Blog

by Mia Brygger, Project associate   A depiction of my maiden voyage, as a representative for Crossing Borders, travelling to Estonia for the finalization of an Erasmus+ strategic partnership project, that aims at enabling teachers to include more design thinking into their work. In collaboration with Educraftor, Tartu Kunstikool, Tallinna Kunstigümnaasium (TKG) and Modern Didactics Centre, we met at TKG outside of Tallinn for a three day “meet and let’s finish a two-year project in style”. My week started at CPH airport. The day before. Project coordinator from Crossing Borders and all-round hard worker, Rosie, had invited me to Estonia to take part in the last stages of the project. Who was I to say no to that?! It was an opportunity to witness firsthand how a project collaboration between nations and schools can result in new ways of educating youth, and of course, a great way to discover a new cultural setting. The trip was quite a learning experience for me. Fun, challenging and eye-opening. With lots of crazy events along the way. Creepy portraits and bumpy hallways  The hotel itself was an tale worth telling; St. Olav, located in the Old Town (Vanalinn) part of Tallinn, was an old building propped up between a strip club/karaoke bar and a beauty salon. Four floors, each floor consisting of long winding hallways and staircases leading to other staircases and bumpier hallways. You could easily trip over dusty, antique furniture scattered throughout the hotel or get lost staring at the creepy portrait gallery decorating each hallway. The whole vibe of the hotel was one of mystery, murder and aristocratic oppulence. That is, if this was the 19th century. In 2023 it seemed more rundown than luxurious. It did prove a novelty stay and an entertaining topic of conversation, though.   Lazy craftmanship or fun for the whole family? Night tour in old town Assistant duties and cheese on fish?The next morning we went to Tallinna Kunstigümnaasium, a few kilometres north of Tallinn, where we would meet up with the partners and go over the results of the project. Rosie was kind enough to pay for our transportation all week; I didn’t get to repay her generosity except for being a willing assistant, who was always ready to carry whatever s%¤#, she couldn’t be bothered to carry. Just kidding, she always asked, if I would carry her s¤%+. That’s the life of an assistant, I guess. The first day at the school was a hectic one, with presentations from the partners and a online audience tuning in from all parts of the world: Italy, Marocco, Georgia, Jamaica, Poland etc. The day ended with lunch in the school cafeteria, where we were served fish covered in what appeared to be cheddar cheese. Weird choice for a fish dish, but it tasted okay. Anna, the project manager and a teacher at TKG, suggested we all have dinner together at Olde Hanse that same night; A medieval restaurant serving centuries old recipes (but not centuries old food). Not joking, the food was some of the best, I’ve ever had and unlike anything I’ve ever tasted. As a civilian, that has never been involved with an Erasmus+ project before, I was delighted to spend time with the partners and share cultural experiences with each other. We crossed borders indeed and had a lot of fun.   Hard-at-work-Rosie Happy partners Cheesy fish dish Previous Next Reality sets in and we paint cats!The following day we had a group meeting with the partners to divide the last tasks of the project. I was also discovering that working with other organizations and people from different cultural backgrounds is inspiring and fun. It can be challenging at times, but it’s a wonderful lesson in compromise and camaraderie. Even though my tasks were limited, Rosie had been considered enough to forget to bring a bag for her computer, so the least I could do, was act as her pack mule. The day ended back at the hotel, before we set out for the evening’s grand adventure: A paint class! Anna had arranged for the remaining partners (and the sole assistant present: me) to take a paint class. I would like to say, that it was great fun (and it was), but mostly it was fun, because everyone was really on point in sarcastingly stating, how exhaustingly difficult the class was. The inferiority complexes setting in, while we were trying to mix colors and getting the composition right, were punctured by the snarky laughter, that followed our feeble attempts at creating art. At least we got to take our painting home with us. I will use mine as a torture device, should I ever need one.   Rosie was having a bad angle day Creative genius at work Artsty kids and goodbye to the partnersOn our last day at TKG we wrapped up the final tasks and had an early lunch. And then a concert followed. With high expectations in tow, we set off…. towards the gym where student bands were ready to blow us away with cover versions of Amy Winehouse and Arctic Monkeys songs. They did good, and mostly hit the right notes, but there was one group, that delighted us all. A group consisting of five young women; sheathed in punkish attire and piles of make-up, took to the scene and started performing……an Estonian folk song..? Okay. Not what I was expecting, but their dedication to the performance and the goth-like girl with long, dark hair, in a Slayer t-shirt, playing the triangle with such detached focus and intensity, blew my Nordic mind. That was exactly the Baltic vibes, I had hoped to encounter in Estonia. Time to reflect and head homeOn our last night, Rosie and I had a magnificent dinner at Rataskaevu 16, where we gorged on elk roast and fancy desserts with various sirups and fruits. Not a bad way to end a successful trip. We headed home for the last time to our murder-mystery hotel and

by Melina Niraki and Soraya Boumediene, project coordinators Ghanaian diplomat Kofi Annan said “No one is born a good citizen; no nation is born a democracy. (Rather both are processes that continue to evolve over a lifetime.) Young people must be included from birth. A society that cuts off from its youth severs its lifeline.”  From there, a healthy democracy should include youth in the decision-making process. However, it is often said young people are not interested in democracy, that they are disconnected from it and that they don’t have faith in it anymore or that they never did.  How to develop young people’s curiosity about democracy? How to make them want to be part of the decision making process? How to make them aware of the role they have to play? How do they become active citizens conscious of global issues? Crossing Borders tried to meet this challenge. On the 21st of November 2022, I assisted in the final competition of the Democracy Class in Copenhagen. It took place in Aula, the biggest room in Union which can accommodate up to 150 people. We had prepared the room for the occasion which looked like a conference room. 90 students from Adventure Efterskolen, boarding school in Southern Denmark participated in the event.  The students participating in Democracy Class for the final event had been divided into groups and their responsibility was to create their own political parties from scratch, present their political program, as well as debate with each other with the aim of their political party to prevail and possibly win one of the available monetary prizes. The final event was divided into two stages. The first one invited group representatives to announce their political party program whereas the second one was solely focused on debating, under the watchful eye of the jury and CB facilitators. As you can imagine, speaking in English on a stage in front of a hundred people is not a simple exercise… It was really impressive to see the students defending their political ideas and trying to make them shine over the others. Especially because it allows us to see justice and this is the only way for society to thrive. It was nice to see the participants really involved in what they were doing; after all, what could be more effective than directly asking youth to speak for themselves and with their own words, about subjects concerning them? The debate was led by the jury: Simon Dalsgaard, member of the Danish Institute for Parties and Democracy, Mads Grønne Bärenholdt, PHD student in adolescence loneliness, former community science teacher, and member of the ø party, Garba Diallo, CB Director. Three monetary awards were at stake for the three winning parties to spend on activities or cultural projects of their own. A way to make them responsible and aware that their decisions have societal consequences. Many topics were discussed: gender and LGBTQ policies, migration policy, social benefits, healthcare, environmental policies, integration. Students actually had things to say about most of them, which showed their commitment but also their involvement in the exercise. And by extension in the democratic process and in society’s issues. Conclusion:  Not all parties won a prize but all the students were able to gain creativity and to hopefully ignite their curiosity about democracy. What is sure is that democracy won that day. For a moment the youth, supposedly disinterested in democracy, made it live and believed in it. And once again Crossing Borders contributed to the education and empowerment of young people to become active global citizens. It’s exactly for moments like this, that drive us, that we fight everyday, in order hopefully to make the world a better place. This final event was part of a project funded by the Danish Ministry of Culture, including 4 workshops and a final event, facilitated by Crossing Borders coordinators.

By Soraya Boumediene, Intern at Crossing Borders

Following the successful conclusion of the above project, we are pleased to share below the process and outcome of the events from Narva, Through Copenhagen, Gothenburg to Latvia. Please, see the milestones of the project: Launch of the project on Kick-off meeting and high-level conference in Narva. On the 26th of August 2021 partners from Nordic – Baltic countries (Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) got together in the beautiful city of Narva, Estonia to launch a great initiative “Together towards green, sustainable and digital society of Nordic-Baltic region”. The project aimed at providing a conducive space for the partners and adult learners to promote green solutions and sustainability in the Nordic-Baltic region. The project also wants to contribute to achieving the SDGs and regional cooperation on a green future of the region. On arrival day project partners started own adventure by visiting Tallinn old town and non-formally discussed the concept of the Sustainable Development Goals in practice. On the way to Narva partners had an opportunity to meet and better know each other. This informal interaction created a solid ground for our Nordic-Baltic collaboration and development program on SDGs. Adult learners who were represented within delegations shared own expectations, thought and ideas how they could contribute to active citizens and multiplier in achievement of sustainable goals at local and regional levels. On the 27th of August, the project was officially launched in the form of a high-level conference on sustainable development “Global Conversation 2021”. Nordic- Baltic partners and other international participants were invited to explore major obstacles to the achievement of the UN SDGs in societies with growing youth unemployment, intensifying climate change and ever deeper economic, social and racial divisions. Additionally, to that in the frame of working groups and speed dating among the adult learners with experts were discussing the role and importance of gender equality and accessible education, intercultural dialogue in healing divides and reconciling societies. An international conference became an opportunity to reaffirm the significance of the importance of collaboration between Nordic and Baltic actors in the field of education who work for a greener, socially sustainable, and digitally integrated region. The conference connected regional networks among practitioners, policymakers, civil society organisations, international donors.    The results of the meeting can be found on the official webpage: https://www.unsdg.ee/kick-off-conference/ The results of the meeting can be found on the official webpage: https://www.unsdg.ee/kick-off-conference/ First Workshop session “Getting closer with UN SDGs” took place on the 3.12-5.12.2021 in Helsinki, Finland On the 3rd of December 2021 the adult learner and experts on sustainable development and civil society issues gathered in the beautiful capital of Finland, Helsinki, for the first workshop session “Getting closer with UN SDGs”. The main objective of the workshop session for participants was to learn from each other while also hearing from adults and vulnerable group representatives about their own perspectives on relevant sustainable development issues and key questions like how we could improve gender equality within society, how to make education accessible to all and protect local community life form the challenges what are influencing their everyday life, like consequences of climate change, discrimination and inequalities, transition into green growth economy and waste management Moreover, to that partners had gathered to develop examples, tasks, and guidelines for inclusion of adult learners into the project’s main output, an educational toolkit “Civil society in building a green sustainable and digital future of the Nordic-Baltic region” and web resource, an intensive amount of work (including group tasks, creative challenges, conversation exercises, innovative approaches developed by the target group, etc.) was done during the workshops. At the end of the program partners conducted exchange session on best practices. The workshop was divided into two parts: to gather and develop educational materials, examples, guidelines and methodology for educational toolkit and to exchange of best practices by partners and invited experts to practise on outcome gained skills and materials with wider groups and communities. The workshop session was led by Anneli Ohvril (Executive Director, Let’s Do It World) and Ingrid Nielsen (independent expert on Environmental Question and renewable energy expert) and Jenni Kauppila (Advocacy office of UNA Finland). Training sessions were filled with a huge number of interactive exercises aimed at developing teamwork and gaining new knowledge about climate change, circular economy was interlinked and sustainable development. The room where the event took place was animated with vibrant, lively discussions on Integrating SDGs into strategies and practices: how to construct social change, led by Ingrid Nielsen. Event materials and results of the meeting you could find on this page. First Transnational partners and experts meeting “Together towards green, sustainable and digital society” in Copenhagen, Denmark contributed to the process of development of educational toolkit and web-resource. The first transnational meeting of partners and experts “Together towards a Green, Sustainable and Digital Society” took place in Copenhagen, Denmark, from 11-13th of March 2022. Facilitated by Crossing Borders Director Garba Diallo, the meeting began with a brief introduction of the host organisation Crossing Borders and its own activities on the global goals.  After partner cooperation part “getting to know each other” followed an interactive workshop on the Sustainable Development Goals, which was focusing mainly on climate change, green growth, clean Baltic Sea, waste management, sustainable lifestyle, environmental communication and sustainable cities and communities. Transnational meeting’s main goal was to contribute to the process of development of educational toolkit and web-resource, by collecting materials, best practices and new methodologies for adult learners and hearing adults & vulnerable groups own thoughts, ideas and experiences of on themes related with sustainable development. Also meeting was designed to evaluate a feedback from workshop session for target groups, meeting of partners and experts who have been working on development educational toolkit and web-resource as main practical outcome of the project. During the workshop, people focused on their neighbourhood and their personal relationship to the Sustainable Development Goals in a creative way, gaining new knowledge, methods and sharing experiences from different partner countries to address the issues raised. The second

By Maryam Alaouie, Journalist and Project Coordinator for Migrantour at Crossing Borders. Are you a tourist that hates walking on mainstream streets and loves discovering cities through the eyes of locals or immigrants? Or are you new to the city and longing to see its hidden gems? Or simply a native, that loves Copenhagen’s cultural diversity? Then this is the tour for you.  Stories give places meaning, which is what Migrantour is all about. Migrantour is a European solidarity project showcasing the richness of the cultural diversity and the history of migration in European cities today. It is intercultural walks with guides who share their stories of the city they call home, from their migrant perspectives. Migrantour was originally created in 2010 in Italy to promote a different kind of tourism, involving people with a history of migration, making city tours more personal, sustainable, and community-based than ever.    Over the years, Migrantour has developed and is now operating in 20 different cities around Europe including Barcelona, Brussels, Lisbon, Ljubljana, Utrecht, and more, and now finally in Copenhagen!  “I want participants to experience the contribution of migrants to Copenhagen, particularly Nørrebro…economic, cultural, and social,” says Alfred, one of our well-trained tour guides from Ghana.  Migrantour Copenhagen is coordinated by Crossing Borders since March 2021. Crossing Borders decided to bring the concept to Copenhagen as it resonates with their mission to create a safe space for dialogue and to bring people together across cultures to share their perspectives, says Garba Diallo, founding director of Crossing Borders.   “We decided to bring Migrantour to Copenhagen because of the fact that Copenhagen is a globalizing city which migration makes richer and more innovative,” answered Diallo, when asked why he decided to bring Migrantour to Copenhagen. “In today’s Copenhagen, we can meet people from every corner of the world, eat food, have drinks from Coffee to Chai to Mate to Ayran, and listen to music as something natural. We are making Copenhagen richer and more connected with herself and the rest of the world than ever,” continues Diallo.    Co-created by people with a migration background, Copenhagen Migrantour highlights the multiculturalism of the city. It helps connect people who are born in Copenhagen, migrants, and tourists, to each other and to the city, while empowering migrants to claim their place in the cultural heritage of the city.     Working together with experts, the tour guides have developed personal, yet insightful tours in one of the most colorful areas in Copenhagen, Nørrebro, a vibrant and hipster district that has been a home to many generations of migrants. The interactive walking tours are designed for tourist groups, university students and school classes who want to learn about Copenhagen from diverse, local perspectives.   For booking your tour and for more information kindly visit the Migrantour website at https://migrantoursdenmark.crossingborders.dk or reach out to Crossing Borders +45 21 63 94 32 for any inquiries.              Testimonials: “I have been in Copenhagen a few times before, but the tour gave me a new perspective of the city, uhm, not sure how to explain but you feel more connected to it somehow…”   – Tourist from Norway   “The tour was full of stories, history, and cozy narrow streets, loved it!”   – Newcomer to Denmark from France 

Empowered Girls Dialogue – Giving girls a voice for change through community dialogue – is one year project implemented by organization Project Soar and funded by Civil Society in Development (CISU). Crossing Borders’ global program coordinator Tatjana Stefanovic and project coordinator Pareeksha Pandeshwar Raghavendra had chance to visit HQ of Project Soar in Douar Laadam, around 30km from Marrakesh. During their visit, Soar coordinators and facilitators presented success stories of girls and their transformation from early school dropouts to gaining confidence and knowledge on their values, rights, body, and future goals by becoming Project Soar girls. Even more, they encourage their friends and neighbours to join the program. The few icebreaking games session by Tatjana to Project Soar girls were followed by an activity where they presented their learning from the training. It is indeed a community empowering! The session was ended with the Project Soar girls affirmation which is the best part of the day. The following day Tatjana and Pareeksha visited nearby village, Douar Igoudar, and attended Community Dialogue where the Project Soar girls first performed a beautiful skit on ‘Girl’s wish’. They have performed the same skit in front of communities which highlighted what a girl in Morocco goes through just because she is a ‘girl’. The story also depicts what girls wishes to be in her life and how it is suppressed by her own family because of her gender. Post the performance, there were debate and discussions between Soar girls and other stakeholders regarding gender bias. The whole session showcased girls’ challenges and perspective in the men dominant society in Morocco. It was empowering to see the orthodox girls who has managed to convince her parents to take part in Soar program. They were also advised to showcase the performance in front of their own parents to create more awareness. The following day started with a very interesting discussion with women facilitators from Byougra and Azrou regions. This discussion gave a perspective of women facilitators on Empowering Girls Dialogue program from the field itself. Many challenges, struggles, success stories were shared. These women facilitators were once a Project Soar girl and now facilitate the whole program in front of many people confidently. A big graduation party for Project Soar girls followed, where the parents (especially mothers) joined the celebration in Douar Laadam. All the Project Soar girls chanted affirmations right in front of their mothers and could sense their proud feeling by seeing their daughter on stage. There were some intense discussions between the mothers and daughters on girls being treated differently than boys.  In between all these discussions and debates, there were some lighter moments like singing Arabic songs, dancing to Bollywood songs, and playing fun games. It all ended with the graduation ceremony where the proud mothers presented certificate to their daughters who are ready to take the world! Testimonies: “I really enjoyed the Crossing Borders visit to project Soar HQ. Pareeksha and Tatjana were lovely. I had fruitful discussions with them and the Soar girls. It was a pleasure to have them with us for the Soar Community Dialogue on gender equality in Douar Igoudar. They had excellent conversations with the youth attendees, and they shared positive feedback regarding the community dialogues. They interacted with the play that was performed by Soar grads and Soar Club officers in an effective way. They attended another fruitful conversation with our facilitators and Soar girls who came to visit from Bouygra and Azrou Atlas. We really enjoyed that discussion and we came up with new ideas regarding what Soar girls need for next year, for example, a well-planned Soar Club schedule with specific dates and deadlines for various activities that the Soar girls will be choosing themselves, an art program where girls and boys will be holding acting, singing and drawing activities, IT training for boys and girls to learn about computer science, and training on how to prepare the Soar girls professionally for the labor market. We ended the visit with a very successful community meeting at HQ and a graduation ceremony where the Soar girls opened up about their experiences and personality changes that Soar in a Box helped with, with the Crossing Borders visitors, and where the visitors shared with us the joy of celebrating these success stories.” Warda Bouye, Soar program coordinator. “It is a pleasure and an honor to be here, especially to attend the Project Soar girls’ graduation. We experienced the Soar community dialogue, and that was amazing, the way how they managed to involve the other members of the community and rise this important topic of gender bias. We are bringing a lot of amazing stories with us, especially because we can see the change in the Soar girls after attending the Soar training and the curriculum of five modules in which they learn about their value, voice, body, right, and how they can put that into action.The graduation was so emotional and exciting, and it was great to see girls there with their mothers. It is amazing to see how they are proud of their daughters coming here to attend Soar training. I saw how it is important to include mothers in the dialogue. Project Soar is so empowering.” Tatjana, CB’s Global program coordinator.

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