Watching everything closely
Since our training course in Egypt I find myself wondering about (political) participation a lot. Where does it start, what should it include, what different kinds exist and so on.
When we were walking in Cairo with the task to find something that symbolises citizenship or participation for us, Kristof chose to take a picture with a group of men, standing at the street, talking, smoking, watching. I wasn’t very sure at that moment, where he saw the participation in that ‘action’ (is there such thing as ‘passive action’?).
But then I was asking myself, what I know about my own quarter, which is actually the quarter I grew up, and I couldn’t come up with something real. I don’t know what initiatives exist to improve life there (if they exist), what developments are planned not to mention that I haven’t spend a single thought on what I would like to change or how I could get involved. I know probably much more about the European budget than the money that is spend in my ‘barrio’ and more about the education policy in Germany than integration projects in my quarter.
Caring for your direct environment…
Walking through Barcelona and seeing the posters everywhere in the quarter ‘El Born’, where the inhabitants declare that they want to keep ‘El Born’ a liveable or even ‘dignified’ place. They claim their right in participating in developing the area thy are living in.
In order to do that successfully, you better should know what is happening around you, what initiatives exist and how to cooperate with your neighbours.
Maybe we should all leave our bird’s eye view from time to time and approach things less global and more local. So maybe you can find me in Hamburg soon, standing in front of my house, watching my neighbourhood…
Tina
