Crossing Borders

By Grace Hou, intern at Crossing Borders Food is undeniably a huge part of my identity, and is a past-time I am engrossed in and fully absorbed by. My earliest memories of my life in Melbourne, Australia, involve food. Being born into a Chinese family, food has always been an important part of life and connects everyone in my community together. I have countless, treasured memories where my family friends and immediate family have congregated in the kitchen, with delicious aromas wafting while we sit and cook, chatting and laughing about life. Making dumplings is a social past-time, and recipes are not written down but rather passed down from generation to generation, with matriarchs protecting family recipes zealously. Crafting dumplings is an art form, and it is the perfect opportunity for Chinese parents to engage in the cringeworthy act of boasting (and comparing, much to my chagrin) each other’s children. It is a ritual; an age old tradition that unites my community. Through the history of China, there has been scarcity of food and famine – in fact, from 1959-61 there was widespread famine and devastating suffering. So many families perished during this time. Now, as a nation and as a people, we appreciate everything we have and we love to eat. How we enjoy, how we relish each moment ¡ Food is closely linked to my identity. When my mother cooks, I can sense the care and the love she has put into every fibre of preparing the food. In Australia, the concept of what food is acceptable has changed significantly over time. I recall being a young child and having my mum pack candied yams for my lunch, and having the other children tease me. I remember so clearly desperately trying and yearning to fit in, and wishing my mother would make me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich so I could be just like the other children. The truth is, it was challenging being an ethnic minority in a very Anglo school where there was only a meagre smattering of other cultures. Don’t miss Blog When laws fail to stop hate speech – What can we do? well here is the answer! May 11, 2022 Facebook Twitter Google+ Linked In Pinterest Blog Where to start? Inspirational Talk about Entrepreneurship and results from our project FAMET March 24, 2022 Facebook Twitter Google+ Linked In Pinterest Blog This is how we celebrated the International Women’s Day 2022 March 15, 2022 Facebook Twitter Google+ Linked In Pinterest Blog The story of Natasha Al-Hariri – How did she end up doing what she is doing! March 15, 2022 Facebook Twitter Google+ Linked In Pinterest Join the CB Global Family Support Crossing Borders

By Ouafa Zaidi, cultural reporter intern at Crossing Borders Have we become too mean? What is the point of all this hate, intolerance, and distress? What does it really say about us? Where is our good faith, our desire to meet new people, persons of different backgrounds, colors, smells, and looks? That instead of misjudging or not allowing ourselves to appreciate a person different from who we are, we end up making a habit of breaking that human bond in the worst way; by hurting with words, gestures, and toxic reactions the soul, mind, and heart of the person that we do not even allow ourselves to respect. Maybe it comes from our education when our surroundings told us to be wary of those who look different; not to approach them, not to look at them, and especially not to talk to them. But is it a reason? That with all your mind, your humanity, your knowledge, and your own vision of things, without the influence of anyone, you choose hatred rather than friendship, politeness, respect, or conviviality? And that as a first reaction some become tormentors instead of honoring the human bond we all share? Why is it easier to hurt than to appreciate? Hate speech is used to intimidate and harm, employing stigmatic, offensive, bullying, and threatening language, expressed both privately and publicly, against an individual or group on the basis of gender, ethnicity, religion, social status, sexual preference, age, or political views (among others). It is often defined in terms of the harm it will cause and its connection to the principles of dignity, and the ideas it conveys. With the spread of different media, and above all, social media such as Facebook and Instagram, the brutality of certain exchanges and the violence that emerges from them generates not only an audience but also a most disturbing behavior, which as a side effect has to disrupt the sanctity of our mental health and plays with and thwarts our sensibility and our reactions. Moreover, the online experiences of users are managed by algorithms designed to keep them engaged, which contributes to wading into the same ideologies over and over again. And nowadays, trolling is a phenomenon that is all too common on the Internet. Those trolls/people who deliberately hurt and provoke others in interactions that arouse and/or fuel bad feelings and reactions such as hatred, aggression, denigration, and harassment, hijack the conversation in a way that makes it impossible to have a constructive, respectable, and/or benevolent discussion. Studies suggest that the main factor in this behavior is the feeling of not being able to really express oneself, adding to this is the feeling of humiliation, and the feeling of being misunderstood and ridiculed is projected onto others, and so on. Therefore, discussing and questioning the content of the different interactions on social media is an essential action and request for the well-being of society. And especially that young people, while they are the future and are building tomorrow, spend most of their time on it and with content that is most often questionable, or even prejudicial, unknown to their parents or even the authorities. And this hate speech may lead to large-scale violence and conflicts. Although we do have laws against hate speech, they are often difficult to enforce and rely on the victims themselves to initiate their own lawsuits, which can come at a huge personal, emotional, psychological, and financial cost. All governments and countries around the world are facing this problem, just to give you an idea here are some indications about the current laws in different countries:   In Denmark: The main piece of Danish national legislation regarding online hate speech is paragraph 266 b of the Danish Penal Code (“the racism paragraph”). This paragraph prohibits threats, mockery, and degradation against groups defined by race, skin color, nationality, ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation.  Paragraph 266(b) in Chapter 27 states (violations of peace and honor) of the penal code: Whoever publicly, or with intent to distribute in a wider circle, presents a proclamation or some other message by which a group of persons is threatened, mocked, or degraded because of its race, skin color, national or ethnic origin, faith or sexual orientation, is to be punished with fine or prison up to 2 years.  In determining the punishment, it shall be considered an aggravating factor if the act had characteristics of propaganda”.   Even though everyone has the right to publish their thoughts in both oral and written form, it will be up to the courts to judge whether or not there is hate speech.  New Zealand prohibits hate speech under the Human Rights Act 1993. Section 61 of the Act (Racial Disharmony) makes it unlawful to publish or distribute “threatening, insulting or abusive material or words that arouse hostility or contempt against groups of people because of their skin color, race, ethnic or national origin”. Although there has been some debate regarding the requirement that there be a clear link to violence to justify the regulation over hate speech.  France also enacted a law in June 2020, known as the “Avia law,” requiring online platforms to remove hateful content reported by users within 24 hours (as in India), but a court struck down this law on the grounds that it infringed on freedom of expression in a way that was not necessary, appropriate or proportionate. In July 2015, the National Consultative Commission on Human Rights deemed that “the existing incriminations […] are sufficient.”  However, jurisprudence still punishes hate speech via Article 32 of the July 29, 1881 law on freedom of the press. And the Pleven law of 1972 punishes incitement to racial hatred through this paragraph: “defamation or insult, committed against a group of people belonging, by their origin, to a race or a specific religion, [when it] will have had the aim of inciting hatred between citizens or inhabitants”. it remains a very controversial subject in France.    Germany has the toughest law against online hate speech,

By Ouafa Zaidi, cultural reporter intern at Crossing Borders On March 17, 2022, from 5:00 to 8:00 pm, in the welcoming offices of Crossing Borders, an interesting free event about entrepreneurship took place. Celine Faty and Flavia Kwebiiha gladly opened up about their experiences as entrepreneurs, sharing their journey in creating their business and the tools needed for anyone who wants to have an entrepreneurial future.   To give the audience an idea of what is possible when you are motivated and well surrounded, these entrepreneurs and their audience observed and analyzed some important results of a project developed with 5 European countries, called FAMET – Fostering Adult Migrant Entrepreneurial Training and Qualification. Finger food, drinks, and snacks were prepared by the talented Flavia Kwebiiha as a closing of the event delighted the guests.  Since no other similar event is planned yet. I thought you might be interested in a little recap of the evening, with Pauline Teruin, the organizer of this event: 1/ R: What was the purpose of this event? P: The purpose of the event was to introduce the outcomes of the project FAMET: the FAMET course and the Career Kit which both aim to provide guidance and motivation to migrant entrepreneurs. At the same time, two migrant entrepreneurs presented the story of their entrepreneurial journey, touching upon the commitment, the challenges, and the positive sides of being self-employed.  2/ R: How did you come to choose Celine Faty and Flavia Kwebiiha as guests for the event?   P: Céline Faty is from France, a Confidence Keynote Speaker & Coach, founder of “Women of My Tribe”, a non-profit organization helping women with entrepreneurial growth and development, and of QIIM, an eco-friendly “African-inspired” clothing line. She was chosen to speak at the event because of her many years of experience and the diversity of businesses she leads.  Flavia Kwebiiha is from Uganda and is a health coach. She helps people and especially women that have given birth to find a healthy diet and feel comfortable in their bodies. Flavia was invited to bring the perspective of a newer entrepreneur in a different field than Céline.  Both were noticed for their public speaking skills and their great interaction with the audience.  3/ R: How did the event unfold? Was there a good interaction between the speakers and the audience?  P: The event was very interesting and inspiring. Flavia and Céline gave us motivational tips but also very practical ones about how to open and manage a business in Denmark. We had some participants who had never heard about Crossing Borders before and stayed at the end of the talk to ask questions about the organization and its projects.  We had about 20 people attending, students from the entrepreneurship program at Aalborg University, some recent graduates, and other adults looking to change careers. The speakers’ presentations were very engaging, and the participants asked many questions.  4/ R: And will this event be repeated? P: Crossing Borders has already carried out several projects on migrant entrepreneurship and has a large network of foreigners in Denmark who are always looking for contacts and inspiration, so yes similar events may well be repeated often! Starting a business is a real professional and personal journey, it’s about growing and learning at high speed, and as a migrant, it can be a serious challenge.  But the important thing to remember is that it is possible to achieve what you desire. With the right tools, the right knowledge, and the sharing of resources and experiences through an experienced network, your goal will become an exciting challenge. So don’t give up and don’t hesitate to ask Crossing Borders about it, you’ll be surprised at what we can do together.  Don’t miss Crossing Borders Blog This is how we celebrated the International Women’s Day 2022 March 15, 2022 Crossing Borders Blog The story of Natasha Al-Hariri – How did she end up doing what she is doing! March 15, 2022 Crossing Borders Blog Why we should protect Writers Freedom! with Mille Rode from DanskPEN February 28, 2022 Crossing Borders Blog Human Rights, Climate Refugees and Third-Culture Child! Key words from the FFT with Yasmin Abdel-Hak March 15, 2022 Join the CB Global Family Support Crossing Borders F.A.M.E.T. – FOSTERING ADULT MIGRANT ENTREPRENEURIAL TRAINING AND QUALIFICATION Know more

By Ouafa Zaidi, cultural reporter intern at Crossing Borders Tuesday, March 8, 2022, like everywhere else, is International Women’s Day in Copenhagen. And Crossing Borders is proud and happy to celebrate this event with a program full of interest and charm. In partnership with the Anna Lindh Foundation, the event took place at Studenterhuset, which is, as you may know, one of the liveliest cafés and a vibrant cultural and professional meeting place in Copenhagen. On this occasion, I will tell you a little more about “International Women’s Rights Day” and the smooth running of this event.  But first, let’s talk about how it all started… and guess what, it all started here in Copenhagen!It’s interesting to know that International Women’s Day was first established at the 1910 International Conference of Socialist Women in Copenhagen. At this conference, Clara Zetkin, a German journalist, and politician proposed to her assembly the creation of an “International Women’s Day”. The main objective was to obtain the right to vote for women. This event was celebrated for the first time on March 19, 1911. The date of March 8 was adopted internationally in 1921. And it is only in 1977 that March 8 is officially recognized as “International Women’s Day” by the United Nations.  And little by little… this day becomes more and more important! Therefore, on March 8, 2022, accompanied by our remarkable guests and public, we celebrated women, we put the light on their rights, and we claimed gender equality. The event was animated by the distinguished Susanne Gargiulo and included speeches, music, poetry, and good food specially prepared that day by Chef Zaki Abbara. And lots of joy and good cheer! We had a real show! Simona Abdallah, a Danish-Palestinian percussionist, enchanted us with her darbouka, combining energy, strength, and softness, she knew how to portray the woman through her strength and her delicacy. The crowd went wild, it was hard to stay seated, so we enjoyed the tribute by clapping our hands and making our hearts dance. How good it was! Sarah Diallo, Noura Bittar and Pearl Cutten rocked us with words. With bleeding poetry about violence and abuse of women, Sarah Diallo reminded us that this is a day to remember all the women who have been disillusioned, saddened, bruised, and disrespected. That this day is also a day to remember to change things, to make sure that our mothers, our sisters, our friends, our colleagues, and our neighbors have a better life than their female ancestors who had to go through such terrible times so that today they walk with their heads up and continue to challenge those who dare to stand in their way so that tomorrow this day vibrates with their progress. Noura Bittar, under the eyes full of love and admiration of her young daughter, told us about her fight and efforts for the future of her daughter. She never ceased to thank the chance that put in her path women of all nationalities who inspired her and encouraged her to go forward. Pearl Cutten’s remarkable soulful voice resonated through poems and songs, to finally call us beautiful. A very nice way to treat each other. Kristina Issa totally dazzled us, and that’s not saying much. By sharing with us the story of her grandmother, she took us on a nostalgic, painful, and tender journey linking music and memories. We could have listened to her for hours and never wanted to leave. Alba María Navas Luque, the representative of the Anna Lindh Foundation, an impeccable expert in international grants for the same Foundation, enlightened the assembly with her commitment, explaining the different projects they implement to protect women all around the Euromed. Lisbeth Pilegaard and Nyeleti Sue-Angel, the duo of executive director of DIPD (Danish Institute for Parties and Democracy), and vice president of the board of Crossing Borders explained their commitments to greater inclusion of women in the workplace while declaring why the former had joined the Anna Lindh Foundation and why the latter is a member of Crossing Borders. Previous Next As for the only man on the guestlist Jackson Wahengo, although a great Namibian star appreciated for his incomparable music, kept saying how much he was lucky to be with us to celebrate this important day and rhythmically shared his freedom and strength with us through his music and his electric guitar. We were all so happy and proud to be there, to celebrate Women’s Day, that it was hard to end it.This event is very important to Crossing Borders, and we want to emphasize that our office is very feminine, and we believe that women’s place in society and in the workplace is paramount. The guests were very excited to be there, they shared their stories, their families’ stories, the struggles they had to go through to be where they are today, and all the struggles they still have to go through to be able to achieve a better situation, respect, and acceptance. So that one day their children and future children will not have to go through this struggle. You get the idea, love, kindness, generosity, courage, and will. Who better to represent Women’s Day? Know that the underlying idea that each guest wanted to convey is that we are all responsible for our thoughts and actions, and therefore have the power to choose the world we want to live in, the world the women in our lives should live in, and to actively challenge stereotypes, improve living/working conditions, and celebrate women’s achievements. By doing so, we can contribute to creating a better world and a better life for everyone. Don’t miss Crossing Borders Blog The story of Natasha Al-Hariri – How did she end up doing what she is doing! March 15, 2022 Crossing Borders Blog Why we should protect Writers Freedom! with Mille Rode from DanskPEN February 28, 2022 Crossing Borders Blog Human Rights, Climate Refugees and Third-Culture Child! Key words from the FFT with Yasmin Abdel-Hak

By Ouafa Zaidi, cultural reporter intern at Crossing Borders March 03, 2022, at 17.00 – Ubuntu Huset At Crossing Borders headquarters, on March 03, 2022, for the third Food For Thought event, we had the pleasure of welcoming Natasha Al-Hariri, director of DFUNK – Danish Refugee Council Youth -, lawyer, organizer, and debater of Palestinian origin. A well-known face to the Danish public, who know her through her various media appearances where she speaks about gender inequality and issues of acceptance and/or integration of immigrants, but today we are trying to get to know a little more about the lady behind these hot topics and get her opinion on the challenges the refugees face. With an audience as remarkable as the guest of honor, the event was particularly stimulating and concluded as usual with the healthiest and most succulent of meals, this time prepared by our dear Syrian refugee Manal. A moment of sharing in which we highlighted what is holding us back, and what should be said and done. But I will let you discover it through an interview without complacency. Please let’s take a leap in the past and tell us a little bit about your family history and your experience in Denmark. N: My parents fled the civil war in Lebanon and on the way, I was born in the Netherlands. So, they sought asylum in the Netherlands because that’s where they ended up. But during that time my uncle, my father’s brother, came to Denmark and his other brother came to Poland. And seeing their family shredded into so many pieces was hard for them and they wanted to reunite the family, so they came to Denmark and asked for asylum again. We ended up in a municipality just north of Copenhagen, in a very white rich neighborhood with very few refugees. I think for my parents to have that as a home was both very safe but also very unsafe. They had no one to have their morning coffee with. They had no one who understood them, they had no one they could relate to. But at the same time, the people around them, their neighbors introduced them to the local neighborhood and have dinner with them, and so on, which was really important to my parents. Being raised with that hope was pretty interesting. But I was just a kid as any kid at that time. I didn’t put so many thoughts into who I was or the color of my skin, and the people around me didn’t either. At least not in the way we see it today. It wasn’t until I was 13 years old and started wearing the hijab, and that was my first confrontation with society. That’s when I started to feel different, not just physically, because of the way I looked, but also because of the way society treated me. And I had encountered racism and discrimination, whether it was against me or my family. But I didn’t have the tools to deal with it, and neither did my parents. And who could we talk to about it? We didn’t even have language about it. We couldn’t say it was racist, it just wasn’t acceptable to point it out. But my parents always made room for conversations about it at home and it was very important for me to be able to express myself.  R: I understand that your personal experience and your family history have led you to where you are today. But I think that to continue in this field and to keep this will for activism and fight to change the immigration system and integration policy, takes more than some sort of historical or personal connection. Tell us why your work is so important and meaningful to you, aside from the obvious causal links. N: I think my work with DFUNK is important because DFUNK is a place where one can create change. A space for young people who have fled to Denmark and who can now grab the mic and come to sit around the table where decisions are being made. It’s so important for me because even at the hardest times, even at the most traumatizing times, I have a space where I can come and feel safe. And I think for us it is so important to engage in the local communities, always be looking at who we can engage with and how we can continue to create change in Denmark. We try in our work to be where people need us. And a lot of people in our community want to be in a safe space where they can engage. For example, we have this food concept, where once a week we make food, we eat, we dance, we do whatever we want/need together.  And for a lot of people, their main community is DFUNK. So, it’s really important for them to be where they can feel safe, where they can feel welcome, where they don’t have to talk or do anything they don’t want to. And unfortunately, women are the most vulnerable and the most targeted. So, we’ve done campaigns and we’ve engaged politicians in this. We also have a program for young refugees who want to participate in public debate, so we have people who teach them how to interact with journalists, how to get on a stage, and how to write a speech. All this is to be able to protect ourselves, for our own sake, but also for the sake of what we are here for.   R: In Denmark, the integration of Danish immigrants and their descendants is an often-debated social issue. This debate frequently leads to how to create and/or maintain cohesion in societies, while inevitably becoming more ethnically and culturally mixed. Can you tell us how it is possible to create mutual political and social recognition between the two parties? N: I think some of it can be created within the law system, so we need good politicians and good lawmakers. But we

By Ouafa Zaidi, cultural reporter intern at Crossing Borders 100 years later, PEN is a global organization defending writers and anyone who works with the written word around the world. An anniversary that coincides with the coming of Mille Rode to Crossing Borders, on February 17, 2022, for the second Food For Thought event. A happy coincidence that contributed to a real moment where human and intellectual richness intertwines. And as usual, surrounded by people of all origins looking forward to opening their minds to understand and contribute to a better world. Once again to conclude this exchange in the most pleasant way, our dear Youssra Asmi has concocted a meal of the tastiest. The world’s first NGO: PEN was founded by poet, novelist, feminist, and internationalist Catherine Amy Dawson Scott in 1921, who described the organization as ‘a republic of words to unite nations’. The name PEN stands for the words Poets, playwrights, essayists, editors & novelists, and of course it also refers to the author’s most important tool, the pen.    Today, the organization has national centers in more than 100 countries. Danish PEN was founded in 1924 as a subdivision of International PEN. Its members include authors, journalists, translators, editors, and publishers who work to spread freedom of expression and literature across borders. Their areas of interest include human rights, international and cultural relations, and the arts and media. Mille Rode, General Secretary of the Danish PEN section since 1995, shares with us her personal and professional experience with PEN Denmark, which has now lasted for more than 25 years, as well as her thoughts on the current situation in the world. Here is an interview, which may give you an idea of what a great meeting it was.   How is PEN different from other freedom of expression organizations? We are different in the way that we are a colleague organization. It’s not that we know exactly what’s the right thing. We are just trying to open the gate for the work to come out. So, when we are colleague to colleague organizations, we like to try to offer a voice or a pen to someone who has been blocked from using either. What are your steps to get political leaders to consider your view of a situation you are trying to unblock? I mean, how do you motivate political leaders to guarantee the freedom of expression that you are trying to protect? I don’t know if we can really motivate them. We can protest in the sense that we write letters to politicians in countries that have imprisoned their writers. We write to judges. We sometimes attend trials to witness what’s going on and we try to speak for the people we represent. I don’t think our letters or our protests make much difference in the world, for example when I write to President Erdogan in Turkey, I doubt he reads the letters but still, we keep pushing and pushing and there are so many of us doing it from many parts of the world that it ends up making a difference. Right now, at the Saudi Arabian Embassy here in Copenhagen, every Friday for the last five years I have been writing them a postcard. So, they have a pile of postcards in their office that they have to report to the Saudi Arabian Foreign Ministry. So, in a sense, it’s a way to get into the holes that we’re not allowed to get into. It’s a kind of protest that we do. And of course, sometimes we know that the pressure from the outside, from many voices from the outside, is so annoying, that people, governments, or politicians think that they have to get rid of the problem as soon as possible. How do you define freedom of expression and how do you respond to those who say that hate speech is freedom of expression? My definition of freedom of expression is, on the one hand, the absence of censorship. There is no need for censorship. We shouldn’t have laws, governments, or ways to censor. People should be able to write whatever they want, even if what they write is something we don’t like. I would also defend people I disagree with. I want them to be able to write too, but freedom of speech is the fact that we can discuss it, that we can discuss the disagreement in an open space, that we can confront the disagreements instead of locking them down or blocking them. Because I believe that the strongest argument is the one that wins, and you never have the strongest argument on this topic. We discuss we learn from each other while confronting our opinions, and those opinions are formed by the discussion we have had with others. But when it comes to hate speech, it’s a different thing. It’s different because it targets people in the sense that they are threatened, disrespected, or demeaned simply because they are who they are, whether they are a different color, different sexuality or culture, a different religion, and so on. We shouldn’t disrespect each other in that sense. We can disagree with each other, and we can argue, but we shouldn’t disrespect each other. This is hate speech, this is a kind of speech where we target a group of people just for who they are. Journalists are attacked all over the world, even though it is now 2022. For example, 5 journalists were killed in Mexico, not to mention journalists in Palestine who are all too often attacked by the Israeli forces, can you tell us how to ensure the protection of journalists and the protection of the truth? We need to put pressure on the government to make sure they have the right laws and measures to investigate crimes against journalists. In Mexico, most of the people who have killed journalists have never been trialed, never been put in jail, they have never even been found. So, journalists are