The rise of nationalistic, far-right and extremist groups across Europe has made for uneasy watching by those from different cultures.  The notion of ‘claiming our country back’, ‘preserving our individuality’ and ‘protecting our national values’ are all variations on the less than subtly coded message of ‘if you don’t look, sound and behave like us, you are not welcome here.’

In the UK, the once welcoming mother of the commonwealth of nations is now feeling distinctly less maternal as her former colonial offspring and their descendants come to visit and, sometimes, to stay.  The British Empire that once straddled the world and enjoyed the fruits of the labours of its conscripted citizens and their commodities of gold, diamonds, sugar, cotton and cocoa, and used these to build an industrialised and progressive country, is now having to deal with legacy issues. 

The recent D-Day commemorations were a reminder of the infrequently acknowledged contributions made by the brave fighters from the Empire who sacrificed their lives to save Britain, and of the African troops who helped the allied powers defeat Germany, Italy and Japan. My late great-uncle, affectionately known as ‘Old Soldier’, was one of more than one million African troops that fought for Britain and would often recount tales of leaving Ghana (or the Gold Coast, as it was then) and his tours of duty in Burma and India during the war.

Today, we are far from the days of open arms of welcome and the post-war call from the motherland to the Empire to come and build Britain. The message today is ‘Come only if you have skills we can use; otherwise, stay home.’

The truth is that social change can be overwhelming and combined with squeezed incomes and spiralling living costs, can lead to anxiety that can be harnessed and used by those with sinister motives. Sentiments that might once have been little more than fleeting emotions become manipulated and hardened into strident and divisive messages and even open political policy. A sense of powerlessness and frustration and of being left behind in the prosperity stakes can generate a level of fear and worry in people that makes even the most confused rhetoric sound plausible - when the same ‘foreigners’ can be accused of ‘taking our jobs’ while, at the same time, ‘not wanting to work and taking our benefits’.  Go figure.

And sometimes the double-standards can be hard to ignore. With no thought to the hordes of linguistically challenged Brits who live abroad, often congregating in ‘expat’ cliques, supporting their British sporting heroes, teams and traditions and eschewing any need to integrate into those societies, the rallying cry to those over here is ‘speak our language, know our history, forget your culture and be like us or be gone.’

So what if the Empire really did strike back – or, at least, strike?  Because the contributions of ethnic minorities to Europe are not just historical. On a recent visit to see a friend in hospital in central London, I was struck by the number of medical personnel of foreign origin.  Watching the doctors move between patients and the nurses tending to the sick and vulnerable, I wondered what would happen if everyone of non-English ancestry decided to down tools for 24 hours?

Living in London as I do, there are a number of services that I could see coming to an immediate and screeching halt.  Without the descendants of the British Empire and other foreign-born residents, London’s underground would not run, London’s buses would not operate, London’s hospitals would have to close, London’s schools would stop teaching, London’s streets would go unswept, London’s parking tickets would be suspended (okay, maybe that wouldn’t be such a bad thing) and London’s restaurants, bars, coffee shops, supermarkets, theatres and football pitches would be emptied.

This nationalism and aggressive sense of grievance isn’t confined to the UK and Europe.  Whether it’s against the Mexicans in the United States, the Algerians and North Africans in France, the Nigerians in South Africa or the Muslims in what seems like everywhere, negative xenophobic attitudes are increasingly being cloaked in political discourse designed to sound reasonable and justified. All the while forgetting the contributions that these groups and their countries of origin made to the liberation and economic successes enjoyed today.

Because the truth is that no country, no community and no individual has ever succeeded solely by their own efforts.  We all get to where we are through the efforts of those who came before us and the support of those who surround us.  Business tycoons wouldn’t have made their money without the roads and infrastructure that took their goods to market; dot.com billionaires wouldn’t have succeeded without those that invented the technological platforms on which they could build their ideas; successful professionals do not succeed without the financial, emotional and networking contacts of those that raised and supported them. 

The South African term ubuntu best describes the universal truth of our common humanity and the understanding that there is a bond of sharing that connects all of us.  We exist because of each other and we owe each other respect, care and support. Attacking each other is a fruitless and unnecessary distraction that only prevents us from paying attention to what’s really causing the problems and attempting to find solutions that make sense.

Our interconnectedness has to be seen as greater than our fears.  Ubuntu is needed now more than ever.  It’s not just about tolerance (let’s face it, which of us is happy to simply be tolerated?) but about acceptance and welcome.  We all occupy this planet for a short space of time and we can assure our mutual destruction or our mutual benefit.

It makes no sense to say ‘Raise my children, but don’t eat in my house’ or ‘Help me get things ready for the party, but you’re not invited’.  Gate-crashing the party when you bought the drinks is not an altogether unreasonable position to adopt.  And, after all, wanting to play in the game when you helped to buy the ball is surely only fair?

Selective memories don’t change the facts.  The vast majority of us have helped – and continue to help – to build the countries and communities in which we live.  And everyone enjoys the party better when the guests feel welcome.

Author of ‘I Want to Work in… Africa: How to Move Your Career to the World’s Most Exciting Continent’ (www.IWanttoWorkinAfrica.com) and ‘Everyday Heroes – Learning from the Careers of Successful Black Professionals’ (www.everyday-heroes.co.uk)