taking up of the matter with the Turks will have an important symbolic significance for them. Are Norwegian tourists at all interested in putting such a perspective on a journey that will also be about holidays, sun, beaches and cheap food?
Section 167 of Amnesty International has been talking to and distributing flyers to Turkey tourists at Gardermoen since the end of August. The flyer informs about the human rights situation in Turkey and encourages tourists to show responsibility, by thinking about the case, by familiarizing themselves with the human rights situation in the country they are traveling to, and by raising the case with at least one Turkish person they come in contact with on the trip. . Our experience is that the Turkish tourists, with very few exceptions, show interest and goodwill towards our inquiry. In the long run, it is nevertheless desirable that travel companies selling Turkey tours take on a greater responsibility to raise awareness of human rights in the places they send people.
Disappointing reaction
We have therefore contacted most travel companies operating in relation to Turkey. The response has, to some extent, been disappointing. Most people have not responded to the inquiry.
From those who have replied, many questionable arguments are also raised, including against approaching and "disturbing" tourists on their way to their holiday destinations. Is it possible to raise important value issues with people without endangering them in some way?
However, contact with some of the travel companies has been constructive and shows that there is a far-reaching consensus that tourists should be made aware of human rights issues in the countries they travel to. The question has been how it should happen.
Neither the travel companies nor Oslo Airport support the idea that Amnesty International should distribute any material to tourists in the departure situation. However, we have not been prevented so far when we show up at the check-in for the Turkey trips. Arguments that have been put forward have – apart from this that one should not disturb the tourists – among other things have been that one wants the most "clean" airport without a lot of influences that have nothing to do with the actual travel situation. It hurts us to take this argument very seriously. Gardermoen is flooded with commercial offers on electronics, toys, clothes, books, food, magazines, and more, and is characterized by advertising for all possible goods and services. This does not rhyme with the image of a "clean" airport.
We ask ourselves: why should one only be able to address travelers as consumers, and not as responsible citizens?
Continued dialogue
It will be important to continue this dialogue with the travel companies and Oslo Airport. Important questions are, among other things, whether the awareness of tourists should be made by raising the human rights perspective in concrete relation to specific destinations, as well as traveling in such a way that the message reaches those who travel to the relevant destinations in practice. Or whether it should be done in more indirect ways, for example by informing the travel company in their brochure of their cooperation with Amnesty International.
The latter was proposed by a representative of a travel company. In our opinion, this will be an overly vague and non-binding response. Such a proposal illustrates what, in our opinion, has been the main trend in the discussions on business and human rights in recent years: On the one hand, a consensus on principles, on the other hand great restraint as soon as concrete input can conceivably touch on business interests.
This is understandable, but insufficient. It is once again the case that societal considerations, whether it is the working environment, the consideration of the external environment or ethics and human rights, can have financial consequences. However, it is important that the travel companies themselves try to find forms of marking that appear both conscious and that they can live with for business purposes. Still, the most important thing is to reach those who are traveling to, or might want to travel to Turkey. We want to encourage Norwegians to travel to this exciting and hospitable country.
We must not forget that the individual Turks also need to be reminded that we care. Everyone must contribute to an improvement in human rights, whether you are a Norwegian tourist or a Turkish person who comes into contact with Norwegian tourists.
