“Through many years of experience in the Global South and in Europe, it was clear that inclusion as a principle is not necessarily part of common understanding when it comes to the topic of structural and societal inequalities. The power structure that exists in our internalized cultural education Is mirrored in our work, community and activism spaces as well. The labor attached to deal with these power structures effects the quality of work, communication and mental health of group members.
I can express confidently on basis of my work history that having the awareness of these dynamics, creating spaces to reflect and create strategies to take steps towards equality within a collaborative atmosphere is something which can be benefited from in many ways.” (Kholoud Bidak)
"Based on my work, I am confident that becoming aware of these dynamics, creating spaces for reflection, and developing strategies for taking steps toward equality in a collaborative atmosphere is something that can benefit you in many ways," Kholoud Bidak explains.
Creating awareness is the first step. Opening a space and being supported in the reflection process - was a new experience during the three-hour long co:lab X session that took place on September 5 with Kholoud Bidak. A bit too short, to be honest. After all, dealing with power structures shaped by racism, exclusion, heteronormativity, classism, sexism, and other ideological dimensions of discrimination is a lengthy and painful process. It is a learning journey during which a lack of awareness about one's own vulnerability and that of others becomes visible. Those who expected to simply get a lot of substantive input during the workshop and return home had miscalculated. Rather, they were invited to engage in the slowness of the process and open up reflection and personal pain points.
Kholoud Bidak opened the room with a round of introductions. Each participant was asked to draw a five-petaled flower on a sheet of paper each reflecting an unconventional thing about themselves. The exercise was meant to invite vulnerability and empathy into the room.
Soon after, to the spotlight moved to the group work, and straight to the nitty-gritty. Kholoud Bidak sent the participants into the first round of reflection with the following question: "What do you do when someone tells you that you are behaving in a discriminatory way? What participants discussed in a confidential round of four, were invited to share in the plenary. Among the participants, the reflection round evoked feelings of thoughtfulness, shame, and trepidation, but also enabled radical openness to reflect on their own behaviour, and a great willingness to learn. Subsequent questions were devoted to witnessing and co-facilitating discriminatory situations: "When have you ever contributed to a discriminatory situation?" Some participants had to think longer. Others immediately thought of examples such as micro-aggressions in the workplace, physical and verbal bullying, and the use of racist, queer-hostile, and/or sexist language. What was important here was to become aware of these situations and make them discussable. To do this, it was necessary to be vulnerable to each other as a way to recognize one's own behaviour as real and to learn from it with the help of other perspectives.
In the further course of the workshop, Kholoud Bidak asked for the definitions of gender expression vs. gender presentation, gender ID vs. gender role, sexuality, gender performance as well as pink-washing. Once again, discussions were held in smaller groups, and the participants found it interesting to explore to what extent these topics are present in their work environments (e.g. in the civil society sector). Pink-washing, for example, is a common practice in which companies use messages of support for the LGBT+ community to promote their products or services without genuinely engaging in the fight for LGBT+ rights or LGBT+ people themselves. It is equally common for companies and institutions to establish the role of a *discrimination officer primarily because there is external pressure and/or to target specific groups when recruiting while remaining unaware of the harmful structures on a deeper level, and their own discriminatory behaviour. In this way, the remains a place where those affected by discrimination keep feeling unsafe.
Fortunately, however, there are organizations and companies that are quite seriously engaged in taking fundamental action against discriminatory thinking and behaviour and introducing diversity management, which, as described in the Diversity Charter, is a holistic management concept. This approach is "geared to recognize and equally value all employees - regardless of personality traits, lifestyles or designs. It encompasses all strategies, measures, and instruments that promote and shape diversity in an organization. The aim is to grasp and embrace the commonalities and differences of the workforce, identify aspects of this diversity that are relevant to the organization, and create working environments that are inclusive and free of prejudice." (Charta der Vielfalt e.V.)
So how does intersectional collaboration differ from traditional collaboration? For intersectional collaboration, it is fundamental that all participants are aware of the power structures that create disadvantages for marginalized groups and want to dismantle them together.
The workshop with Kholoud Bidak can be understood as an impulse to develop an understanding of the role that discrimination plays in collaboration. Becoming aware of one's own or co-facilitating discriminatory behaviour, as well as ways in which own privilege is intertwined with disadvantages and oppression of marginalized individuals and groups is the first step on the way to intersectional collaboration. Kholoud Bidak recommends the Diversity Charter to organizations and companies that want to continue the path to intersectional collaboration internally and with partners.
Kholoud Bidak names empathy, multi-perspectivity, and (self-)love as the keys to the success of intersectional collaboration. This confirms the approach of thinking collaboration in relation to topics of well-being.
Kholoud Bidak is a queer feminist, intersectional BIPoC activist and political educator with a focus on human rights, diversity, and intersectionality. Kholoud Bidak has over 20 years of experience working in NGOs, collectives, and the private sector on the African continent, in the Global South, and in Europe. Kholoud Bidak's areas of work include training and workshops, consulting, mediation and supervision, leading organizational development processes, organizing events, writing, and translations.
The co:lab X-Reihe is part of the betterplace co:lab programme. You can find further information on the webseite.
The second round of the co:lab program is funded by the Schöpflin Foundation and the BMW Foundation..