Our Goals

Our self-image and goal:
Yasmin Kollektiv e.V. offers a platform to get in touch with people, because we do not want to “discuss” the so-called “Middle East”, but instead open a dialogue with people from the region. Geographically, we are dedicated to the area of West Asia and North Africa. In this huge and very contrasting region, we do not see ourselves as experts, but we complete each other as a team as we have different regional focuses and experiences. The cultures in Europe and in the WANA region are strongly influenced by each other, and yet we often get astonished when we talk about our experiences and travels. Especially migrants from the region that are used for political issues. We want to give their stories and perspectives a voice. Our credo? Talk less, listen more. 
For this purpose, we organise projects and workshops around the regions of West Asia and North Africa. These aim to challenge “orientalist” stereotypes and the image of the crisis-shattered region, to do anti-racist work and to stand up for a diverse, tolerant and feminist society. At the beginning of this journey, we started the Middle East Podcast, with which we wanted to show a German-speaking audience the facets of the region that is subsumed under the Eurocentric* term “Middle East”. Since 2021, we have been focusing on networking and training podcasters from the region. In our podcast, we give a platform to topics and issues that are not necessarily the focus of media coverage, but have a significant impact on people’s society and politics.    

*Eurocentric: A viewpoint from Europe into the world – the perspective is then shaped by European ways of thinking in politics, economics and culture.

What is important to us in this?
Anti-racist work

In the association we are people from the region of West Asia and North Africa as well as Germany. The white people in the association often still have German passports that bring with them freedom of travel and other privileges that many other people do not enjoy. It is important for us to always critically question our own role and the existing North-South power imbalance.

 

Code of conduct in the association

Healthy and upright communication in the project team and within the association is important to us. This includes: Expressing needs, expressing and accepting criticism and communicating without violence. This is not a perfect actual state, but a process to which we are committed and to which we want to orient ourselves.

Are you interested in our work? Would you like to join us or perhaps have a project idea of your own? Write us: https://yasmin-kollektiv.org/contact-us/

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