Crossing Borders

By Lavinia Ortu featuring Ilona Sahakyan, a participant from Armenia within our project Youth Ambassadors for Peace. “Young people are not part of their past, they have power now, they can impact their communities daily. See the world, tackle the issues and make actions” I started typing quickly on my laptop, trying to catch all these powerful words after I asked what the “Youth ambassadors for peace” project was about. As I listened carefully, I got more curious, the more I learned about the project, the more I wanted to know about it. Funded by CISU and implemented by our partners along side Crossing Borders, this project took place in 4 different countries that share a very complex past: Moldova, Ukraine, Georgia and Armenia. In a 2 year span, more than 960 youth got the opportunity to experience activities about important topics such as: conflict resolution, mediation, non-violent communication, active citizenship and participation among others. One of the participants to this project, Ilona Sahakyan, agreed to answer to all my curious questions. Ilona, a 16 years old Armenian girl, incarnates all the beliefs and prospects that we at Crossing Borders have about youth. As an “activist by heart”, Ilona, is already accomplishing so many dreams and wonder- ful things that a lifetime would’t be long enough. After a quick introduction and some ice breakers I pressed the recording button and got ready to take notes. These are some of the highlights of our conversation. Ilona Sahakyan – from her Facebook page Did you have any expectations prior to starting the activities? I only knew it was going to be about peace and conflicts. But the stress wasn’t on conflicts, it was rather on tools for solving these conflicts. We expected it to be a very formal project, you know, one of those cold seminars, just taking notes and discussing; instead, it turned out to be a completely different, unique experience! It didn’t just meet my expectations, it exceeded them. I met all the other ambassa- dors in a friendly environment, shared thoughts and discussed serious topics at the same time. How was it like meeting a lot of young people from different countries? It was amazing, we studied together and learnt from each other. I appreciate the new friendships, although I didn’t keep contacts with everyone. My teacher used an Armenian expression: “Ilona, you see everything with pink glasses” meaning that I was being too optimistic about keeping contacts with every- one. He was right but I’m happy we could share those experiences together and I still keep contacts with some of them. What projects are you involved into at the moment? I am an activist by heart; I love being engaged in various activities. I recently started a project called Educational revolution; I gathered students and teachers like me and we are working to improve the educational system in Armenia. If we want to have a better society, a better government, we must start from education. I believe that education is at the root of humanity. If you want to be happy in life you must start from education. From the Archive – Youth Ambassadors visiting Denmark Did the Youth Ambassadors for Peace project helped you in some way to develop Educational revolu- tion? It did! I think it was great that we cooperated with the peace ambassadors because they have interesting ideas. It’s not important to have the same perspectives but everyone’s thoughts are valuable. Discussing topics with students from different countries can be a clear advantage. How was your first day at the Peace camp you had in Moldova? It was like entering another world. I wasn’t scared about meeting new people because I’m very easygoing. The first day at the camp was very impressive because Garba (the director of Crossing Borders) announced that we are all peace ambassadors and we could feel the atmosphere change, everyone was excited, he said: “Now you are the peace ambassadors of the world and it is our responsibility to expand this idea across the world, starting from our society” we were all sitting down, it was such a solemn moment, it looked straight out of a movie. How did you feel when you heard those words? I’m from Armenia and living in a country that is constantly facing conflicts, I know in my heart that peace is everything. I experienced war on myself, everyone experienced it, my friend, their family members… but in this world conflicts are everywhere and peace should be rooted in our mentality, that’s why I always remember I am a peace ambassador and I always mention that. I’m planning on having a peace speech and I want to start a peace making project after I succeed in the Educational revolution and open up my educational center. – hold on, hold on! I just wanted to take a moment to appreciate all the work Ilona is doing! I was mind blown when she was telling me her story, she probably read the astonishment in my face. Now back to the interview I also talk about conflict with my friends and relatives. Our neighbours are not our enemies, it’s not a conflict between nations it’s a conflict between governments. As a peace ambassador I was proud to represent the youth peace camp during a conference in Armenia. Which activity signed you the most at peace camp? One of the activities was about the consequences of our actions. We all had a piece of paper and we could doeverything we wanted to do with it. they told us “imagine the paper is your enemy what would you do that piece of paper?”. One girl placed the paper on her head acknowledging that her and the enemy are equals. Another one put it behind her back, ignoring the enemy and keeping looking forward. Personally I bended the paper in half, to show my enemy that I am powerful and could hurt it if I wanted to; I then put

By Lavinia Ortu When I hopped off the bus at the Eagle Butte Youth center I felt the snow on my bare ankles, the caress of the cold South Dakotan wind, it was February after all, and the temperature there reaches   – 30 degrees every winter. The lights, from inside the big windows of the building in front of me, were drawing me inside, it looked warm and cozy. As the whole group of volunteers was carrying the luggage inside, big clouds of steam were slowly rising toward the sky from our chatting in the cold, we were all excited and ready to get to work. At the door a sweet lady, that I later found out to be one of the founding figures at the youth center, received us with a smile.  My name is Lavi, when I was 17 I moved to the United States to study abroad. During the school year, I had the opportunity to apply for different volunteering projects around the United States through my high school. The one that I was looking forward the most was the “Cheyenne river youth project”. I loved the opportunity to work with kids for some time, travel to South Dakota and learn something from the experience.  The second morning at the Youth center I got out of my sleeping bag and got ready for a day full of work. First stop was Mary’s house, a cat lover with lots of plants, she is responsible for building mini houses for the community. She welcomed us with coffee, gave us some directions regarding the project and we all got to work right away. I was scared and excited; I didn’t know how to insulate houses or how to place the flooring; besides, it was so cold that the water bottles would freeze within minutes, even inside the small houses. I learnt so much over the 3 days spent on the construction site; everyone in the team was working toward the same goals, the most skilled members would always help out the weakest ones. I got a real sense of empowerment and happiness throughout all the projects we did. There was never a dull moment; whether we were preparing a drive through or planning a basketball tournament for the kids; nothing paid off more than seeing the children smile, having fun together.  Even if my back hurt at night, and the sleeping bag was way too thin to soften the hardness of the bare floor underneath, I never struggled falling asleep, happy and fulfilled after a long day of work.  Happiness really comes from the little things, I lost track of time, being always busy doing something different, to the point that when it was finally time to leave I would have rather stayed more; which is something hard to achieve with a paying job; as a matter of fact I was always happy to clock out where I was employed at the time.   During my stay, I was able to get to know the Cheyenne River reservation really closely. This reserved area is home to 4 bands of the “Titunwan” people. I was lucky to meet these groups during some gatherings that we organised. I remember sitting in big circles, the smell of special spices slowly filling the atmosphere; the products, freshly picked from the garden outside the youth center, piled in baskets on the tables; the sound of ancient chants in the distance that gave me goosebumps every time. I remember feeling the bittersweet sense of pride in the community; the powerlessness defeat for loosing what once was their territory.  This community is one of the great populations forced to give up ownership of their own land in North America. The land where they built their beliefs and traditions over thousands of years. Along with other groups they were once able to look at the horizon, knowing that they could live freely and proudly in direct contact with mother hearth. Through the centuries, forced to adapt, they had to modernise their way of life; follow routines that didn’t align with their identity anymore; forget their language even; surrender to unknown diseases. This is why it is so important to learn more about their traditions and empower the younger generations to always keep alive their pride.  Through volunteering I learnt the value of understanding different cultures. The biggest reward is being able to help each other grow in an ever-changing multicultural world. We are evolving to be interconnected more and more everyday, we have the opportunity to change both ours and other people’s lives with one click. We don’t have to travel far to find a volunteering job, it’s a reality that can happen as close as one’s own neighbourhood but the benefits within it are endless. 

By Maryam Alaouie That leaves us with the question of whether Dr. Samay Hamed left Afghanistan or not. Well, if I say that this article will be about stories from Dr. Samay Hamed live at Crossing Borders’ Food for Thought, would that answer your question? Poems by Dr. Samay Hamed “When you have no political power to challenge corrupt dinosaurs Borrow money from your friend and buy a bottle of forgetfulness Wesley”  Before calling himself a doctor, writer, or poet, Abdul Samay Hamed identified himself as one of the afghans who wanted to change Afghanistan. In 1985, he began his first underground newspaper Salam, and in 2003, Hamed had started more than 90% of Afghanistan’s free publications. For that reason, he was a highly targeted figure. Having received political asylum in Denmark for 20 years, Hamed and his wife decided to return to Afghanistan; after the US invasion drove the Taliban from power. There, he founded new press freedom organizations and worked further for the promotion of freedom of expression. The projects he worked on made him a direct adviser to the president when it came to innovation and modernization. But we can read about all that on Google… So, you are probably asking yourself why he returned after receiving political asylum in a peaceful country like Denmark. Was it nationalism? Patriotism? Was he insane? Poems by Dr. Samay Hamed “Art had always been a twine And none of them are better than other Just one has a temporary job And the second a long-life mission” After Hamed got back to Afghanistan. Boom. Taliban got back into power. By that time, he undoubtedly knew his life was at risk due to the several ongoing projects circling between political satires and innovative development plans he had been working on in Kabul. “One day, I get a call from the Danish culture minister, she told me that I should get out of Afghanistan as soon as possible”, said Hamed while narrating the events of his last moments in Kabul. “I did not want to leave my country in its worst situation, but an old friend, who is now a minister in Taliban said to me ‘The only service I can do for you, if you want to stay alive, is put you in jail…’”                                                                                                    “Even if you are deadly upset Don’t lie to yourself Death is not better than this hard life” Poems by Dr. Samay Hamed At that point, Hamed knew deep down that he had to leave, and after passing three checkpoints, between snipers, Taliban soldiers, American soldiers with cables violently striking people, he managed to get to the airport. Today, at Crossing Borders, Hamed narrated stories about his arrival, the situation in Kabul, and his escape. However, what was attention-grabbing was a narrative he carried about a group he called “The disappeared army”. So, the Afghan government claimed to have three hundred thousand soldiers, including police officers, which counts to three hundred thousand salaries. “However, in reality, they owned less than one hundred thousand soldiers, but the other two remaining was only written on papers to an army that had no existence” spills Hamed. You are wondering where those salaries went instead. The money was distributed to warlords, ministers, and local commanders. Simply, another tale of corruption. But what was interesting about the way Hamed saw change, was that it did not include guns, knives, armies, or money. He saw change in innovation, in words. “When terrorists are drinking your blood with their iron straw Write new poems with red pens” Poems by Dr. Samay Hamed During the Q&A, the final part of Food for Thought (before the actual food), Hamed was asked what the difference was between performing change on social media and on paper. “The impact”, he said without hesitation. “People think that when they press the like button, comment, or share, that they actually did something, that they made influential action” But what else are we supposed to do? Go to Afghanistan and fight the Taliban? No. What Hamed suggested was instead of pressing like, press your Danish neighbor’s doorbell and tell them what is going on, tell them to stop voting for the same delegates, spread awareness. Many people in Denmark are living only within the virtual borders of their own lives and do not have a clue of what happens around the world. “Knowledge first, action later” advised Hamed eloquently.

by CathCatherine Namuswe AbsIntersectional feminism centres the voices of those experiencing overlapping, concurrent forms of oppression in order to understand the depths of the inequalities and the relationships among them in any given context. Intersectional feminism, this what our last School Workshop was about. More than 100 students attended our online workshop/webinar to listen to Atiyo, Evan, Aisha, and Catherine from the school workshops team. Intersectional feminism refers to the range of social movements, political and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, social, quality of the genders.   There has been four waves of feminism and each wave comprised of different characteristics or different entities. ➢ THE FIRST WAVE, This took place from the 19th and the 20th centuries. During this wave, different women movements stood up fighting for their rights to vote. ➢ THE SECOND WAVE, During this wave women groups rose up and were fighting for legal, social and economic equality. ➢ THE THIRD WAVE, During this wave basically focused on individuality and diversity. With this individuality and diversity was not for only the middle class or white women but for every woman even those of color. ➢ THE FORTH WAVE, This wave kicked off in 2012 and it mainly focused on sexual harassments among women for example rape, defilements among others. Different groups of women stood up to advocate for their fellow women and this raised concern that women should have a say when it comes to sex related issues with their spouses. With all this, Feminism is worthless without intersectionality and inclusion. This therefore meant feminism to be effective, all sexes should be involved and included hence everyone in community ought to do their role in for feminism to be worthwhile. EXAMPLES OF FEMINISTS There are many examples of feminists in the world and among others these include, ❖  NANA ASMA U BINT USMANShe was born in the 17th century in Nigeria. She was a poet, a teacher, and a feminist. She was one of the few women to stand up and advocate for the Muslim fraternity in West Africa. She quoted saying Muslim women do not listen to the speech of those who are misguided and who sow the seed of error in the heart of another. ❖  SOJURNER TRUTHShe was an African American woman who was born into slavery. After going to court to fight for her child, she became the first woman to advocate for abolition and civil women’s rights in the 19th century. She escaped with her infant daughter to freedom in 1826. It’s noted that she was the first woman to win such a case against a white man. Her civil war work earned her an invitation to meet the president, and this was in the good direction as far women’s rights were concerned. A poem on intersectional feminism by Atiyo Muse. Atiyo, one of the facilitators on the panel, is a poet who shared a poem that talked about feminism in a calm ad peaceful way yet driving a message home without pointing fingers at anyone or criticizing. My freedom begins when your oppression stopsMy freedom begins when your assumption endsMy freedom begins when ignorance is no longer bliss.Your freedom starts where my oppression begins.And what do I mean when I sayYour freedom starts where my oppression begins.It is me saying that wearing my hijab is liberation and you insisting I am oppressed It is me saying the way I dress is my way to empowermentand you insisting to uncover and undress me to feed your curiosityIt’s you raping me in the name of sisterhoodWaving a flag of my modesty, after you defeat me and claiming it is true liberation This poem is not about how men did me wrong, but about how YOU my sister betrayed a godly bondSee my sisterYou been denied the same rights you won’t grant me Speaking the language of YOUR oppressor against me Your sister in solidarityFor God forbid that you can be Muslim, black and female For you my sisterfeminism is homogenicWhiteExcludingEntitledIs what I hearAnd it’s clear that you’reinsincere when you won’t fight for my rights and won’t interfere when my hijab is on the line Your freedom lies in equality, The equalYou and themThe menBut not meFor I am the wrong womenBut don’t get it twistedWe are not the same sis.My freedom lies in equityBelieve me that my peaceCelebrating differences and not boundaries. My feminismIsBelievingSeeingAndPreachingThat we are all created different And in celebrating these differencesWe will find freedom. Highlighted Q&A from the workshop/webinar  How can toxic masculinity be changed? ➢ Looking at the societal expectations when it comes to men from a different perspective. Society has come up with different expectations and stereotypes of what men and women should do or be. For example, black men and women are put in a certain caliber of rarely feeling pain because of their color.  ➢ Having an understanding of masculinity traits in society and come from self-awareness. Society has gone ahead to put up gender-based roles among both genders, for example, women of color rarely take up political offices, and other sectors.    Why do some people think feminism is a negative thing and what can be done to change this perspective? ➢ People do not understand FEMINISM and they are uncomfortable talking about it. They have a screwed vision of what feminism is and they are uncomfortable talking about it. In most cases, men think feminists’ women want to take over their superiority.  ➢ We need to spread awareness of why feminism is important to women to get equal rights as men. Both men and women are competent in the business and opportunity world.  ➢ Men in society should not be silent in the intersectional feminism movement.  Follow us