From September 10th to 14th, 2018, volunteers from the Turkish Federation Berlin-Brandenburg (TBB) met again for a seminar at the wannseeFORUM Foundation. For some of the new cohort, this was their first seminar, while for others it was the last educational seminar of their voluntary social year. The small group of 23 participants ensured a friendly and intimate atmosphere throughout the week.
The topic was "Classism and Consumerism". On the very first day of the seminar, after everyone had gotten to know each other a little, there was a joint introductory presentation by Nenad Čupić (trainer and consultant in power- and discrimination-critical educational work).
Definitions for the term "classism" were found, and initial personal experiences were shared. Questions like "Who is the richest person you know, and how rich are they?" or "Should everyone's monthly salary be publicly available?" helped us explore our own ideas and biographies. At the end of the first day, the complex question of what exactly classism is was, of course, not entirely resolved, but interest in the subsequent work in the artistic workshops had been sparked.
The parallel art workshops for comics and theater began on Tuesday. Both workshops focused heavily on biographical work, with participants translating their own experiences into the respective medium.
The theatre group incorporated very personal experiences and engaged intensively with the education system and the preconditions that often influence our academic and career choices. On stage, they overcame the obstacles that society places in their way.
The comic group produced two very different comics. The first It is inspired by George Orwell's "Animal Farm." In the comic, the farmer leaves the farm alone for a day, and the farm dog Snoopy visits the other animal groups. Here, the animal protagonist has his own unique experiences with classism.
In the second comic The story centers on an expensive vase – someone finds it by chance and suddenly becomes wealthy. The comic follows this person through the decisions they subsequently make and how their life changes through possession.
On Thursday, the group celebrated their last evening together with a festive dinner and campfire bread, before the results of both workshop groups were presented on Friday. The final group evaluation included many expressions of gratitude for inspiration, collaboration, and mutual respect, as all participants felt how much they had learned from and about each other during the week. The wannseeFORUM Foundation looks forward to seeing the TBB again in October 2018 and wishes all the volunteers, for whom this was their last educational seminar, every success in their future endeavors.