"I can do anything. I know what I really want. I will courage myself to step in that direction."

Yesterday I attended a house warming party organized by two classmates of mine. After eating and chilling, instead of usual dance floor, my attention was in Ethiopian childhood stories. We were laughing big time and I was amazed to hear how imaginative and innovative those kids have been during their childhood in Ethiopia, though nowadays all have become more serious with videogames. 

        When thinking about the past year I feel thankful, happy and proud. Through sharing this year with people from so many different cultures I have learned how amazing it is that we are all different. I have also learned how difficult and same time important it is not to make opinions about a single person based on single story and cultural backgrounds. Would say as many people we are, as many cultures we have and as many stories we have. 

         BUT. Even though this year in Finland has been full of everyday adventures, I still get the same feeling of powerlessness, like always, after staying in this society and under these policies for too long time on a roll. As a native Finn living in Finland it is kind of easy to just lay back and say I will do that tomorrow. Or choose from all options what I want to study or maybe I will work instead. If one is willing to work as a cleaner, jobs are always there to be found, and even with ok salary. If one cannot find a job, money will come from the state to help with necessities. Then one can always continue dancing, drawing, singing or writing as a hobby aside. 

         I am not saying that this would not be a good thing, of course it is. But in this system it is also easy to forget about your passion and what you want the most. It is easy to become lazy and lose the steps towards the ultimate goal. By settling all rules to make it harder for people to be idealistic this society is quite good in making all people feel they are just ordinary. The truth is that we are all extraordinary and we have the power to reach high in real life. I don’t mean seeking money and becoming rich in that way. I mean using all the capacity we have inside of us to make the best out of what we are and what we want from life. 

I feel powerful every time I am in Uganda and after I come back from Uganda. I feel I am able to achieve anything I want to. I am always 100% idealist when I come back from there and I love that feeling. One might call it naïve and stupid to think one can can achieve what has been dreaming of and that world could be better place if we all would care for one another. But is it so naive?

In the community of Breakdance Project Uganda (BPU) we have people with different goals, interests, characters and beliefs. But what we have in common is love for Hip Hop and dance. This love has taken people far and I am always amazed how much my friends are working for reaching their goals.

                    BPU members Abramz, Key, Moze and Mark representing in Italy.

Abramz Tekya created BPU out of nothing but the belief that because he loves something and is able to get out of social exclusion and poverty with that something, others can too. He heard rap and said to himself, “hey I can do that”, saw breakdancing and decided to learn. Finally he ended up inviting one of his idols and oldest and biggest names of breaking, b-boy Crazy Legs to Uganda to meet with all b-boys and b-girls there, and ended up changing his life too. At the same time Abramz is a simple dude with both feet on the ground, understanding that he needs other people to work with him to make a change. He is sharing opportunities with others, sometimes missing something cool himself and giving the opportunity to another member. He understands that what he is doing will not make him rich with dollar bills, but so much rich with social relations. 

 When in Finland I hear a lot of phrases “I cannot do it”, “but that is impossible”, “why would I try”, “it is waste of time”, I never hear these words among BPU. What they do instead is hard work day after another, creating positive change by believing in the importance of their work. It may sound like very exciting but in reality it is often exhausting, leaving no time for sleep, fighting against authorities and facing all negative feedback and keeping the organization running despite any failures on the way. It is work that one can do only with having heart into it.

K’naan has a song called Somalia where he sings about the power one can have to achieve when having enough will:

“When someone comes out of such a dire situation, and learns the English language just to share his observation? Probably get a Grammy without a grammar education, so fuck you school and fuck you immigration. And all of you who thought I wouldn't amount to constipation, and now I'm here without the slightest fear and reservation”.

 Oscar made his way from excluded football player to b-boy and later skilled professional photographer. He always participated in all video and photograph sessions and is still asking more advises from other professionals who come to Uganda. Now he is self-employed in Kibuuka Photography ( check from facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/KibuukaPhotography?fref=ts )

  

 Sono has become a very popular beatboxer during one year. When I left Uganda at the end of February 2012 he didn’t do beatboxing. Now everyone wants to learn from him. Sono is also writing a book, because he has always wanted to do that. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1n-4iI68MQ
 

 Sono does beatboxing with Moze who also taught him. Moze is now learning hip hop moves and teaching beatboxing to others. He has got opportunities to travel to Italy and meet up with other dancers and beatboxers. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgVA3r_OYJ8

Beautiful Key has been showing her talent on dance floor, cat walk as well as in graphic design. I have seen her attitude changing through being part of BPU family and today she is one of the most kind-hearted ladies I’ve met.

 As a hard worker, Mark decided to use all inspiration he has got to start up an own project alongside with BPU. Break-Fast Jam is an event that takes breaking to many different communities for battles and finally brings all these communities together for final jams. This year 2013 Break-Fast Jam will be organized for the third time. (http://www.facebook.com/breakfastevent)

 

 Taye and Joram are rapping all wise taughts from their minds cooperating with international artists. They have just made a great song for the Kampala Project EP listen here: https://soundcloud.com/tayemusic/bum-bum-tschak#play.

                   B-girl Remy started her own GirlBe –project for girls’ empowerment last year 2012.                                          (http://www.facebook.com/groups/423446381037000/?fref=ts)

All these talented youths have been empowered by breakdance and BPU. One thing what motivates these youths in Uganda to chase their goals is that there are usually only two options: achieve what they want to achieve or give up and choose poverty. Based on a single story in Europe we tend to call Africans the disadvantages or powerless, when most of my African friends in Uganda and Finland have more power, more imagination and more potential than other people I know.

On 11th May I will organize movie night at my place to show Bouncing Cats document about BPU for everyone willing to see !

Also HAFF – Helsinki African Film Festival is being organized from 8^th May till 12^th May @ Helsinki, Finland. The theme of movies this year is YOUTH AND POWER. I most definitely recommend this festival for everyone, to get at least a double story of African continent. Here are the links for HAFF Facebook event & website: https://www.facebook.com/events/520252081365361/

/ http://www.haff.fi/

I wrote this as a reminder for myself and for everyone else who right now feel powerless and limited that, no matter what, keep doing what you want to do the most. Even if first you have to work for years to be able to achieve that, or do some annoying job to gain money for doing what you are dreaming of. It is always better to reach towards that goal, whether it’s small or big, than to give up. This is a quote from one of my favorite movie Elizabethtown: 

“No true fiasco ever began as a quest for mere adequacy. A motto of the British Special Air Force is: 'Those who risk, win'. A single green vine shoot is able to grow through cement. The Pacific Northwestern salmon beats itself bloody on its quest to travel hundreds of miles upstream against the current, with a single purpose, sex of course, but also... life.”

Our achievement of this year, Tasty Ry officially registered. Accosiation working for creating united street dance community in Tampere, Finland. Tasty crew representing in Lepuski Jam: Taavi, Kasperi, Helinä, Aino, Arttu, Niina.

                                                                                           
                                                                  -Niina Namaganda

"We can divide people in thousands of ways, or not divide them at all"

Last autumn I started a new journey studying social services and community development work at Diaconia University of Applied Sciences. At the first day in Järvenpää campus I drove to school with my bike and was anxious to meet all my new classmates. When I stepped inside our classroom in time I found seven Finnish students, one guy organizing his laptop and a few other students who looked like African and Asian. I went to sit next to Finnish girls because that felt safe and said hi to them. I remember to be very aware of every move I make and not to smile any guys from abroad. They might think I’m flirting. In the next 15minutes half of the class was present and half still missing. I was thinking “this is the african time”. Three teachers were at the front, one white woman, white man and a black man. We started with creating a world map into the classroom and moving in that map to places where we come from, where we love to be and where we would like to travel.  Our study path together had started and after one month the whole group of 15 nationalities was together. 

Some of our group DSS-C33 students..

Very soon I got to know that our foreign teacher was Dennis from Tanzania. I also learned that there is no African time, but individuals who some come late some in time. Well, not all men from abroad flirt either. New Years I spent with some of my classmates eating Nepalese food and building snow giraffs, llamas and hulks, also we end up partying with some other students. Few weeks ago I took my Ugandan friend to ice-skate for his first time. I had fun and by the time my toes were freezing he still asked me to give some more minutes. Later Julius and I taught Finnish to our Nepalese classmate Laxmi. 

Ice-skating with my Ugandan fellow Yasin.

Joint seminar with Diak, Metropolia and Laurea.

During the first term I have learned much about different cultures, politics, religions, Finnish society and social policies, but I have also learned that no matter where we come from, we always find some similarities in our behavior and no matter 
where we go we will always adjust the new environment and make it our own one way or another. I have been privileged to follow how my immigrant classmates have been adopting the Finnish mentality and weather. I underestimated them. Asmara wakes up in a morning and goes out for an hour walk. Subash and Abdi puts on ice-skates and go around the rink falling and getting up again. Laxmi translated an article about my grandmother from Finnish to English. Shilpa and Amy wake up every morning 5am to go for work before school. Alejandro drives around the lake with a bicycle at winter time. Raju was just chosen to become the youth leader in multicultural Rinki program, which purpose is to bring Finnish and immigrant youth together. Despite they all face many problems here, they still keep on going and trying their best. This is first winter when I have learned to live and have fun and respect what we have here. I couldn’t have done it without my schoolmates. They have made me to see my home country with a new eyes and an open-minded attitude.

One group made a superfunny song about Finland and after we had a crazy party in classroom at 4pm @Joint seminar, Diak

Beautiful frozen lake Tuusula and crazy-amazing girls Milli & Miriam from my class.

Our second semester started a week ago. On Tuesday we had a lecture from Kathy Gau, who was born in Minnesota but ended up staying in Swaziland permanent. During the lecture Kathy taught us many important things what it comes to community development. But most important message she gave us through a simple game. She asked ten students to come in front and started to divide us. First she divided us to girls and boys, then to tall and short ones, finally to students wearing white and students not wearing white. Then she asked if we understood her idea: “We can divide people in thousands of ways, or not divide them at all.”

My classmate Isaac and me.

Umayya Abu-Hanna wrote an article three weeks ago in which she was criticizing the life of an immigrant in Finland from her point of view. Iltalehti responded with an article where they listed all things that Abu-Hanna has got from Finland and how Finland, in paper, has been helping her and letting her to climb stairs in society. Both articles raised a lot of discussion about the relationship between Finns and immigrants. It is very true that Finnish society has given many opportunities for Abu-Hanna, but it does not remove the fact that she was unhappy here and felt this environment unpleasant for her daughter.  When talking about life of an immigrant in Finland, it is not about what Finland offers for free, like education and health services. It is the everyday life when person is walking at streets and being stared at, asking for a job opportunities and being rejected without an honest reason or doing something familiar to his/her own culture and being told it is wrong. 

Yasin(Uganda) making Kikomando from chappaties and chicken.

Corey(California) trying to have a diet from coke and pizza.

Cindy(Canada) bringing candy for us in a costume on Halloween.

In Finland there seems to be this unwritten rule for immigrants: as long as you respect Finnish culture more than your own and want to become like Finns and start behaving like Finns, you are accepted. That is where we go wrong. Globalization and multiculturalism do not only mean that some people are free to move, it also means that countries are becoming more various in cultures. And through that many cultures mix with each other and become one. That is calling for a change in people’s attitudes and indifference and acceptance towards differences between people. Out from our cultural habits, race, gender, age, we are all the same and should not be categorized by any scale. We are all part of one group called human race.

Me, Shilpa and Asmara exploring Kerava. (photo by: Subash)

Cultural evening @ multicultural Rinki, Kalliolan Setlementti.

Issues with immigration will never become simple, but recommend people to learn from one another. There is much that immigrants can learn from Finnish mentality, but there is also very interesting package of cultural habits, stories and experiences that immigrants could share with locals. Finland is a great country, but no country is perfect. A simple manner like greeting seems to be forgotten and turn into a long stare. When a Zambian student then gives back a smile and breezy “moi”, person either gets confused or smiles back shyly. 

Kathy Gau gave us a paper with 25 tips for Peace Corps volunteers who go to Swaziland and work for her organization. Because I’m now planning to do my placement there, I’ll end with few of my favorite tips. Though these tips are meant for volunteers, they might as well work in a process of learning how to communicate between two cultures unknown to each other. 

*If you want to change the world, change yourself.

*Don’t expect a smooth ride.

*There is no “us and them”.

*It doesn’t matter how right you think you are.

*Pay attention to the way you feel when you spend time judging.

*Build open, sincere dialogue. Be sincere.

*Understand that your frustration is about you.

*Do not give up and do not give in.

The magnificent surreal landscape at Lake Tuusula, Järvenpää.

Peace and Happiness, Niina Namaganda

Maapallo - Meidän Kotimme -exhibition @ Laituri, Helsinki

http://laituri.hel.fi/fi/maapallo_meidan_kotimme

Photo: Azli Jamil: Klovni

Vietin tänään muutaman tunnin Maapallo - meidän kotimme -näyttelyn avajaisissa. Näyttely on tullut Suomen laajuiselta kiertueeltaan päätepisteeseen Helsingin Kampin Laituriin ajalle 8.1. - 2.2.2013. Näyttelyn järjestää yhteistyössä Earth Charter Suomi ja Green Living Movement Suomi ry. Suosittelen kaikille ehdottomasti käyttää tämä tilaisuus tutustuen Kestävän kehityksen käsitteeseen. Se nimittäin sisältää myös paljon muuta kuin ekologisen ulottuvuuden. Näyttely perustuu Earth Charter -nimiseen kirjaan, mihin on kirjattu kestävän kehityksen periaatteet.

Kirjoitin tähän itselleni tärkeimmät periaatteet Earth Charter'sin Kestävän Kehityksen strategiasta, joiden koen vaikuttavan päivittäiseen elämääni ja opiskeluihini. Loput periaatteet löydät näyttelystä tai klikkaamalla tästä: 

http://earthcharter.fi/?page_id=61

//ENG

Today I went for an opening of the exhibition called Maapallo - meidän kotimme (Earth - our home) in Laituri @Kamppi, Helsinki. Exhibition in Helsinki is part of a project organized by Earth Charter Finland and Green Living Movement Suomi ry. They have been on a tour around Finland, and ending their tour now in Helsinki between 8.1. - 2.2.2013. I am definately recomending this exhibiton for everyone, and it's even for free. Unfortunately it is only in Finnish, so for those who can't understand.
 I'll but some links in English where you can find this book Earth Charter in which the whole exhibition is based on.
 
I wrote those principles from Earth Charter's sustainable development strategy that moved me most and which I see to have an important impact in my daily life and studies. Rest of the principles you will find by visiting the exhibition or click this: 

http://www.earthcharterinaction.org/content/pages/Read-the-Charter.html

"RESPECT AND CARE FOR THE COMMUNITY OF LIFE"

• Kunnioita maapalloa ja elämää kaikessa sen monimuotoisuudessaan. // Respect life and earth in all its diversity.

"Päästäksemme eteenpäin meidän tulee tiedostaa että eri kulttuurien ja elämänmuotojen rinnalla, me olemme vain yksi muiden joukossa."

•  Meidän tulee rakentaa demokraattisia ja kestävän kehityksen yhteiskuntia, joissa vallitsee oikeudenmukaisuus, yhteisöllisyys ja rauha. // Build democratic societies that are just, participatory, sustainable, and peaceful.

"Sen jälkeen kun perustarpeemme on tyydytetty kehitys on sitä että on tärkeämpää olla enemmän kuin omistaa enemmän."

09 Helsinki Human Rights @Malmi

"ECOLOGICAL INTEGRITY"

• Meidän on omaksuttava sellaiset tuotanto-, kulutus- ja lisääntymismallit, joilla turvataan maapallon uusiutumiskyky, ihmisoikeudet ja yhteisöjen hyvinvointi. // Adopt patterns of production, consumption, and reproduction that safeguard Earth's regenerative capacities, human rights, and community well-being.

"Vallitsevat kulutus- ja tuotantotottumuksemme aiheuttavat ympäristön saastumista, luonnonvarojen hupenemiseen ja lukuisten lajien sukupuuttoa."

"SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE"

•  Jokaisen oikeutta luonnolliseen ja sosiaaliseen sekä ihmisarvoa, fyysistä ja henkistä hyvinvointia tukevaan elinympäristöön on ylläpidettävä muita osapuolia syrjimättä. Alkuperäiskansojen ja vähemmistöjen oikeuksiin tulee kiinnittää erityistä huomiota. // Uphold the right of all, without discrimination, to a natural and social environment supportive of human dignity, bodily health, and spiritual well-being, with special attention to the rights of indigenous peoples and minorities.

 "ekologiset,taloudelliset,poliittiset, sosiaaliset ja hengelliset haasteet liittyvät toisiinsa"

"DEMOCRACY, NONVIOLENCE, AND PEACE"

• Kaikkeen opetukseen on sisällytettävä kestävän elämäntavan tiedot, arvot ja taidot. // Integrate into formal education and life-long learning the knowledge, values, and skills needed for a sustainable way of life. 
• Meidän on edistettävä kulttuurienvälistä ymmärrystä, väkivallattomuutta ja rauhaa. // Promote a culture of tolerance, nonviolence, and peace.

"Rauha syntyy terveestä suhteesta itseen, muihin kanssaihmisiin, toisiin kulttuureihin, maapalloon ja siihen laajempaan kokonaisuuteen, jonka osia kaikki olemme."

                                                                                        -Niina Namaganda-


Lähteet:
http://earthcharter.fi/
http://www.earthcharterinaction.org/content/
http://laituri.hel.fi/fi/maapallo_meidan_kotimme