Intercultural identities to counter xenophobia | Lidia Cámara | TEDxValladolid
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0:09 - 0:12You might remember this image
of the chancellor Angela Merkel -
0:12 - 0:16taking a selfie with a refugee.
-
0:16 - 0:18This image and others like it
-
0:18 - 0:21have raised concerns
in the German Parliament -
0:21 - 0:23and many European parliaments
-
0:23 - 0:26putting the European Union
in a difficult spot. -
0:26 - 0:30From the beginning there hasn't been
a German consensus -
0:30 - 0:33regarding an avalanche of refugees
-
0:33 - 0:36coming from the Middle East
and headed to Europe. -
0:36 - 0:40The welcoming environment created
by Angela Merkel at the beginning -
0:40 - 0:42was not always appreciated by everyone.
-
0:42 - 0:44At the start, there were those
who supported her -
0:44 - 0:46and others who didn't.
-
0:46 - 0:49Those who do not support her
are increasing - -
0:49 - 0:52there are more of them opposing her
-
0:52 - 0:55which will clearly take its toll
on Angela Merkel. -
0:55 - 0:59I don't want to get into details
about Angela Merkel's political future -
0:59 - 1:02but I'd like to mention
that she is, for me, -
1:02 - 1:05one of the political figures
that currently -
1:05 - 1:08has moral authority
in spite of her mistakes, -
1:08 - 1:13which is something
that most current politicians lack. -
1:14 - 1:17This graph shows the number of refugees
-
1:19 - 1:21that entered Germany last year.
-
1:21 - 1:26The first group is from Syria,
followed by the group from Iraq -
1:26 - 1:28and the Afghan group.
-
1:28 - 1:33According to a UNICEF report
published two weeks ago, -
1:33 - 1:36half of those who flee from war
-
1:36 - 1:38are minors.
-
1:39 - 1:43The anti-refugee discourse is well known:
-
1:44 - 1:48"They will impose Islam on us."
"We are letting terrorists in." -
1:48 - 1:50"We are loosing our identity."
-
1:50 - 1:55Also, it is true
that there are people who support -
1:55 - 1:58or show empathy
with those who flee from war -
1:58 - 2:01but I can also say that within them
-
2:01 - 2:07there is a way to protect
against the political mistakes -
2:08 - 2:09to avoid taking action,
-
2:09 - 2:13to not participate
in initiatives which could -
2:13 - 2:18at least alleviate
these serious personal situations. -
2:19 - 2:22In both unofficial and official discourse
-
2:22 - 2:27something key to the integration
of the refugees stands out: -
2:27 - 2:29learning German.
-
2:29 - 2:32I'm from Barcelona and I'm a linguist.
-
2:32 - 2:35Four years ago I moved
to Cologne, Germany. -
2:35 - 2:39Learning a language is key factor
for me as well, -
2:39 - 2:41to be able to be integrated,
-
2:41 - 2:45but not only is it a key factor
for the refugees, -
2:45 - 2:47but for all immigrants.
-
2:48 - 2:52I have been researching different aspects
of language in multilingual environments -
2:52 - 2:53for several years.
-
2:53 - 2:58My view is that language
is not a final product -
2:58 - 3:00that you could master.
-
3:00 - 3:06For me, language is a process
that changes during one's lifetime, -
3:06 - 3:09throughout the personal experiences
we have. -
3:10 - 3:13Obviously, language
is a powerful instrument -
3:13 - 3:16for integration, for inclusion,
-
3:16 - 3:19but also a powerful instrument
for social exclusion. -
3:19 - 3:23If, for instance, you have
poor linguistic competence -
3:23 - 3:28or you have a foreign accent,
or a dialect from a certain region, -
3:29 - 3:33or, perhaps if you have
some sort of disability -
3:33 - 3:36which affects the production
of your speech, -
3:36 - 3:38say, for example, stammering,
-
3:38 - 3:42all of which are examples
that influence the way people -
3:42 - 3:46will accept or reject you in a society.
-
3:48 - 3:52The use of language
and identity is not static, -
3:52 - 3:54it is something dynamic.
-
3:54 - 3:58It isn't like fingerprints,
that stay with you for life. -
3:58 - 4:01Identity is something
you either create or forge -
4:01 - 4:07based on the values and beliefs
your families and friends give you, -
4:08 - 4:12and also about
what you really want to be, -
4:12 - 4:16and what you really want to be
is related to your motivation, -
4:16 - 4:21from the feeling of belonging
you have with other groups -
4:21 - 4:23that you feel connected to
or identify with -
4:23 - 4:26and also in relation
to interactions with groups -
4:26 - 4:29that are completely different from you.
-
4:29 - 4:32In the refugee centres in Germany
-
4:32 - 4:34free German lessons are offered,
-
4:36 - 4:40and we could think -
it is natural to think - -
4:40 - 4:43that these people should be happy
-
4:43 - 4:46because they are able
to have these German courses -
4:46 - 4:49and should also be grateful.
-
4:49 - 4:54However, the absence of female teenagers
is quite significant -
4:55 - 4:59in these German groups,
in these activities. -
5:00 - 5:02Think about this:
-
5:03 - 5:09these girls have a big burden,
many post traumatic disorders, -
5:12 - 5:18due to an exodus, to a land
that no one had promised to them. -
5:19 - 5:23They have seen how their
loved ones were murdered, -
5:24 - 5:27how their homes were burned or bombed.
-
5:29 - 5:35Some other women, unfortunately,
have been witnesses or victims of rape -
5:35 - 5:40in this particular voyage,
from Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria -
5:40 - 5:44headed to Europe or in this case, Germany.
-
5:45 - 5:47If you could put yourselves in their shoes
-
5:47 - 5:51would you be keen to take German classes
-
5:52 - 5:54or anything at all?
-
5:55 - 5:58If that wasn't enough,
these girls' families, -
6:00 - 6:04parents, brothers and other family members
-
6:05 - 6:08don't allow them to participate
in these activities -
6:08 - 6:12because they think it's likely
that it could damage them further. -
6:13 - 6:15And the question is,
-
6:15 - 6:19What can we do
so that these girls start participating -
6:19 - 6:22in this new society and integrate?
-
6:22 - 6:25This is the question
that four friends and I have been asking: -
6:25 - 6:29in the red sweater, Sandra,
then me, Lina and Peter. -
6:29 - 6:32All of us, due to different reasons,
-
6:32 - 6:34have a lot of connections
with adolescence. -
6:34 - 6:37Peter and I, by having
15-year-old daughters, -
6:37 - 6:42Sandra and Lina, for working
with this adolescent group. -
6:42 - 6:46We thought: what if we created a project
-
6:47 - 6:51which wouldn't just be
attractive for refugee girls, -
6:51 - 6:54but also attractive for German girls?
-
6:55 - 6:57Could we unite them?
-
6:57 - 7:00Could we create a space
for them to interact -
7:00 - 7:05and maybe that could help
to transform their identity? -
7:05 - 7:07That's how Hallofoto! was born.
-
7:07 - 7:12It is an intercultural project
for 13 - 17 year old girls. -
7:13 - 7:17The objectives of this project
were: to develop - -
7:17 - 7:20well, firstly to create spaces
for interaction to occur -
7:20 - 7:24so then with that,
develop communication skills, -
7:24 - 7:27and then the girls' creativity.
-
7:27 - 7:29We thought:
-
7:29 - 7:32If we develop both of them
it is certain that we will create -
7:32 - 7:36the possibility for them to develop
their intercultural skills. -
7:38 - 7:41Clearly, to develop communication skills
-
7:41 - 7:44learning German was something
they would have to do -
7:44 - 7:45there was no other way.
-
7:45 - 7:48And we utilised an innovative method:
augmentative communication boards. -
7:48 - 7:51These augmentative communication boards
-
7:51 - 7:53are tools for those who are not verbal,
-
7:53 - 7:56meaning, people who have
no spoken language. -
7:56 - 7:59This condition can be
present from birth, for example -
7:59 - 8:03chilrden with severe
Autistm Spectrum Disorders, -
8:03 - 8:07or, for example, children
with cerebral palsy. -
8:07 - 8:10This condition can also be
developed in adults, -
8:10 - 8:13following a stroke, or an accident,
-
8:13 - 8:18or maybe following
a neurodegenerative disease, -
8:18 - 8:19such as Parkinson's.
-
8:19 - 8:21The boards that we used on the project
-
8:21 - 8:26are based on pictograms
and a core vocabulary. -
8:26 - 8:32The core vocabulary includes the words
that are repeated the most while speaking -
8:32 - 8:34and this happens, not only in German,
-
8:34 - 8:38but even in Spanish, Catalan,
Basque, English, etc. -
8:40 - 8:45The girls accepted these instruments,
-
8:46 - 8:49and the data gathered
from the project proves this, -
8:49 - 8:51that they value it positively.
-
8:51 - 8:54In any case, for them
this isn't the most important factor -
8:54 - 8:59to learn German, to have dreams,
to stay motivated, -
8:59 - 9:04to actually really be willing
to participate in this new society. -
9:04 - 9:08For them, the most significant things
are our encounters -
9:08 - 9:11organised at HalloFoto!
through our project. -
9:11 - 9:13They are intercultural encounters
-
9:13 - 9:18because we were promoting
face-to-face interactions -
9:18 - 9:21among groups with totally different
points of reference. -
9:22 - 9:25This, for instance, is an image
from one of the gatherings. -
9:25 - 9:29We organised the intercultural
gatherings by themes -
9:29 - 9:31which were chosen by the girls.
-
9:31 - 9:34This theme is "Makeup and Hairdressing."
-
9:34 - 9:37In another gathering we went
to an adventure centre -
9:37 - 9:40where there were zip lines,
balancing games and tunnels. -
9:41 - 9:45The idea was not to create fear,
but to overcome it. -
9:45 - 9:47They coordinated efforts,
-
9:47 - 9:50and it wasn't about
who had more or less fear, -
9:50 - 9:53which group had more or less fear,
-
9:53 - 9:56it was simply each person
expressing themseleves individually. -
9:56 - 9:57You can see it in their faces,
-
9:57 - 10:01you can't tell who feels fear.
-
10:01 - 10:04The point is that in this,
along with other gatherings - -
10:04 - 10:06this is the one we did
where they were cooking - -
10:06 - 10:08they can see its meaning.
-
10:08 - 10:10And building such meaning
-
10:10 - 10:15is what creates the sensation
of a cultural mixture, -
10:15 - 10:18one which will create bonds,
-
10:18 - 10:21some intercultural developments
-
10:21 - 10:23which go beyond the labels.
-
10:23 - 10:28Labels serve to generate
stereotypes and breed prejudices -
10:28 - 10:33that don't take into account the great
richness that every one of us is, -
10:33 - 10:35or that every one of us has.
-
10:35 - 10:38In addition to these communication skills
-
10:38 - 10:41we also wanted to develop creative skills.
-
10:41 - 10:49Creativity is the loving and cognitive
expression of each individual. -
10:49 - 10:53And if we activate
this expression together, -
10:54 - 10:59firstly, a space to generate things
is developed, previously unthinkable, -
10:59 - 11:02that is the mixture of expressions
-
11:02 - 11:04where it is possible to see
-
11:04 - 11:08how the intercultural skills
are being forged. -
11:09 - 11:12That is why these photography workshops
were done, -
11:12 - 11:14to stimulate that creativity.
-
11:14 - 11:19Photography workshops
were held by Peter and Sandra, -
11:19 - 11:21they are the photographers in the group.
-
11:21 - 11:23And these are the pictures
-
11:23 - 11:26that the girls took during the project.
-
11:26 - 11:31Sometimes they struck poses,
on other times they took the pictures. -
11:31 - 11:33They decided.
-
11:38 - 11:41When one looks at those pictures,
one might ask, -
11:41 - 11:45Where is the "they"? Where is the "us"?
-
11:46 - 11:49Frontiers are somehow very diluted.
-
11:49 - 11:51How do we define ourselves?
-
11:51 - 11:53Those pictures seemed so beautiful to us
-
11:53 - 11:56that we thought we should
do an exhibition. -
11:56 - 11:59However, we didn't want to do any
kind of exhibition, -
11:59 - 12:02not in an art gallery or museum.
-
12:02 - 12:08We wanted to take our pictures,
our exhibition, to an urban space -
12:08 - 12:10and we had a vision.
-
12:11 - 12:14This is what it looked like:
-
12:14 - 12:17we wanted our girls to be on a tram,
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12:18 - 12:20the tram of desire.
-
12:20 - 12:22Our wish was to have a platform,
-
12:22 - 12:26that was a political declaration
-
12:26 - 12:29against sexism and xenophobia.
-
12:31 - 12:34We presented it to the members
of Cologne's public transport system -
12:34 - 12:38and they got very exited by it.
-
12:38 - 12:42And at the beginning of July last year,
-
12:42 - 12:45the tram was presented
-
12:47 - 12:50with the girl's pictures.
-
12:59 - 13:04(Applause)
-
13:13 - 13:18The project had far more success
than we ever imagined. -
13:18 - 13:23In fact, newspapers referred
to us as the perfect project -
13:23 - 13:27to counter xenophobic tendencies
-
13:28 - 13:30that sadly are on the rise
-
13:30 - 13:33not only in Germany, but across Europe.
-
13:33 - 13:36In addition, there were many who asked us
-
13:36 - 13:38if they could replicate the project,
-
13:38 - 13:41if they could create
their special own Hallofoto! -
13:41 - 13:43Due to this, we thought,
-
13:43 - 13:47We will license it,
so that the whole world can use it. -
13:47 - 13:51That is why the project
is in Creative Commons, -
13:51 - 13:54and on this stage, in TEDxValladolid,
-
13:54 - 13:57I would like to invite anyone here
who wants to participate -
13:57 - 14:01and start up your own project, to do it.
-
14:01 - 14:05(Applause)
-
14:10 - 14:16And it isn't about what we've taught,
the four of us on the team, -
14:16 - 14:19rather, it is what the girls
have taught us. -
14:19 - 14:23All of the participants have shown us
-
14:23 - 14:26ways to communicate and to interact.
-
14:27 - 14:29Firstly, they break stereotypes.
-
14:29 - 14:32Secondly, they make bonds.
-
14:32 - 14:33That has also created
-
14:33 - 14:39transformed, powerful
and intercultural identities, -
14:39 - 14:45and these intercultural identities
are not based on a consensus, -
14:45 - 14:47but on mutual respect,
-
14:47 - 14:51in which they empathize with one another
-
14:52 - 14:54by putting themselves in the other
person's shoes, -
14:54 - 14:58to have that feeling of belonging.
-
14:58 - 15:00And that feeling of belonging
-
15:00 - 15:05is the one I have been feeling from you
while I was telling you about all of this, -
15:05 - 15:08for which I am very grateful.
-
15:09 - 15:12(Applause)
- Title:
- Intercultural identities to counter xenophobia | Lidia Cámara | TEDxValladolid
- Description:
-
Half of the individuals who flee from war are minors. Amongst them, some of the most vulnerable groups in society, is the teenager refugee girl. In this inspiring TEDx talk Lidia Cámara shares with us how to create a truly integration, also countering xenophobic tendencies promoting the development of creative and communicational skills based on respect and empathy, to then be able to create a strong sense of belongingness.
Social activist and researcher in applied linguistics, Lidia is truly convinced that education and the intercultural communication are the key to the actual integration for those being in disadvantage, which drives her to conduct projects for teenager girls. She also works in the Philosophy Faculty in the University Humboldt in Berlin. Additionally, has a doctorate in Computational Linguistics and a MSc in Language and Communication Impairment. Her research is focused in the learning process of a second language and foreign languages in multilingual communities in the web and in the digital and multilingual integration of those being in disadvantage due to their disability, social status or due their condition as immigrants or refugees.
Lidia is also member of the TED community as Language Coordinator for Spanish in TED Translators.
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx - Video Language:
- Spanish
- Team:
- closed TED
- Project:
- TEDxTalks
- Duration:
- 15:35
Retired user
There is a typo in 3:58 ...you either create or forge => 't' is missing.
Thanks for looking at it.
Yulia
Retired user
Sorry, my bad - it's 'forge', not 'forget'. All's fine. :)
Emilio Diaz
No problem,
Thanks :)
Emilio.