Project Uncomfortable Conversation

Genvägar

• Adress
• Telefon
• Aviseringar
• Kontakta Organisationen
• Gör anspråk på ägande
  eller rapportera noteringen

• 

  Vill du placera din organisation längst upp i Ideell Organisation-listan i Helsingborg?

Project Uncomfortable Conversation

Since the politically labeled “refugee crisis” and influx of people from other parts of the world into Sweden, most of its cities like Helsingborg has recorded a gradual increase in coloured/non-white/black population. In essence, there has always been the need for people of all “races” in this city, to live in harmony, cohesion and mutual respect. However, in Helsingborg, people of color (black people) have continuously endured various forms of racial insensitivity in diverse ways and social spaces. Yet, a significant majority of people in Helsingborg “claim” not to be racist, and in fact despise this discriminatory act. Then the question is, who are the people being racially insensitive towards black people or people of color in this City? The answer is quite simple, everyone. A cross sectional dialogue we conducted among some youth of this city showed that, the most common form of racism black people face in this city is embedded in conversational insensitivity. Black people are not called names overtly, neither are they denied access to justice or public goods due to their color, or treated differently by law enforcement, but instead, they are asked questions, asked to discuss topics, or assumed to have had some experiences just because of their skin color.

This form of racism is what is termed Racial Insensitivity, it is very subtle, yet the most common in many places, and this city hasn’t been an exception. If this city will be much more equal in the coming decades, then this form of racism must be tackled. Black people must be able to enter into conversations without being put in the position where they will have to continuously reflect on their blackness and its manifestations. We all have seen videos of the “black lives matters” protests, and we have seen images and videos, where white people who have joined the protest in solidarity, charge the front of the protest, hold high their placards, only to block the placards of the black people from being seen, and their voices from being heard. This is certainly not an image, or a metaphor we would like, to represent life in Helsingborg. This project seeks to sensitise the residents of Helsingborg (both black and white) with knowledge, communicative, interpersonal skills, and the platform to engage in uncomfortable conversations that will expose all the nuances that characterise racial insensitivity. While these “socially engineered and carefully designed uncomfortable conversations” enable participants to understand the nature, forms, and medium through which racism embeds itself in conversations, the Supplemental Instruction Model Workshops and Reflexivity Dialogue, will stimulate them to develop collectively, strategies and recommendations on how to avoid racial insensitivity. Finally, the Advocacy-Art Model, will also be used in encouraging the use of creative arts in advocating against racism. Which we construe as a non-contentious way of advocacy yet equally important as the protests and demonstrations. At the end of the project, we envisage our participants not to have gained knowledge on how to deal with this problem but must have accrued the skills and competence in imparting others with the knowledge they have gained. With such a ripple effect, Helsingborg will continue to be in the path towards a free, equal, and attractive city.