Building a Brave New You with the first step in Slovenia

Slovenia made me think, a lot, about many things. Freedom of speech, Hate speech, existing narratives, like a narative "behind" a passport. What is the real context behind narratives.  

Difficult topics? Yes, of course, but think about it. That document you show at the airport or at the borders between countries. Passports… what’s the message behind it!? Is it to show the differences or the similarities among humans!? I wonder why, as a Portuguese citizen, I have more freedom to travel around the world. Traveling without the need of having a stamp or a visa that would allow me to visit some countries. More freedom than many friends that I have been meeting.

In the Universal Declaration of Human Rights it says ‘’ All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights’’.

Is the world living according this quite important right!? I’m not sure…

This is a topic that has been annoying for some time, but is there anything I can do!? Well, maybe not in a big scale, but there are always small things we can work on so future generations will not have to face the same problems that we have been going through.

In Črnomelj, me and some amazing people were learning more about these difficult words

- Hate Speech and Narratives - how to identify and analyze them.

Why, what’s the point, you may ask…

Because we want to ‘’Discover a New World’’, a world where there is Equality in Diversity, Respect in Differences and Love for the Similarities!

Going through the process, our plan is to to prepare and implement local actions, where we will find the ‘’perfect strangers’’ and take them to the 37º Convention of YEU. There, we will be discussing the topics once again and come together to create tools on how to deal with these problems on our daily life. Not forgetting about the connections. Connections among us. Connections that will never be forgotten. 

In every single event of this kind, trainers and facilitators always ask for our expectations and fears… I was quite afraid of what was going to happen in there, having participated in the last convention of YEU. I was looking forward of how it should be and how the facilitators should look like. At the first day I couldn’t really see the big picture… I thought, we are not prepared for this and I didn’t feel that I would be able to facilitate activities about a topic that I had not a clear idea of what was it about. But I tried, I gave my best, I had to actively listen and be very focused on each word people were saying. I couldn’t be wondering in my thoughts like I do all the time. I had to be present, for me and for them. In few days some people also made me change my perception about some stereotypes I had in mind. It’s not a very easy process and I couldn’t understand what was happening to me, it happened so fast, and from one day to the other, only looking deep in someone eyes you can see the truth. There are still many doubts in my mind, of course, but I know now that those people will be there to support me with whatever I will need. 

Together we will create something very special for you that is reading this… Maybe not directly and straight away but you’ll know when the time comes.

Slovenia was the first step, as now we meet once again in Portugal, with some more young people. Young people who I hope that will head back home at the end of the process, having the same seed planted as someone planted it in my head some years ago. The seed of love for human beings.

By

Daniela Sofia,

Participant