– Now it’s time to clean up the mess they’ve made, because we’ve been branded a racist town. But everyone who lives in Drammen knows that Drammen is not a racist town. I was very dedicated to getting the youth’s voice heard, says Ronja Bajalan. And she was heard. “What’s wrong with me? Shouldn’t I be here?” With this sentence, the 16-year-old from Drammen suddenly became nationally famous. The words fell in “The Debate” on news on Tuesday evening, where several politicians were invited to Fredrik Solvang’s program to discuss the much-discussed refugee decision in Drammen. The leader of the youth council in Drammen municipality, Ronja Bajalan, was also there, and she challenged the politicians. – This goes against our values of inclusion, cohesion, community and cultural wealth, she said. – Come as a shock It’s the next day. news meets the committed youth council leader at Akademiet viderågden skole in Storefri. She had not been on TV before she was on the show. – No, I just thought: “We’ll fix that”. And I’m glad I did it. – What did you want to convey? – First and foremost, how does this affect young people with an immigrant background in Drammen. Not just refugees, but also everyone with an immigrant background. This creates a clear divide in our city, it divides us between us and them. I think it will do more harm than good to the integration in the city. When the decision was made in the municipal council, Bajalan was shocked. – That is not where our values and our morals lie here in Drammen. No other municipality has done this before, so I think it came as a shock to almost all the residents here. Cedric Akadimah: I was a bit shocked when I heard about the decision. After all, my family came here themselves as refugees in 1989. It’s not like they take out those who need the most help, they just pick someone out. It was, not unpleasant, but strange. Photo: Cecilie Valentine Brekke / news Siham Farah Sadik: I think it is very unfair that only people from Ukraine are allowed to flee to Drammen. This here can lead people to think that those from Ukraine are worth more, just because of their color. Photo: Tordis Gauteplass / news Promoting the voice of the youth The feedback after the performance in “The Debate” has not been lacking. Neither from friends nor strangers. She is praised in the comment fields and receives text messages. Ronja has received a lot of positive feedback for promoting the youth’s voice. Photo: Cecilie Valentine Brekke / news “Hello Ronja Bajalan. The Youth Council in Drammen can at least be something the city can be proud of! It’s a shame that Ronja doesn’t have a double vote in the municipal council,” writes someone in news’s comment section. “Wise young people, versus old people on the right” “It was downright painful to watch the news Debate. But there is hope. Her name is Ronja Bajalan,” writes Hege Breen Bakken, political editor in Drammens Tidende. – There has been positive feedback that I promote the youth’s voice in politics. After all, we don’t have the right to vote, so we have few opportunities to influence outside the youth council in the municipality, says Bajalan. – What reactions have you received? – There are mixed opinions. But many people think it is sad that Drammen municipality is going that way, that we are dividing society more. Believes the integration problem can be solved Bajalan says that there is “without a doubt an integration problem in Drammen”, and that it is something we cannot hide. – But with the help of good Norwegian offers, support and help to get into work, and a focus on integration from an early age, we can solve it, she says and follows up: – They must be greeted with a smile, a positive attitude – this should go well. We must remember that these are people who have experienced war and trauma. – Is Drammen good enough at what it is now? – I don’t want to say too much about what I think Drammen has done now, but we have done a very good job with integration. And we cannot hide the fact that we have accepted many refugees in Drammen municipality. But when you start hand-picking which refugees can settle here, I think it sends out a completely wrong message. The good feedback also comes from the political side, she says and adds: – Someone needs to put these politicians in their place. – Listen to the youth Bajalan believes it will take a lot to reverse the message, remove the stigma the city has received, all the while this is a vulnerable topic – which has made an impression on people. – So I think it will take a lot to clean up the mess that has been made now. – Listen a little more to the youth, is Ronja Bajalan’s call to the politicians. Photo: Cecilie Brekke Valentine / news – What is your advice to the politicians in the municipal council now? – Listen a little more to the youth. We are the ones who will take the baton forward and develop Drammen, we are the future generations. – But what can they do to clean it up? – Now the state administrator must see if this is an illegal or legal decision. Then they have to convey the message, which the mayor has tried to convey, that Drammen is not a racist town. Because we are not. I think it is just a matter of getting out into the media and trying to clean up the chaos that has been created. She believes it is important to remember that integration is difficult. – Regardless of which nationality you have or where you settle, it is a very complex and large process. Therefore, it is wrong to discriminate and handpick which refugees will be allowed to settle in Drammen. Because we are a city for everyone.
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Ronja Bajalan from the youth council in Drammen is praised after the debate – news Buskerud – Local news, TV and radio
