Priya Ragu from St. Gallen conquers the music world The Swiss arms trade is booming – disconcertingly for a country that prides itself on its humanitarianism A Swiss team has calculated pi to 62.8 trillion decimal places – but what are the practical benefits? SWISS REVIEW The magazine for the Swiss Abroad December 2021 The publisher of “Swiss Review” is the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad
We are interested in your opinion. Take part in our survey. The survey is being carried out by the intervista research institute on behalf of SWI swissinfo.ch. You can begin the survey via the QR code or using the link below. www.intervista.ch/swissabroad How do you keep up to date about the latest news in Switzerland? What are the most important things for you when consulting the media? How do you stay in touch with your homeland? We would like to know more about your information needs and habits.
Swiss Review / December 2021 / No.6 3 “For refugees, starting a new life in a country where you are not necessarily welcome feels almost like a miracle,” says our cover star, Priya Ragu. Priya, who hails from St. Gallen, speaks from experience. She grew up in a Tamil refugee family, but has seen her fortunes turn around dramatically. Priya is now a world-renowned singer (page 14). Her career has taken off like a rocket, and she now belongs on the biggest stages, winning over hearts not just at festivals likeMontreux, but also in the language region where her parents come from. The values she endorses and spreads far and wide in Tamil reflect at the same time a very Swiss sensibility. For example, her best-selling song Kamali discusses the rights and status of women in society and the empowerment of girls to live out their dreams. Also best-sellers but of a very different kind are Swiss-made weapons. Arms exports are high, and the issue is politically explosive. There is perpetual debate over which countries Swiss guns, munitions, armoured vehicles and other armaments and military equipment should be exported to. After all, arms exports affect Switzerland’s self-perception as a neutral, peaceful country that prefers diplomacy to sabre-rattling. As so often, the reality is more complex than onemight at first imagine. For many years, themeans to wagewar – not cheese and chocolate –were the country’s biggest export. Over three centuries, Swiss mercenary soldiers served on the battlefields of Europe and in colonial armies all around the world. And they were not known for their restraint. As such, themodern self-image of Switzerland as humanitarian, peace-loving and neutral is the result of consciously implemented changes. Mercenary soldiering has long been prohibited, and exports of military equipment are subject to strict rules. In fact they are now getting even stricter: parliament has tightened up the legislation further in response to public pressure. The government is losing its existing freedom to grant exceptions. That iswelcome, but it does notmean an end to the controversy over arms exports. Ultimately, the question of whether arms exports can evermake the world more peaceful has not been resolved by this legislative tightening. MARC LETTAU, EDI TOR- IN-CHIEF Editorial 5 Mailbag 6 Focus The Swiss arms industry is on the defensive 14 Culture Singer Priya Ragu is winning over hearts and audiences all over the world 16 Switzerland in figures 17 Literature 18 Science Swiss mathematicians have calculated pi more accurately than anyone ever before 20 Politics The Swiss people say a decisive yes to marriage for all 22 Society Swiss households are hoarding record quantities of cash 23 Covid-19 Traditional political parties struggle to respond to the pandemic 25 SwissCommunity news 27 Notes from the Federal Palace Returnees to Switzerland receive help reintegrating into the world of work Former indentured contract children can continue to draw assistance 30 Books/Sounds 31 Top pick/News Contents International musical success – and amore controversial export Cover photo: Priya Ragu, Swiss singer with Tamil roots. Photo: courtesy of Warner Music “Swiss Review”, the information magazine for the “Fifth Switzerland”, is published by the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad.
Schweizer Schulabschluss von jedem Ort der Welt Jetzt schnuppern! Info und Kontakt unter swissonlineschool.ch wissonlineschool-hoch.indd 1 20.10.21 11:49 BACK TO OUR ROOTS WITH TISSOT, “INNOVATORS BY TRADITION”. The Tissot story began in Le Locle, Switzerland, in 1853. Today, Tissot is the leading traditional Swiss watchmaker by volume. The brand is proud of its roots and has positioned itself as an ambassador abroad, representing values it holds dear, like tradition and innovation. Throughout its history, Tissot has put this dual stamp on all its products. By registering on the SwissCommunity network, Tissot thanks you, dear Swiss Abroad, ambassadors of our country all over the world, by offering you a 15% discount on the entire collection on its official website. www.swisscommunity.org/tissot - Official website | Tissot (tissotwatches.com) www.swisscommunity.org Our partners: The Organisation of the Swiss Abroad, SwissCommunity, wishes you a merry Christmas… …and a happy New Year 2022. lay_inserat_210x177mm_1b_eng_GzA.indd 1 12.11.21 08:50
Swiss Review / December 2021 / No.6 5 Mailbag Swiss healthcare on the brink of intensive care When I was a teenager, I dreamed of being a nurse. That dream never came true, because I realised that I would never have the time to sit by a patient’s bedside and listen to them. All I can do, therefore, is support anything that makes this wonderful professionmore interesting, more human and therefore better. RENATA NEUWEI LER, CRETE, GREECE It has long been apparent that these professionals and thework they do cannot be recognised through applause alone; more money is also needed. I will support the healthcare initiative – no ifs or buts. Otherwise, our nurses will soon be sicker than their patients. PAOLO INDIANO, GERMANY Placing the entire burden of caring for people onto one profession, one group of people – that is truly sick. VERÔNICA BÖHME, BRAZ I L Bernard Rappaz, Winkelried of cannabis It is great to read about personalities in our country – not billionaires, but real personalities. Wherever you are in the world, peoplewho think differently are always penalised. But defiance is necessary for a healthy state; in any case, that’s what Machiavelli said – ormaybe he’s only for our rulers to read. FRI TZ ST INGEL IN, MANI L A , PHI L IPPINES It’s about time! Cannabis should be legal everywhere, it’smuch less harmful than alcohol and can be extremely beneficial, helping with cancer treatment, anxiety, etc. And the federal and cantonal governments can tax its sale and make tons of money! Legalising cannabis is a win-win for all involved. Conservative lawmakers who want to keep it illegal are trying to control others based on their perceptions of ‘morality’, not on any objective assessments of health or safety. VANESSA VELEZ , USA Even though I am not attracted to this plant, I find this man’s actions courageous. What perseverance! And entirely organic, well done! CL AUDE ROCHAT, FRANCE Uetendorf, the village so far from the Swiss border I was delighted to read the article about Uetendorf. My hometown of Rüschegg-Heubach is not far fromUetendorf, so I particularly enjoyed this article. I have often passed through Uetendorf. America has beenmy home since 1961, but I will never forget my home country and all the experiences I had there. HULDA NYDEGGER SHURTLEFF, USA Filippo Lombardi, the new president of the OSA Dear Mr Lombardi, may I urge you to act against the increases in PostFinance charges? I have had this account since the year I turned 20, and because I have moved a few hundred kilometres away, I now have to pay 360 francs a year. That makes a big hole in my pension of 1,700 francs per month. Switzerland has become too expensive for me to live in. LOTT I HUMBEL, HIDEGSEG, HUNGARY I wish thatMr Lombardi and the Federal Council would talk to the banks to get them not to raise their charges every year or otherwise close accounts. I still have bank accounts in Switzerland in case, for example, there is another coup here in Thailand and I need to leave the country and return to Switzerland. Then at least I would have some money to set myself up with and wouldn’t be dependent on the state. PETER ZURBRÜGG, PHUKET, THAI L AND You can write this in the “Swiss Review” over and over: while only a small minority of members cast a vote, the Council of the Swiss Abroadwill never truly constitute the ‘Parliament of the Fifth Switzerland’. SEBAST IAN RENOLD, BOZEN, SOUTH T YROL It has been years sincewe in SouthAfrica have been able to vote in Swiss referenda!We don’t receive the ballot papers until voting in Switzerland has already closed. We have repeatedly reported this, to no avail. We cannot understand why it would not be possible to send out the documents sooner. Of course, the best option would be electronic voting! KURT STAUFFER, SOUTH AFRICA
Swiss Review / December 2021 / No.6 6 Focus THEODORA PETER The next FIFA World Cup kicks off on 21 November 2022. Hosts Qatar are currently bolstering theirmilitary arsenal to protectmatch venues and sovereign territory. After shopping around for hardware, the oil-rich emirate has commissioned Swiss-based armament manufacturer Rheinmetall Air Defence to supply it with air defence systems worth some 200 million Swiss francs. Cannon technology developed and built in Zurich will be at the Qataris’ disposal to shoot down enemy drones andmissiles with laser precision. The Federal Council approved the export deal despite many questions surrounding the human rights situation in Qatar, particularly with regard to the exploitation ofmigrant workers at theWorldCup construction sites. In 2019, the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) concluded that serious and systematic human rights violations were being committed inQatar – theoretically a good reason for not exporting military equipment to the country. However, the Federal Council invoked its own escape clause dating back to 2014, which stated that weapons exports could still go ahead if there was a “low risk” of the armaments being used to violate human rights in the recipient country. In otherwords, the Swiss government believes that air defence cannons are unsuited to the purpose of suppressing your own people. Weapons in the wrong hands Arms exports are becoming increasingly contentious within Swiss civil society, especially in the light of repeated high-profile cases in recent years of weapons exported from Switzerland ending up in the wrong hands. For example, Swiss hand grenades originally delivered to the United Arab Emirates in 2003were found to have been used in the Syrian civil war. Qatar, for its part, illegally passed on Swiss munitions to insurgents in Libya ten years ago. This led to a moratorium on Swiss arms exports at the time. For the critics, these episodes show that arms exports involvemany risks, not least in terms of Switzerland’s reputation as a guardian of human rights. In 2018, a broad alliance comprising human rights organisations, relief agencies and political parties launched the “Correction Initiative”, which wanted to include a clause in the constitutionbanning arms exports to countries that are systematically violating human rights or involved in civil war or any other armed conflicts. The authors of the initiative aimed to stop the Federal Council from caving in to an arms industry pressing for export concessions. Theymanaged to collect well over the necessary 100,000 signatures within just a fewmonths. But no referendum will now take place. Parliament took the hint and has tightened the criteria for arms exports while removing the government’s escape clause. The campaigners have thereforewithdrawn their initiative because they believe that their demands have been met. Greater democratic control The “Correction Initiative” has essentially helped to “keep the Federal Council in check”, admits one of the campaigners, Josef Lang. The former Green National Councillor and co-founder of the Group for a Switzerland without anArmy (GSwA) would actually prefer a complete ban on arms exports. However, the Swiss electorate has reSwiss arms industry on the defensive Switzerland’s arms industry is booming as countries around the world increase their military firepower. But can a neutral country that prides itself on humanitarianism justify exporting arms at all? Pressure from civil society has forced policymakers into action. A highly sought-after Swiss export: the Piranha armoured personnel carrier by Mowag. Photo: Keystone
Swiss Review / December 2021 / No.6 7 jected such an idea in the past. A popular initiative to this effect failed in 2009, with an emphatic 68 per cent voting against. The electorate also threw out a proposal over ten years later to ban the funding of arms manufacturers (see edition 5/2020 of “Swiss Review”), with almost 58 per cent voting no at the ballot box at the end of 2020. Lang nevertheless regards the “Correction Initiative” as a big step in the right direction. “Democratic control will improve, and the Federal Council will find it harder to loosen regulations,” he says. The government can no longer change the criteria on arms exports unilaterally. In future, parliament will be responsible for all relevant decisions. And the electorate will have the last word, as Lang is keen to stress. “After all, you can contest any law change by forcing a referendum.” Hence, parliament voted against granting the Federal Council special powers. The government wanted to continue wielding its escape clause “in order to safeguard national interests”. This door has been shut – and will remain shut. Arms manufacturers threaten exodus Switzerland’s arms manufacturers are not amused. “The implications are enormous,” warns Matthias Zoller, managing director of the Security and Defence Technology working group (ASUW), which represents the interests of arms companies. We will see an exodus of arms manufacturers from Switzerland in the medium term, predicts Zoller. There is notable competition fromthe EuropeanUnion, he adds. The EU is investing eight million euros in a scheme to attract arms companies – and “would welcome Swiss firms looking for a new base”. Under the future export regime, Switzerland will no longer be able to export “Democratic control will improve, and the Federal Council will find it harder to loosen export regulations.” Josef Lang High-precision cannons from Switzerland, such as the Oerlikon Skyshield air defence system, are one of arms manufacturer Rheinmetall’s exports. Photo: Rheinmetall Air Defence
Swiss Review / December 2021 / No.6 8 to countries involved in armed conflict. “And if the rules are followed to the letter as expected, we may no longer be able to deliver arms to the USA, France or Denmark either.” The industry therefore wants the federal government to provide certainty and, as Zoller puts it, “offer clear assurances that we will still be able to export to and cooperate with our international friends”. The restrictions affect around 200 companies that regularly apply for arms export permits from the federal government. According to government estimates, Switzerland’s security and defence industry employs between 10,000 and 20,000 people (subcontractors included), who also produce military goods that are not used in active combat and therefore cannot be classed as Swiss involvement in foreign armies Switzerland boasts a long history of military expertise. Hundreds of thousands of Swiss went to war for foreign powers until well into the 19th century. It was not until the birth of the modern federal Swiss state that curbs on mercenary activity were introduced. The Swiss confederacy longwanted to conquer foreign lands. This mindset changed at the Battle of Marignano in 1515, when the Swisswere ousted from theDuchy ofMilan and the expansion of the confederacy was stopped. Instead of fighting as soldiers for their homeland, young men were permitted to fight as mercenaries in foreign wars thereafter. Swiss mercenary activity peaked between the 15th and 18th centuries. For a long time, service in foreign armed forces represented Switzerland’s secondmost important economic sector after agriculture. Swiss officers would recruit farmers, grouping them into regiments to fight for countries including France, Spain, Austria, Savoy, Hungary and the Netherlands. The Swiss Guard continues to serve at the Vatican, where it has been responsible for protecting the Pope since the early 16th century. Escape from poverty coupled with a lust for adventure Mercenaries faced increasing curbs on their activity after the federal state was created in 1848. However, the French Foreign Legion continued to recruit tens of thousands ofmercenaries. Although Switzerland banned campaigns aimed at recruiting for armed forces such as these in 1859, the hiring of Swissmercenaries continued to be allowed until the 1920s. Other colonial powers like the Netherlands also relied on Swiss mercenaries. Some 7,600 Swissmercenaries fought in the Dutch colonial army between 1815 and 1914 in what is now Indonesia, says historian PhilippKrauer, who has been researching the story of thesemen in the Swiss Tool of Empire project. “Against the prevailing backdrop of mass poverty and emigration, 0 200 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 400 600 800 Development of Swiss armament exports from 2010–2020 in million Swiss francs
Swiss Review / December 2021 / No.6 9 many politicians were happy to see poorer Swiss choose the cheapway out via the colonial army,” he writes. But besides fleeing from poverty, many mercenarieswere also inspired by the notion of adventure. Romantic visions of the tropics quickly gave way to harsh reality. Almost half of the mercenaries in Indonesia died in service. In addition, Swiss soldiers in foreign forces were unable to pursue a military career beyond their mercenary rank. Many regretted their step and turned to their local Swiss consulate in the hope that it could extricate them from their contracts – mostly, however, in vain. Since 1927, foreign service has been prohibited under the Military Criminal Code. Following the Second World War, an average of 240 mercenaries were convicted each year of joining the French Foreign Legion despite the ban. Nowadays, such cases are fewand far between. Switzerland’s judiciary came down hard on the 800 or so men who served on the side of the SpanishRepublicans against Franco’s Nationalists from 1936 to 1939. These activists, who fought for freedom and democracy, received a pardon from parliament 70 years later. Ban on mercenary firms Mercenary firms have been explicitly banned in Switzerland since 2013. It is illegal for Swiss-based private security companies to take part in armed hostilities abroad or recruit mercenaries for this purpose. On introducing the ban, the justice minister at the time Simonetta Sommaruga (SP) stressed that Switzerland was taking responsibility: “We cannot be indifferent to what Swiss-based companies do abroad.” THEODORA PETER Further information Swiss soldiers in foreign service (Swiss Federal Archives): revue.link/soldiers Swiss mercenaries in Indonesia (Swiss National Museum): revue.link/mercenaries arms. Take the training aircraftmade by Swiss aerospace company Pilatus, for example. Pilatus is free to export these planes to countries including the United Arab Emirates, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, all of whom are involved in the war in Yemen. The issue of whether Qatar can order more air defence cannons from Switzerland in the future depends on how the Federal Council views the country’s human rights situation. At present, the emirate is not involved in armed conflicts such as the one in Yemen. However, Middle East experts say that the rich desert nation in the Persian Gulf is determined to become a regional power. This increases the danger of it becoming embroiled in future conflicts that potentially result in violations of international humanitarian law – the last thing that Switzerland, the depositary state of the Geneva Convention, actually wants. Swiss arms exports at a record high Last year, Switzerland exported arms worth some 900 million Swiss francs – 24 per cent more than in the previous year andmore than at any other time in recent years (see table). However, arms account for a tiny 0.3 per cent share of Switzerland’s total exports. Denmark and Germany were the leading recipients of Swiss arms exports in2020. Europe accounted for around 60 per cent of exports. The next importantmarketwas Asia. Some of themore controversial recipients included Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman andPakistan. Dressed to kill: the mercenary Gall von Untervalden. Coloured wood engraving from around 1520–1530. Photo: Keystone
10 Images Swiss Review / December 2021 / No.6 Picture source: Orell Füssli
11 The iconic Swiss cartoon character Globi can look back on an illustrious career since being invented by illustrator Robert Lips in 1932 – nearly 90 years ago. Who could have imagined back then that an exotic, ageless blue parrot wearing nothing but a pair of red and black checked trousers and a black beret would become something of a national hero? This is not what Lips initially had in mind. Globi was born during the economic crisis of the interwar era – a child of expediency for department store Globus, who were looking for a new mascot. The ink on Lip’s pen had barely dried when “Globi the soldier” – endorsed by General Henri Guisan no less – found himself championing “geistige Landesverteidigung”, the intellectual defence of the nation. Globi has tried to remain relevant ever since, even if the colonial undercurrent that accompanied his tour through Africa during the early years attracts allegations of racism to this day. Globi’s success is undisputed. The parrot has soldmillions of comic books, some of which are now published in English. He has also learned how to cook – Italian cuisine was on the menu this autumn (in “Globis italienische Küche”). His latest comic book features tennis player Roger Federer. Federer, a fellow icon, wrote on Instagram that he felt honoured to be reunited with Globi after growing upwith the character. Maybe Fed can identify with Globi, given the character’s similar temperament and ability to overcome challenges. And talking of challenges –wouldn’t it be good if Switzerland could commandeer its favourite parrot for other, more pressing issues? Perhaps Globi could mend the political fallout from the collapse of the Swiss-EU framework agreement. How about “Globi and Europe” as the title of the next book? JÜRG STEINER www.globi.ch/globi/ Swiss Review / December 2021 / No.6
Swiss Review / December 2021 / No.6 12 Nature and the environment MIREI LLE GUGGENBÜHLER Ahunter in the Surselva district of the canton of Grisons pointed his rifle, then pulled the trigger. He thought he had killed a fox, but the dead animal was a male golden jackal. This incident happened five years ago. The hunter contacted the authorities once he realisedhis error, said the canton of Grisons when it went public with the news. Golden jackals are a protected species. Technically, it is illegal to kill them. Nevertheless, the accident provided the first-ever concrete, physical evidence of the animal in Switzerland. From the Balkans to Switzerland That the Grisons hunter failed to recognise the animal’s identity immediately is frankly unsurprising, given that golden jackals have more than a passing resemblance to foxes. They are about the same size as foxes but have shorter tails and longer legs. The colour of their fur ranges from gold to grey. The long-legged golden jackal is the only jackal subspecies native to Europe. It originally inhabited Asia and the Middle East before moving to the Balkan region during the last century. The extirpation of wolves from the Balkansmeant that golden jackals eventually had no natural enemies left and could breed unhindered (wolves dominate jackals). Hence, jackal numbers are very high in the Balkans. Golden jackals live in family packs. However, young jackals are eventually driven away andmust stake out their own territory in order to start a family. Due to dense jackal populations, it has become hard for these youngermembers of the species to find fresh hunting grounds. Young males, in particular, are consequently venturing into newareas and covering great distances doing so. This is why the golden jackal has continued to expandwestwards from the Balkans as far as Switzerland. A camera trap took a picture of a golden jackal in Switzerland back in 2011, while a second piece of photographic evidencewas captured just before the incident in Grisons. Switzerland mainly a destination for young males The images, along with genetic data and reports of jackal sightings, are kept on the computers of the carnivore ecology and wildlife management foundation KORA in Muri (canton of Berne). Based on this documentation, KORA managing director Christian Stauffer says: “Only young, verymobilemales have found their way to Switzerland to date.” KORA collected seven pieces of photographic or genetic evidence in 2020. There were also some 16 sightings or other traces found. It is actually astonishing that golden jackals have settled in Switzerland at all, given that their potential habitat in the country is less than ideal. “After all, golden jackals have come from warmer regions and are ill adapted to areas that are covered in snow for long periods,” says Stauffer. Jackal paws are not made for walking in snow either. Their size in proportion to bodymass is smaller than that of fox paws, hence they tend to sink into the snow. Switzerland’s high human population density could make it difficult for the golden jackal to find an ideal habitat, says Reinhard Schnidrig, who heads the wildlife conservation section at the Federal Office for the Environment. Nevertheless, even the mountainous and densely populated areas of the country offer spaces in which the animal could well feel at home. Stauffer believes that reed-bed areas are perfect – such as those on the edge of Lake Neuchâtel, where evidence of golden jackals has already been found. Other protected wetland areas such as Kaltbrunner Riet (canton of St. Gallen) have also seen jackal activity. “Switzerland actually has several such areas where I could very well imagine the golden jackal raising offspring one day,” says Schnidrig. But the males would have to find a mate first. And this could still take a while, because female golden jackals are yet to arrive. According to Schnidrig, the expansion of mammal populations tends to be male-driven. “The males normally set off first. The females eventually follow.” Is climate change a factor? Exploding jackal populations in the Balkans are one of the reasonswhy the species has expanded to Switzerland. Another factor could be climate change and rising temperatures in the A new predator in Switzerland Switzerland first picked up the trail of the golden jackal ten years ago. We now know that this fox-like predator has taken a particular liking to protected Swiss wetlands. But as jackals start to arrive, other mammal species are being driven out of the country.
Swiss Review / December 2021 / No.6 13 saw the biggest-ever survey of mammals in the country. According to the Swiss Society of Wildlife Biology, which conducted the survey, there are now 12 more recorded species in Switzerland than there were 25 years ago. Other than the golden jackal, these include the Valais shrew (Sorex antinorii) and a type of bat called the crypticmyotis (Myotis crypticus). Previously eradicated species like the wolf and the otter have also returned to Switzerland. Commenting on its survey, the Swiss Society of Wildlife Biology says that while large species like the golden jackal, the wolf and the ibex attract a great deal of attention, smaller mammals tend to get minimal coverage. Some of these species are coming under increasing pressure. For example, polecat and weasel numbers are falling. And hare habitats are shrinking too. “Hares now have barely any chance of raising their young properly in many places around the country,” says Schnidrig. Species with specific habitat requirements are generally having a hard time in Switzerland, but animals that can handle various conditions are faring well, he concludes. Time will tell how the golden jackal copes in Swiss climes. Golden jackal sightings are on the rise in Switzerland. Photo: Keystone otherwise colder, snowy regions of countries like Switzerland. However, Christian Stauffer believes that the role of climate change in the spread of the golden jackal is unproven. There are no studies to back the theory up either. Twelve new mammal species in Switzerland The golden jackal is not the only new mammal in Switzerland. Last spring Taller, longer legs, smaller tail: the golden jackal compared to the fox. Photo: Keystone
Swiss Review / December 2021 / No.6 14 Culture
Swiss Review / December 2021 / No.6 15 STÉPHANE HERZOG Priya Ragu appears on our computer screen dressed in a grey sweatshirt and sipping a coffee. Themusician, aged 35, politely agrees to the interview, organised by the Warner group, with whom she signed in August 2020. The singer has been giving one interviewafter the other in the context of the release of her first album in September. “Damnshestamil” offers ten bright and lively pop songs, crossed with the sounds of South Asia. “When a girl says she’s from Brazil, people find that cool.When I say I’mTamil, people don’t associate it with anything. It’s not glam!” the rising start tells us, laughing. Priya’s husky yet smoothvoicehas thrilled listeners, withhundreds of themdeclaring their love for her on social media. “She mixes the sounds of two completely separate worlds. No one makes music like her,” states one message postedunder themusic video for the song “Kamali”, which has almost half a million views on YouTube. A childhood between two worlds Priya Ragu has already overcome a succession of barriers that render her success all the more impressive. She is female, she is the daughter of refugee parents, she has brown skin, she grewup in a very conservativeworld and shemade her breakthrough at a late age. “I only see the barriers I’ve broken through when I look behind me,” comments the singer fromher flat in London. This is the story of a girl born into a family of refugees from Jaffna. They fled the civil war that shook Sri Lanka from 1983 and which ended with the defeat of the Tamil Tigers in 2009. Ragupathylingam, her father, was an accountant. Hewas also amusician. “Hewas a well-known singer. But working as a Tamil musician in his country ended up being dangerous,” his daughter tells us. Priya’s mother, Chandrika, taught typing. After a passage throughGermany, the family settled in St. Gallen, with their young son, named Roshaan. The young Priya was to grow up in a stable, but very strict environment. Her father worked for the post office. Her mother was an assistant in a pharmacy. “It’s a sort of miracle for refugees to be able to start their lives again in a countrywhere they are not necessarilywelcome,” remarks Priya, who has Swiss citizenship. At school, she was one of only two girls with brown skin. She experienced some rejection. But for the most part, her integration went well. “I spent somuch time crossing between two worlds, I sometimes forgot the colour of my skin.” At home, Tamil music and Kollywood cinema, produced in Tamil Nadu in the south of India, kept alive the culture that her household did not want to forget. Eachweekend, the family invited round friends and Priya’smotherwould cook. Roshaanwould play the organ and Priya and Ragupathylingam would sing. Spoons and buckets were used for percussion. The little band would also play at parties. When asked to talk about her parents’ country, Priya shares memories tainted with sadness. Her links to the island are tenuous, and yet the Tamil culture radiates from her life and thus her music. A spiritual journey to New York As an adult, Priya Ragu left the family nest to move to Zurich. Trained in accounting, she was hired by Swiss to sell aircraft components. For years, she flirtedwith the idea of making music professionally, like her brother, who had already thrown himself heart and soul into the career. In 2017, she left her job and flew to New York. Each morning, Priyawouldwrite andmeditate. During the lastmonth of her half-year stay, Priya, who had moved to Brooklyn to an apartment with a recording studio lent by the American rapper Oddisee, began to compose. Roshaan, alias Japhna Gold, also had a small recording studio in a shared apartment in Oerlikon. The two musicians exchanged rhythms, melodies and texts online. Japhna suggested incorporating Tamil percussion, and bingo! Priya returned to Switzerland, where she was rehired by Swiss. Her salary was now used to fund recordings and produce music videos. Ragu music mixing R&B, soul, rap, Swiss, Tamil and a global star The Swiss singer of Tamil descent, Priya Ragu, has achieved worldwide success with her single “Good Love 2.0”. The daughter of Sri Lankan refugees, brought up in St. Gallen, her story is one of liberation. Colourful music, colourful clothing: singer Priya Ragu brings different worlds together in a blaze of colour. Photo: Warner Music
Swiss Review / December 2021 / No.6 16 Culture Switzerland in figures Food, glorious food 3.3 The hunger pangs arrive, and the fridge beckons. This was a commonplace story throughout 2020, and one with weighty consequences. A study by the University of St. Gallen found that Swiss people put on an average of 3.3 kilogrammes – or as much as 6.7 kilogrammes for those in the 45–64 age bracket. 28,560 It might not be tactful to pursue these calculations further. Nevertheless... if every one of the 8,655,118 people in Switzerland gained 3.3 kilogrammes in a year, how much heavier did the population as a whole become? The answer is 28,560 tonnes. If the Swiss Abroad were equally peckish, that would mean another 2,550 tonnes. 110 Of course, a heavier population is not necessarily a healthier one. The authorities and the food industry are therefore looking for ways to reduce sugar consumption in Switzerland. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends limiting sugar intake to no more than 50 grammes a day. However, daily consumption in Switzerland averages 110 grammes – one of the downsides that comes with the country’s love of chocolate. 1 Of course, all of the above cannot be understood without the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, which led to a decrease in movement and poorer nutrition. And the pandemic also resulted in a reduction in life expectancy. Figures from the Federal Statistical Office indicate that male life expectancy fell by around one year to 81 years in 2020. Such a fall is without precedent since 1944. The equivalent figure for women shrank by half a year to just over 85. 87.3 However, life expectancy patterns are not uniform across the country: there are some regions where people live longer than elsewhere. So, where might you want to move to? Answer: Appenzell Innerrhoden, especially if you are female, as the women of this canton have the longest life expectancy (87.3) anywhere in Switzerland. RESEARCH: MARC LETTAU pop and chants from the Indian subcontinent had arrived inOerlikon. In 2018, “Leaf High”, forwhich the videowould be filmed in Paris, was posted online. “Lighthouse” followed, with a video shot inMumbai. Priya heard hermusic on the public radio SRF3, where the twomusicians had sent their track. The fourth song to appear online was “Good Love 2.0”. The track was pushed in 2020 by Irish DJ Annie Mac, a star of the BBC. The sounds of the St. Gallen singer were heard by “NewMusical Express” and “Good Love 2.0” was used to accompany players of the video game FIFA 21. InAugust 2020, the singer signedwithWarner UK. Shewas interviewed by “The Guardian” and quoted in “The New York Times”. A fact worthnoting: the ten tracks of “Damnshestamil”were almost all recorded inOerlikon. Ragu’s style has something familial and artisan about it. A discourse on the freedom of women Priya would like to use her music to break down the stereotypes attached to Sri Lankans, “which essentially limit themto the role of cook, cleaner or seller”, she explained to the online journal “Decorated Youth”. In “Kamali”, a song inspired by a documentary, the artist tells the story of a little girl fromTamil Nadu, brought up by hermother, who supports her passion for skateboarding in a world which does not allow for this possibility. “I want to talk to all the Kamalis in the world, to encourage them to look far ahead of themselves. If we are capable of creating life, imagine what we can create when we break free of our barriers,” writes Priya. “Mymother, who appears in the track’s video, was particularlymoved by the life of themother of Kamali, who had to fight. Her opinion on the place of women in society has changed,” explains the singer, who practises Thai boxing. The dream of this Tamil-Swiss citizen, as she sometimes presents herself to preempt questions, is to organise a big music festival in Jaffna one day, with Tamil artists from all over the world. Priya Ragu on the lake stage at this year’s Montreux Jazz Festival. Her rapid ascent is opening doors for her everywhere. Photo: Keystone
Swiss Review / December 2021 / No.6 17 Literature Back in 1994, the author had the following retort for anyone who thought such an abundance of themes, protagonists and locations was a mere smokescreen for reality: “Even if my books are indeed connected to reality and to history, it is certainly not my intention to depict reality. The most I can do is bring things into relief, because literature cannot rival history. It is no substitute for the real thing, even if it masquerades as such.” A novella masterpiece Faes perpetuates the great tradition of the German novella writing in “Raunächte” (The twelve nights of Christmas), 2018. A man trudges through the snowy forest, weighed down by dark memories of a dark secret that drove him away from the place he spent his childhood. This densely packed, skilfullywritten short story is not only filledwith great symbolism, but its tone, atmosphere and rhythm are impeccable too. The author’s nod to Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” lends the narrative amysterious, almost magical depth. BIBL IOGRAPHY: The works of Urs Faes are available from Suhrkamp. CHARLES L INSMAYER IS A L I TERARY SCHOL AR AND JOURNAL IST BASED IN ZÜRICH CHARLES L INSMAYER Read “Alphabet des Abschieds” (The alphabet of farewells), 1991, and youwill notice a remark that epitomises the novel’s author Urs Faes, who was born in Aarau in 1947: “The past is all about telling stories and the archaeology of remembrance.” In “Augenblicke im Paradies” (Moments in paradise), 1994, Faes begins delving into his family history to imbue historical events with real-life experience and personal authenticity. His parents’ corner shop is the inspiration behind this bittersweet retrospective of the 1914-50 era. After the fall of the Third Reich, confectioners produced “American” chewing gum instead of German caramel: “The era had ended in ruins, rubble and death. Woe betide any sweet that reminded you of this. Finis germaniae, finis caramellum, finis sucrum.” Art, music, medicine However, Faes has also shown, in “Ombra” (1997), for example, that he can recount life stories without relying on a family narrative. “Als hätte die Stille Türen” (As if the silence had doors), 2005, juxtaposes the fictional love between two protagonists with the real-life romance between Alban Berg and Hanna Fuchs. “Words are like doors. From silence, into silence. They create expanses in which to move. They create space,” the author writes. The theme of music lends “Als hätte die Stille Türen” an added dimension, whilemedicine does the same in “Paarbildung” (Coupling), 2010 – a book in which the term“coupling” firstly has oncological implications and, secondly, refers to amoving love affair that recalls the social upheaval of 1968. Born of his experience of undergoing cancer therapy, Faes digs into his personal memory bank again in “Halt auf Verlangen” (Stop on request), 2016, to recount a series of happy and less-than-happy romances. Various life stories feature in “Sommer in Brandenburg” (Summer in Brandenburg), 2014, and “Untertags” (During the day), 2020. The latter is amoving novel that deals with dementia and the role of language. The stories are all mysteriously connected to the summer of 1938 in Germany and the exodus of thousands of young Jews to Palestine. “Literature cannot rival history” Novelist Urs Faes digs into his memory. “David and Simone looked on silently as the heron waded ever so slowly upstream, gently placing one leg in front of the other into the sandy riverbed, its head nudging forward. Every so often, the bird would stand still for a few seconds, as if seized by the current. It would then exert itself again and continue moving, despite the flow of the river. With tiny steps. The couple stood motionless, watching with bated breath from the riverbank. Then their faces converged.” From “Als hätte die Stille Türen” (As if the silence had doors); novel; Suhrkamp-Verlag, 2005
Swiss Review / December 2021 / No.6 18 Science SUSANNE WENGER The team of Swiss scientists led by computer science professor Heiko Rölke at the University of Applied Sciences of Grisons (FHGR), clinched the world record early on a Saturday morning last August. They had managed to calculate pi to 62.8 trillion decimal places, surpassing the previous record set by the American Timothy Mullican in 2020 by 12.8 trillion decimal places. Their calculation was three times faster, taking 108 days and nine hours. Mullican needed 303 days for his 50 trillion decimal places. According to the professor, reaction to the newworld record has been “overwhelming”. Rölke, who heads the recently established Centre for Data Analysis, Visualisation and Simulation in Chur, admits he was hoping the record attempt would generate a certain amount of PR. However, media inquiries came flooding in not only from within Switzerland but from all over the world. From prestigious newspapers, tomajor television channels and professional journals – everyone wanted to report on the world record. “The funniest bit was speaking live on South African radio,” he says. “We talked a bit about pi.” A fascinating number π, spelled out as “pi” and named after the 16th letter of the Greek alphabet, is a number many of us remember from school. It is the ratio between a circle’s Swiss scientists calculate the most exact pi number ever The University of Applied Sciences of Grisons made global headlines by calculating pi to 62.8 trillion decimal places – a new world record. The scientists behind this result were simply testing the performance of their supercomputer for the purpose of beneficial research. The record-breaking calculation was more than just a fun challenge for Heiko Rölke. Photo: provided. Main picture: the first 12,970 digits of Pi. That should be precise enough for most applications.
Swiss Review / December 2021 / No.6 19 circumference and its diameter. We use pi to calculate the size of any circle, large or small. Youmay even recall its first fewdigits: 3.1415. But it doesn’t end there, because pi is what mathematicians call a transcendental number. In other words, pi is comprised of an infinite number of decimal places. Pi is a number that never settles into a repeating pattern, says Rölke. Every decimal place must be calculated individually. “This is the unique and fascinating thing.” Which is why scholars have been studying pi for some 3,600 years already – from the ancient Egyptians to the Greek mathematicians Archimedes and Ptolemy; fromChina’s LiuHui to Iran’s Jamshīd al-Kāshī and Germany’s Leibniz. According to Rölke, there have been mathematicians and physicists who have spent a whole lifetime calculating the odd hundred or so decimal places of pi. The invention of the computer was a game changer, with the advent of electronic mainframe computers at the end of the 1940s extending Pi to 2,037 digits. Methodology matters At the end of the 1980s, the Ukrainian-born Chudnovsky brothers developed an algorithm for calculating the digits of pi –whichRölke and his team alsoemployedtohit62,831,853,071,796 decimal places on their supercomputer. To print out thismind-boggling number, youwould have to fill around 17.5 billion A4 sheets of paper on both sides. Enough to take your breath away. And the FHGR scientists got nearer to the true value of pi than anyone else has before. But what is the point of identifying so many digits? “There is no practical benefit,” Rölke confesses cheerfully. Just a few decimal places are sufficient for most purposes. You need a lotmore to calculate orbits in space. “But certainly not trillions.” But the world-record number was never meant to be of use per se. The scientists weremore interested in the methodology. Their recently purchased supercomputer was an essential tool, but what was also important was having the necessary expertise to set up the hardware properly and ensure that it calculated non-stop over a period of weeks. Hence, the world-record attempt was a way to test the performance of their infrastructure. It also helped to expand their knowledge. Fit for data-intensive research projects “In preparing and performing the calculations, we were able to develop significant expertise and optimise our processes,” says Rölke. And identify weaknesses such as shortfalls in back-up capacity. It took vast amounts of storage space to conduct such a lengthy pi calculation and record its progress. The scientists repeatedly had to shift the data to commercial external hard drives. As such, the whole process gave them good training for collaborating on data and CPU-intensive projectswith partners in research and development. Together with the Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research, which is also based in Grisons, they are currently studying the causes of allergies in children – an area inwhich still very little is known, says Rölke. This wide-ranging project requires extensive calculations for evaluating blood samples, focusing onmessenger RNA from genes: “Standard calculations could only take us so far.” Intense processing power is necessary for other projects such as climate simulations to predict floods and avalanches. Switzerland’s universities of applied sciences are responsible for providing knowledge with a clear practical orientation. A short-lived record The pi world record is therefore of genuine scientific benefit, says Rölke. It has been registeredwith theGuinness Book of Records, but any bragging rights are likely to be short-lived. The mark tends to be broken again after one or two years. And the previous Swiss to extend the record did so only four years ago, when physicist Peter Trüeb calculated the number to 22.4 trillion decimal places in 2017. Google employee Emma Haruka Iwao beat this just two years later, with 31 trillion. Rölke is relaxed about it. The small matter of publishing the new pi number is proving to bemore of a headache for him. He says hewould love tomake the number freely available, but someone would need to cough up enough storage space for 62 terabytes of data. In uncompressed form, that is one huge slice of pi. “We will probably ask Google for help,” he sighs. Our column inches are limited too, so we have decided to publish only the last tenmost recently proven decimal places of pi. These are: 7817924264. Higher, further, faster, more beautiful? In search of the somewhat different Swiss records. Today: the “world champions” of pi come from Switzerland. e tremes Swiss
Swiss Review / December 2021 / No.6 20 Politics Lara and Delia tie the knot in Regensdorf. A tangible example of society’s new normal. Photo: Keystone EVEL INE RUTZ Same-sex couples in Switzerland can nowmarry and adopt children together. They have the same rights as married heterosexual couples. Consequently, their situation has improved with regard to inheritance and naturalisation as well as in numerous other areas. Married lesbian couples can also become parents through sperm donations. Both female partnerswill be legally recognised asmothers. Their children will be able to learn the identity of the biological father from the age of 18. A large proportion of the population supports “Marriage for all”, with 64.1 per cent of the electorate having approved the proposal on 26 September. Remarkably, all 26 cantons voted in favour. Even themore conservative cantons voted yes. The Swiss Abroad were very much in agreement, with almost 72 per cent giving their approval. Wedding bells next summer Federal Councillor Karin Keller-Sutter expressed her delight at what she called “society giving recognition”. “The state should not tell people how to lead their lives,” she said. The relevant amendment to the Swiss Civil Code is scheduled to come into force on 1 July 2022, afterwhich same-sex couples can get married and civil partnerships can be converted to marriage. The Reformed Churchwill also conduct same-sexweddings from July next year. However, the church constitution has to be amended first in some cantons, so there could be delays. The result of the referendumwill probably have less of an impact within the Catholic Church. Demand for blessing ceremonies, which have already taken place in some parishes, is likely to increase. However, it is hard to imagine the Vatican offering the sacrament of marriage to same-sex couples any time soon. Difficult ethical and legal questions Same-sex couples will soon bewelcome at registry offices. One particular activist on Twitter said shewas looking forward to a bumperwedding season. The LGBTQImovement called it a “milestone on the road towards equality”. Switzerland has been relatively late to approve these changes. It is the 29th country to have taken the step – a decision taken by the Swiss people that goes even further than in other countries by granting female couples access to sperm donations. However, egg donations and surrogacy are still banned. The Centre aswell as the centre-right and right-wing parties have nowish to change this. As reasons they cite the difficult ethical and legal questions that the procedures raise. The Social Democrats share their reluctance. However, they are calling for private sperm donations to be allowed. These aremore cost-effective and easier to access, says SP co-chair Mattea Meyer. The Green Liberals want to legalise egg donations. They criticise the way in which current legislation discriminates between sperm and eggs. “The biological father is free to donate his sperm, so it is difficult to seewhy a separation between thewomanwho gives her genes and the woman who carries and gives birth to the child is justification enough to prohibit egg donations,” wrote National Councillor Katja Christ in a parliamentary motion. Same-sex couples can now marry in Switzerland too Now that the Swiss electorate has emphatically approved the “Marriage for all” proposal, lobbying for further changes has already begun. These include legalising egg donations and improving the rights of cohabiting partners and single people.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjYwNzMx