For the moment the documentation is still a mix of different languages – we apologise, we are currently working on the translation.
“We were always Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg, although I’m pretty sure that for my pre-colonial ancestors, that made little sense. It would have been their clan that held meaning when they traveled because within the Nishnaabe world it indicated which families would take care of them. Their name would mean something to other Nishnaabe. How they conducted themselves and embodied the political practices between the Nishnaabe and the Kanien’keh.:ka would have meant something to the Kanien’keh.:ka. Identity was embodied and rooted, not performed or announced.“
Leanne Betasamosake Simsons, “Redefining our terms” – Funambulists
‘Identity’ was the theme of #CommunitiesSolidarischDenken in 2024. What a year! As always, we are sincerely grateful to all of you for your input, participation, thoughts and all the exciting exchanges and great spaces we created together.
Identity is a big topic, so we have chosen different moments and tried to observe them more closely, question them and learn from each other.
Here we have a documentation of our year and the processes for you. We would also like to recommend our print documentation (also available digitally): ‘Cooking with(in) memories’ is a cookbook full of beautiful, heartfelt, empowering memories and above all: incredibly delicious dishes!
Table of contents:
1. Panel: „Identities before politics”
2. Lecture series: “Unfolding Identities”
3. Symposium “Queer of Color Critique”
4. Panel “Lots & Lots of Letters”
5. Panel “Re_invisioning Identities”
6. The Legion of Community Superpowers
7. Cookbook “Cooking with(in) memories”
1. Panel: „Identities before politics”
Identity markers are becoming increasingly more academic and conceptualised, not as a self-description of a life reality, but more and more often as a trump card for which opinion is more correct, which identity has more value or who has more right to space. Identity is then presented, performed and becomes a gesture without embodiment – a buzzword.
How did identity(ies) become something quantifiable, material or negotiable? What approach do we need in order to practise a decolonial, anti-capitalist understanding of identity(ies)?
Here come our first ducumentation of this years #CommunitisSolidarischDenken the panel “Identities before politics” with May Zeidani Yufanyi, Sinthujan Varatharajah and Namarig Abkr. The panel took place in English spoken language, a translation into German Sign Language is available. We are working on translation into German spoken language.
2. Lecture series: “Unfolding Identities”
As part of this year’s documentary, we are adding the input series ‘Unfolding Identities’. You will find five different fascinating contributions about different identities. The focus is on those that are forgotten, hidden, erased or subsumed in the BIPoC discourses.
The lecture series took place in English, German and Spanish spoken language. We are currently working on translations also into German sign language.
3. Symposium “Queer of Color Critique”
Queer of Colour Critique initially means a critical perspective of queer and BIPoC positioned people. Although there is no homogenous group of Queers of Colour, this term is currently used mainly by QTIBIPoCs (QueerTransInter* AND Black Indigenous People of Colour). There is a common ground of being affected by racism as well as homophobia and/or transphobia. This also means that there are shared experiences and common strategies of resistance, survival and empowerment.
„Of course, queer of color critique is not homogeneous and there is not just one line. However, the lines often only appear fleetingly, are sometimes clearer, sometimes ephemeral, sometimes missing points on the line or stations along the way that once existed but have disappeared due to erasure, forgetting, repression, violence or pandemics.„
Dr. Rena Onat
Together on the panel with Dr. Rena Onat, Dr. Layla Zami & Koray Yılmaz-Günay. We would also like to draw your attention to talks on Queer of Colour Critique from other years: The book publication Dr Rena Onat 2023: “Queere Künstler_innen of Color“. As well as the screening of the documentation of the keynotes by Dr Chandra Frank & Gayatri Gopinath as part of the Queer of Color Critique Reading Circle 2021.
The panel took place in German spoken language, a translation into German sign language is available. We are working on providing a translation into English spoken language.
4. Panel “Lots & Lots of Letters”
LGBT, LGBTQ, LGBTQIA+ and queer, gay, trans, ace: There are various alliance terms for people who are affected by anti-queer and/or anti-trans discrimination. The terms are and have always been part of the communities and carry meaning, power and resistance. However, as with many identity terms, there are one (or more) discourses, disputes, perhaps even arguments. They also change: through various movements and waves and also from generation to generation and from community to community. That’s why we want to create a space in which we can shift our focus and ask ourselves: How do we feel about the term? What problems come up with the acronym? And who is actually talking to whom here?
The panel took place in cooperation with Magnus Hirschfeld Federal Foundation and AWO Begegnungszentrum. We exchanged experiences on this ‘90s topic’ (quote from Jin Haritaworn on the panel) with the wonderful panellists Yezenia León Mezu, Judy Gummich, Paula Güllü and Jin Haritaworn.
The panel took place in German sign language and German spoken language. We are working on a translation into English spoken language.
5. Panel “Re_invisioning Identities”
What does identity mean when it’s no longer defined solely by a past or external labels but by conscious and dynamic self-determination and a future together? As we have been exploring, discussing and reflecting about Identities this year, we had the chance to create beautiful and informing spaces to reflect on discourses, positions and alliances.
Together with Karla Pinto, Day Eve ‘Dream’ Komet, Gitanjeli Parkash, Hyemi Jo and moderated by May Zeidani Yufanyi, we would like to bring together these discourses and our processes in the year and re-envision identities.
The panel took place in German sign language and English spoken language. Translations are partially available.
6. The Legion of Community Superpowers
This year in its mini anniversary fifth and final year: Our Community Super Dragos: The Legion of Community Superpowers!
Illustrated by Xinan Pandan.
7. “Cooking with(in) memories“
In many ways, our solidarities and alliances are built on identities that anchor historical and contemporary struggles, discourses, visions and alliances on the basis of lived realities. As identities are fundamental to our intersectional work, we often accept many of our notions of identity unquestioningly. However, the empowering processes of identities, such as the struggles to shift from descriptions of others to one’s self and the potential for collective action, are often antithetical to current discourses that shift the meaning of identities: from the description of lived realities to create dialogue, to something that can be embraced and discarded.
We have been grappling with these and many other questions this year and as the saying states, the way to a ones heart is through ones stomach….
The brochure is a mix of German and English written language. We are working on translations.
This documentation took place as part of the LADS-funded project #CommunitiesSolidarischDenken.
