Originally published on LinkedIn. Written by Nicol Savinetti, PhD
As I removed my headset after clicking “Leave conversation”, I had an ooops moment. Nørrebro library was completely silent and, 20 minutes before closing, there were only a couple of people left. I turned to a man sitting next to me to ask if I had been terribly loud and got as far as “Was I spea…” when he intervened with:
CONGRATULATIONS! I don’t know what it is that happened but congratulations! I just wanted to say that. You have great energy!
This response made me smile even more and entirely complemented the high that I felt as we concluded our panel debate on African Unity Day, 25 May 2022. The discussion was guided by my co-moderator Everest Obatitor (Think Africa, Finland). Everest took us from discussing the challenges to sharing ideas about solutions for Africans and people of African origin to collaborate and speaking with united voice. There were numerous poignant issues raised during the discussion with the audience, and I would like to share those identified by the panelists that struck me most.
Listed in the order they were raised during the debate:
- Lack of collective consciousness. In order to have successful collaboration there has to be an explicit shared ambition and a shared identity that may arise from the creation of a collective consciousness. Kitimbwa Sabuni, Afro-Swedish National Association (SE)
- Need to find commonalities. There is currently an acute lack of awareness among African communities (both within country and across the Nordic region) about what organisations and businesses exist and the work they are doing. Andrew Julius Bende, Civil Connections (DK)
- See oneself as the solution. Solutions are not only found externally, and people need to recognize and embrace that they themselves, their actions etc. are also part of the solution. Kinam Konlan, African Food Festival (NO)
- Obstacles and challenges are too central. There is a need to bring the opportunities presented in the Nordic countries to the forefront and, while continuing to recognize and work on getting over the obstacles, position them differently. Kinam Konlan, African Food Festival (NO)
- Need for greater self awareness. Individuals should aim to be more self aware, recognizing our strengths and weaknesses – embrace the former and seek help for the latter. Kingsley Ify, Springboard (FI)
- Fear of not being good enough. Part of the colonial legacy is a phenomenon of individuals—in spite of being successful and skilled in different ways—feeling that they are not good enough. Patience Karlsson, W.O.M.E.N. (IS)
- Shift in mindset is needed.
- Many people of African origin are constantly thinking (and planning) their return home which stops them from being present, and from forming a collective vision or mission. Patience Karlsson, W.O.M.E.N. (IS)
- When entering collaborations individuals are often thinking about what they are getting out of it rather than what they are bringing to the table. Kingsley Ify, Springboard (FI)
- Institutional and structural discrimination. Data and numerous studies show that institutional and structural discrimination are rife in the Nordic region with the situation being worse in some countries than others. Kitimbwa Sabuni, Afro-Swedish National Association (SE)
A further issue that was initially raised by Patience Karlsson, who incidentally also has a shop AfroZone ehs in Reykjavík, was language as in Iceland learning Icelandic is not state-funded, so people need to either be in a financial position that affords them access. The panel and audience continued with the theme later on in the context of the linguistic and cultural differences (and also different traditions and histories) that exist across the continent of Africa also being a barrier to collaboration as they limit understanding.
In identifying solutions it was acknowledged that by coming together for the panel debate and discussing these challenges is one of the first steps towards finding solutions and changing behaviours – our own and that of others. One speaker raised an interesting point that while Africans and people of African origin need to feel more that we deserve and are entitled to establish ourselves well and forge lasting fruitful ties, we also need to better sensitize ourselves to each others’ situations both within and across countries.
One of the final comments that resonated strongly with me and beautifully summarized our two and a half hours together was “Trust is everything” (Unfortunately and irritatingly, I did not note down who voiced these words!)
By the end of the session we—the panel, the organisers, the moderators, the audience—were all in agreement that this meeting and exchange of experiences and ideas among such a diverse stakeholders was a significant first step, and we aim to keep the candle burning.
I appreciated the depth of the conversations, the honesty and the trust exhibited during the session. I also recognize many of the issues as barriers to collaboration across nationalities in the arts and culture sector in Denmark.
And you? Does anything sound familiar to you? I would appreciate reading/hearing your constructive thoughts and comments.
Thank you once again to the panelists and organizers at Think Africa Finland, Christal Spel and Everest Obatitor and the audience.
Founding Director & Chairperson
IMMART – International Migration Meets the Arts
