0:00:08.805,0:00:12.363
You might remember this image[br]of the chancellor Angela Merkel

0:00:12.363,0:00:15.653
taking a selfie with a refugee

0:00:15.653,0:00:17.829
This image and others like it

0:00:17.829,0:00:20.865
have raised concerns [br]in the German Parliament

0:00:20.865,0:00:22.980
and many European parliaments

0:00:22.980,0:00:25.900
putting the European Union[br]in a difficult spot.

0:00:25.970,0:00:29.771
From the beginning there hasn't been [br]a German consensus

0:00:29.771,0:00:32.634
regarding an avalanche of refugees

0:00:32.634,0:00:35.634
coming from the Middle East[br]and headed to Europe.

0:00:35.634,0:00:39.698
The welcoming environment created [br]by Angela Merkel at the beginning

0:00:39.698,0:00:41.451
was not always appreciated by everyone.

0:00:41.451,0:00:44.356
At the start, there were[br]those who supported her

0:00:44.356,0:00:45.946
and others who didn't.

0:00:45.962,0:00:49.138
Those who does not [br]support her are increasing

0:00:49.138,0:00:51.587
there are more of them[br]opposing her

0:00:51.587,0:00:54.834
which will clearly take its toll [br]on Angela Merkel.

0:00:54.834,0:00:58.892
I don't want to get into details [br]about Angela Merkel's political future

0:00:58.892,0:01:02.157
but I'd like to mention[br]that she is, for me,

0:01:02.157,0:01:04.837
one of the political figures[br]that currently

0:01:04.837,0:01:08.297
has moral authority[br]in spite of her mistakes,

0:01:08.310,0:01:13.070
which is something that[br]most current politicians lack.

0:01:13.872,0:01:18.452
This graph shows the number of refugees

0:01:18.541,0:01:21.207
that entered Germany last year.

0:01:21.207,0:01:26.257
The first group is from Syria,[br]followed by the group from Iraq

0:01:26.304,0:01:28.374
and the Afghan group.

0:01:28.374,0:01:33.184
According to a UNICEF report [br]published two weeks ago,

0:01:33.314,0:01:36.081
half of those who flee from war

0:01:36.081,0:01:37.921
are minors.

0:01:39.215,0:01:43.547
The anti-refugee discourse is well known:

0:01:43.547,0:01:48.187
"They will impose Islam on us."[br]"We are letting terrorists in."

0:01:48.256,0:01:50.406
"We are loosing our identity."

0:01:50.418,0:01:54.708
Also, it is true that [br]there are people who support

0:01:54.812,0:01:57.900
or show empathy with [br]those who flee from war

0:01:57.900,0:02:00.931
but I can also say[br]that within them

0:02:00.931,0:02:08.321
there is a way to protect[br]against the political mistakes

0:02:08.323,0:02:09.441
to avoid taking action,

0:02:09.441,0:02:13.342
to not participate in [br]initiatives which could

0:02:13.342,0:02:18.382
at least calm these[br]serious personal situations.

0:02:18.855,0:02:21.946
In both unofficial and official discourse

0:02:21.946,0:02:27.256
stands out as something key [br]to the integration of the refugees:

0:02:27.265,0:02:29.235
learning German.

0:02:29.414,0:02:31.839
I'm from Barcelona and I'm a linguist

0:02:31.839,0:02:34.939
Four years ago I moved to [br]Cologne, Germany,

0:02:34.952,0:02:39.342
learning a language is key factor[br]for me as well,

0:02:39.367,0:02:40.695
to be able to integrate,

0:02:40.695,0:02:44.861
but not only is it a key factor [br]for the refugees,

0:02:44.861,0:02:48.045
but for all immigrants.

0:02:48.045,0:02:51.458
I have been researching different aspects [br]of German in multilingual environments

0:02:51.458,0:02:52.932
for several years.

0:02:52.932,0:02:57.562
My view is that language [br]is not a final product

0:02:57.608,0:02:59.575
that you could master.

0:02:59.575,0:03:05.613
For me, language is a process [br]that changes during one's lifetime,

0:03:05.613,0:03:09.263
throughout the personal experiences[br]we have.

0:03:09.518,0:03:12.838
Obviously, language [br]is a powerful instrument

0:03:12.838,0:03:15.632
for integration, for inclusion, but also

0:03:15.632,0:03:18.882
a powerful instrument [br]for social exclusion.

0:03:18.970,0:03:22.883
If, for instance, you have[br]poor linguistic competence

0:03:22.883,0:03:29.033
or you have a foreign accent,[br]or a dialect from a certain region,

0:03:29.033,0:03:32.793
or, perhaps if you have[br]some sort of disability

0:03:32.793,0:03:36.453
which affects the production[br]of your speech,

0:03:36.453,0:03:38.362
say, for example, stammering,

0:03:38.362,0:03:42.079
all of which are examples[br]that influence the way people

0:03:42.079,0:03:47.509
will accept or reject you in a society.

0:03:47.603,0:03:52.003
The use of language and [br]identity is not static,

0:03:52.165,0:03:54.015
it is something dynamic.

0:03:54.043,0:03:57.562
It isn't like fingerprints,[br]that stay with you for life.

0:03:57.562,0:04:01.029
Identity is something you[br]either create or forge

0:04:01.029,0:04:07.869
based on the values and beliefs,[br]you families and friends give you

0:04:08.001,0:04:12.231
and also about[br]what you really want to be,

0:04:12.305,0:04:16.135
and what you really want to be[br]is related to your motivation,

0:04:16.141,0:04:21.021
from the feeling of belonging[br]you have with other groups

0:04:21.021,0:04:23.405
that you feel connected or identified

0:04:23.405,0:04:26.087
and also in relation to [br]interactions with groups

0:04:26.087,0:04:28.722
that are completely different[br]to you.

0:04:29.152,0:04:31.597
In the refugee centres in Germany

0:04:31.597,0:04:35.787
free German lessons are offered,

0:04:35.952,0:04:40.285
and we could think,[br]it is natural to think,

0:04:40.285,0:04:42.795
that these people should be happy

0:04:42.842,0:04:45.682
because they are able to [br]have these German courses

0:04:45.892,0:04:49.012
and should also be grateful.

0:04:49.105,0:04:55.085
However, the absence of female teenagers [br]is quite significant

0:04:55.153,0:04:58.983
in these German groups,[br]in these activities.

0:05:00.125,0:05:02.035
Think about this:

0:05:02.647,0:05:12.017
these girls have a big burden,[br]many post traumatic disorders,

0:05:12.072,0:05:18.142
due to an exodus, to a land[br]that no one had promised to them;

0:05:19.238,0:05:22.778
they have seen how their[br]loved ones were murdered,

0:05:23.559,0:05:27.389
how their homes were burned or bombed.

0:05:28.914,0:05:34.704
Some other women, unfortunately, [br]have been witnesses or victims of rape

0:05:34.718,0:05:40.354
in this particular voyage,[br]from Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria

0:05:40.354,0:05:44.124
headed to Europe[br]or in this case, Germany.

0:05:44.525,0:05:47.116
If you could put yourselves in their shoes

0:05:47.126,0:05:51.626
would you be keen to take German classes

0:05:51.632,0:05:53.512
or anything at all?

0:05:54.594,0:05:58.644
If that wasn't enough,[br]these girls' families,

0:05:59.799,0:06:05.079
parents, brothers and[br]other family members

0:06:05.097,0:06:08.027
don't allow them to participate[br]in these activities

0:06:08.027,0:06:12.237
because they think it's likely [br]that it could damage them further.

0:06:12.759,0:06:14.509
And the question is:

0:06:14.969,0:06:18.803
What can we do so that[br]these girls start participating

0:06:18.803,0:06:22.123
in this new society and integrate?

0:06:22.306,0:06:25.343
This is the question that[br]four friends and I have been asking:

0:06:25.343,0:06:29.278
in the red sweater, Sandra, [br]then me, Lina and Peter.

0:06:29.278,0:06:32.957
All of us, due to different reasons,[br]have a lot of connections with adolescence.

0:06:32.957,0:06:37.047
Peter and I, by having [br]15 years old daughters

0:06:37.240,0:06:41.920
Sandra and Lina, for working[br]with this adolescent group.

0:06:42.340,0:06:46.910
We thought:[br]what if we create a project

0:06:47.210,0:06:50.590
where it wouldn't just be [br]attractive for refugee girls,

0:06:50.595,0:06:54.415
but also attractive for German girls?

0:06:54.706,0:06:56.610
Could we unite them?

0:06:56.610,0:07:00.194
Could we create a space[br]for them to interact

0:07:00.194,0:07:04.764
and maybe that could help [br]to transform their identity?

0:07:04.887,0:07:07.337
That's how Hallofoto! was born.

0:07:07.349,0:07:13.049
It is a intercultural project [br]for 13 - 17 year old girls.

0:07:13.084,0:07:16.722
The objectives of this project[br]were: to develop --

0:07:16.722,0:07:19.613
well, firstly to create spaces[br]for interaction to occur

0:07:19.613,0:07:23.833
so then with that develop[br]communication skills,

0:07:23.855,0:07:26.984
and then the girls' creativity.

0:07:26.984,0:07:28.564
We thought:

0:07:28.564,0:07:31.994
If we develop both of them[br]it is certain that we will create

0:07:32.009,0:07:36.399
the possibility for them to develop[br]their intercultural skills.

0:07:38.375,0:07:41.292
Clearly, to develop communication skills

0:07:41.292,0:07:43.431
learning German was something[br]they would have to do

0:07:43.431,0:07:44.367
there was no other way

0:07:44.367,0:07:48.447
and we utilised an innovative method:[br]Augmentative Communication Boards.

0:07:48.447,0:07:50.727
These augmentative communication boards

0:07:50.727,0:07:53.432
are tools for those who are not verbal,

0:07:53.432,0:07:55.657
meaning that people who have[br]no spoken language.

0:07:55.657,0:07:58.586
This condition can be [br]present from birth, for example

0:07:58.586,0:08:03.336
chilrden with severe[br]Autistm Spectrum Disorders,

0:08:03.353,0:08:06.733
or, for example, children [br]with cerebral palsy.

0:08:06.738,0:08:10.061
This condition can also be[br]developed in adults,

0:08:10.061,0:08:12.852
following a stroke, or an accident,

0:08:12.852,0:08:17.552
or maybe following [br]a neurodegenerative disease,

0:08:17.578,0:08:19.026
such as Parkinson's.

0:08:19.026,0:08:21.419
The boards that we used[br]on the project

0:08:21.419,0:08:26.478
are based on pictograms[br]and a core vocabulary.

0:08:26.478,0:08:31.688
The core vocabulary includes the words[br]that are repeated the most while speaking

0:08:31.768,0:08:33.596
and this happens, not only in German,

0:08:33.596,0:08:38.256
but even in Spanish, Catalan, [br]Basque, English, etc.

0:08:40.014,0:08:45.054
The girls accepted these instruments,

0:08:45.782,0:08:48.858
and the data gathered from [br]the project proves this,

0:08:48.858,0:08:50.868
that they value it positively.

0:08:50.869,0:08:54.416
In any case, for them this isn't[br]the most important factor

0:08:54.416,0:08:58.746
to learn German, to have dreams,[br]to stay motivated,

0:08:58.784,0:09:03.524
to actually really be willing[br]to participate in this new society.

0:09:03.559,0:09:08.049
For them, the most significant things [br]are our encounters

0:09:08.118,0:09:11.440
organised at Hallafoto! [br]through our project.

0:09:11.440,0:09:13.425
They are intercultural encounters

0:09:13.425,0:09:17.740
because we were promoting[br]face-to-face interactions

0:09:17.740,0:09:21.380
among groups with [br]totally different points of reference.

0:09:21.600,0:09:25.220
This, for instance, is an image[br]from one of the gatherings.

0:09:25.236,0:09:29.438
We organised the intercultural[br]gatherings by themes

0:09:29.438,0:09:31.271
which were chosen by the girls.

0:09:31.271,0:09:34.081
This theme is [br]"Makeup and Hairdressing."

0:09:34.081,0:09:36.947
In another gathering we went[br]to an adventure centre

0:09:36.947,0:09:40.157
where there were zip lines,[br]balancing games and tunnels.

0:09:40.565,0:09:45.105
The idea was not to create fear,[br]but to overcome it.

0:09:45.229,0:09:47.329
They coordinated efforts,

0:09:47.334,0:09:50.072
and it wasn't about[br]who had more or less fear,

0:09:50.072,0:09:52.565
which group had more or less fear,

0:09:52.565,0:09:55.569
it was simply each person[br]expressing themseleves individually.

0:09:55.569,0:09:57.136
You can see it in their faces,

0:09:57.136,0:10:00.506
you can't tell who feels fear.

0:10:00.506,0:10:04.026
The point is that in this,[br]along with other gatherings --

0:10:04.026,0:10:06.412
This is the one we did where they cooking

0:10:06.412,0:10:07.781
they can see its meaning.

0:10:07.781,0:10:10.431
And by building such meaning

0:10:10.439,0:10:14.629
is what creates the [br]sensation of a melting pot,

0:10:14.694,0:10:18.379
one which will create bonds,

0:10:18.379,0:10:20.869
some intercultural developments

0:10:20.884,0:10:22.680
which go beyond the labels.

0:10:22.680,0:10:27.640
Labels serve to generate[br]stereotypes and breed prejudices

0:10:27.724,0:10:32.964
that don't take into account the great[br]richness that every one of us is,

0:10:32.978,0:10:35.287
or that every one of us has.

0:10:35.287,0:10:38.087
In addition to these communication skills

0:10:38.089,0:10:41.315
we also wanted to develop creative skills.

0:10:41.315,0:10:48.859
Creativity is the loving and [br]cognitive expression of each individual.

0:10:48.859,0:10:54.219
And if we activate this expression together,

0:10:54.235,0:10:59.255
firstly, a space to generate things is [br]developed, previously unthinkable,

0:10:59.307,0:11:01.837
that are the mixtures of expressions

0:11:01.855,0:11:03.894
where it is possible to see

0:11:03.894,0:11:08.134
how the intercultural skills[br]are being forged.

0:11:08.845,0:11:11.669
That is why these photography[br]workshops were done,

0:11:11.669,0:11:14.355
to stimulate that creativity.

0:11:14.355,0:11:19.245
Photography workshops were [br]held by Peter and Sandra,

0:11:19.271,0:11:21.199
they are the photographers[br]in the group.

0:11:21.199,0:11:22.621
And these are the pictures

0:11:22.621,0:11:26.131
that the girls took during the project.

0:11:26.220,0:11:32.400
Sometimes they struck poses, on other times[br]they took the pictures. They decided.

0:11:37.389,0:11:40.939
When one looks at those [br]pictures, one might ask:

0:11:41.287,0:11:45.107
Where is the "they"?[br]Where is the "us"?

0:11:45.639,0:11:48.739
Frontiers are somehow very diluted.

0:11:48.747,0:11:50.257
How do we define ourselves?

0:11:50.604,0:11:52.970
Those pictures seemed so beautiful to us

0:11:52.970,0:11:56.026
that we thought we should [br]do an exhibition.

0:11:56.026,0:11:58.196
However, we didn't want to do any[br]kind of exhibition

0:11:58.196,0:12:02.286
not in an art gallery or museum.

0:12:02.289,0:12:08.140
We wanted to take our pictures,[br]our exhibition, to an urban space

0:12:08.140,0:12:10.945
and we had a vision.

0:12:10.945,0:12:13.832
This is what it looked like:

0:12:13.832,0:12:18.142
we wanted our girls to be in a tram,

0:12:18.174,0:12:19.609
the tram of wishes.

0:12:19.609,0:12:22.403
Our wish was to have a platform,

0:12:22.403,0:12:25.689
that was a political declaration

0:12:25.689,0:12:30.049
against sexism and xenophobia.

0:12:30.591,0:12:34.379
We presented it to members of[br]Cologne's public transport system

0:12:34.379,0:12:38.039
and they got very exited by it.

0:12:38.065,0:12:42.175
And at the beginning of July last year,

0:12:42.461,0:12:44.911
the tram was presented

0:12:47.236,0:12:49.626
with the girl's pictures.

0:12:58.920,0:13:11.540
(Applause)

0:13:13.486,0:13:18.196
The project had far more[br]success that we ever imagined.

0:13:18.469,0:13:23.299
In fact, newspapers referred [br]to us as the perfect project

0:13:23.315,0:13:27.823
to counter xenophobic tendencies

0:13:27.823,0:13:30.330
that sadly are on the rise

0:13:30.330,0:13:33.242
not only in Germany, but across Europe.

0:13:33.242,0:13:36.312
In addition, many were those[br]who asked us

0:13:36.331,0:13:38.312
if they could replicate the project,

0:13:38.312,0:13:41.191
if they could create [br]their special own Hallofoto!

0:13:41.191,0:13:42.891
Due to this, we thought:

0:13:42.944,0:13:47.064
We will licence it,[br]so that the whole world can use it.

0:13:47.226,0:13:50.576
That is why the project[br]is in Creative Commons,

0:13:50.593,0:13:54.362
and on this stage, in TEDxValladolid,

0:13:54.362,0:13:57.231
I would like to invite anyone here[br]who wants to participate

0:13:57.231,0:14:00.761
and start up your own[br]project, to do it.

0:14:01.296,0:14:09.616
(Applause)

0:14:10.210,0:14:15.628
And isn't what we've taught,[br]the four of us on the team,

0:14:15.628,0:14:18.608
rather, it is what the girls [br]have taught us.

0:14:18.616,0:14:22.886
All of the participants have shown us

0:14:22.909,0:14:26.716
ways to communicate and to interact.

0:14:26.716,0:14:29.229
Firstly, they break stereotypes.

0:14:29.229,0:14:31.817
Secondly, they make bonds.

0:14:31.817,0:14:33.457
That have also created

0:14:33.488,0:14:39.114
transformed, powerful and intercultural identities,

0:14:39.114,0:14:44.694
and these intercultural identities[br]are not based on a consensus,

0:14:44.853,0:14:47.353
but in mutual respect,

0:14:47.353,0:14:51.603
in which they [br]emphasise with one another

0:14:51.709,0:14:53.721
by putting themselves in the other[br]person's shoes,

0:14:53.721,0:14:57.961
to have that feeling of belonging.

0:14:58.008,0:15:00.453
And that feeling of belonging

0:15:00.453,0:15:05.433
is the one I have been feeling from you[br]while I was telling you about all of this,

0:15:05.468,0:15:08.558
for which I am very grateful.

0:15:08.586,0:15:26.656
(Applause)