MP Caroline Abadie, at the Assembly on January 17, 2018. -

STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN / AFP

What if France had a museum of the history of colonization?

This is the conclusion of a parliamentary report presented on Wednesday by deputies, who warn of a level of racism "extremely worrying" in the country.

"All the stories of France must be taken on", underlined Caroline Abadie, LREM deputy and rapporteur for the information mission of the National Assembly on "the emergence and evolution of different forms of racism and the responses to it. to bring ".

These stories, in particular "those which are controversial", "could be usefully grouped together in a museum", so that they "can find a little serenity", she underlined during a videoconference of the press.

57 proposals

"We therefore thought of creating a museum" of the history of colonization which could "be both digital and itinerant," she said, a museum "located in a large town in France" not "allowing no talking to all French people ”.

In total, the report of the fact-finding mission, the result of nearly ten months of work and around one hundred hours of hearing, makes 57 recommendations which should make it possible to provide a "determined universalist response" at the level " extremely worrying ”of racism and anti-Semitism in France.

"France has a relatively powerful legal and judicial arsenal, but that is still not enough since unfortunately acts of a racist, anti-Semitic and violent nature are still too numerous", noted the deputy LR Robin Reda, who chaired the mission of information.

In addition to the museum of the history of colonialism, the deputies are calling for the erection of stelae in public space in homage "to the heroes who were able to fight against slavery and colonization".

Facilitate online complaints of racism

At the same time, the number of posts of professors and lecturers dedicated to the subjects of genocides, slavery and colonization must be revised upwards, estimates the fact-finding mission.

Regarding the penal aspect, the report recommends an increase in the human resources available to “diversity equality referents” in the ranks of the police.

Faced with the “under-reporting” of racist facts, online complaints should be “more widely developed” and the control of the legal framework for identity checks should be considered.

Finally, the mission recommends paying "specific attention" to the fight against anti-Roma racism in the next multi-year plan to fight racism and anti-Semitism, and to increase the annual allocation of the delegation for the fight against racism. , anti-Semitism and anti-LGBT hatred at 10 million euros.

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  • Colonization