HAWK International Office raises awareness at workshop series
‘For us this series of workshops is particularly significant, as we believe it is important to constantly raise awareness of the issue and to take a stand at a time when there is often more talk about each other than with each other and discrimination and racism seem to be becoming more ‘socially acceptable’ in many places,’ says Annika Kerknawi from the HAWK International Office.
‘The ‘Confident and Strong’ workshop was an incredibly enriching experience for me as an international student who has been affected by racism myself,’ says Zainab Abdul Baki. ‘It not only provided me with a safe space to share my own experiences, but also gave me deep insights into the mechanisms of discrimination and racism.’ The combination of theoretical input, personal dialogue and innovative methods, such as the virtual reality experience, helped her to both raise her own awareness and develop practical strategies for dealing with racism. ‘Designing identity masks was a very special moment for me, as I was able to express my own story creatively. It showed me how important it is to wear my identity with pride and raise my voice in the face of injustice.’
The DAAD provided the STIBET funds explicitly for this format in order to also promote activities for cosmopolitanism and tolerance as part of the academic welcome culture.