Migration & Identity Germany

Migration & Identity

Conversations through experience

In Germany, nearly every 4th person has an immigration background. “Essentially, we are already a land of immigration”, those were the words of chancellor Merkel in 2015, yet we see rise to conservative political ideas and the far right.

As a company, ThoughtWorks not only bases its success on its diverse workforce, but also we are committed to becoming aware of our own privilege and striving to see the world from the perspective of the oppressed, the powerless, and the invisible.

With this event series, we want to raise awareness, help to decrease discrimination, and to sensitize people without migration backgrounds to the challenges faced by people with migration backgrounds here in Germany. We are inviting speakers to share their voices and experiences in support of these goals. We hope to challenge our cosmopolitan (oftentimes color-blind) worldview that blocks us from gaining a real understanding of challenges experienced by the various vibrant communities inside of this country.

"Social Justice isn't just about doing work for good causes. It's also about looking at our core work and asking how it can benefit society."

Martin Fowler, Chief Scientist at ThoughtWorks

Upcoming Online Events

10th December, 6:30pm

Refugee activism from a feminist perspective

with Jane and Grace from Women in Exile

This practice-oriented lecture not only illuminates instances of obvious racism, but also deals with the effects of structural racism and is intended to encourage "white" socialized people to question their everyday working standards, mission statements, thought patterns and privileges in dealing with each other. While migrating we expected to have freedom of choice to live in dignity, but contrary to our expectation we are facing dilemma. We are confronted with feeling not being accepted due to isolation and discrimination. In such a situation empowerment is very important and that is why Women In Exile was founded 2002 in Brandenburg. Our main goal is to bring refugee policy demands to the public. We are coming from a Feminist perspective and we want to build a just society without exclusion and with equal rights for all people no matter where they come from and where they are going. In this session we are going to talk about how refugee women navigate through the system in self organised groups with coordination of other networks, thereby making sure the choice of adapting to a culture and integration as well as retaining our own identities is happening based on free will - not as a compromise.

Recordings:

20th February 2020:

Migration & Identity with Gesa Dreckmann and Christoph Hassler

Growing up with Caribbean roots in Herzogtum Lauenburg in Schleswig-Holstein, the “Dorfperle“ Gesa Dreckmann shares her experiences as a comedian on stage and as an author in her book "La Dorfe Vita" - with an ease that makes even stoic Northern Germans smile.

In a conversation with Christoph Hassler, who had a similar experience, we want to find out what it's like to grow up as an Afro-German on the country side, far away from urban multiculturalism.

Listen to the different stories born of similar circumstances and start a discussion with us.

28th July 2020:

Migration & Identity with Tuğba Yalçınkaya and İrem Aydın

Migration from Turkey to Germany has a long history; starting with the first migration flow of the “guest workers” in the early 1960s up to the latest “New Wave” migration. These migration flows have created different diaspora communities in Germany. Within the framework of the event we will have a closer look at Turkey diaspora by focusing on questions as e.g.:

How did Turkey diaspora shape itself in recent years and how do these flows differ themselves from each other and why? How does political polarization in Turkey affect diaspora in Germany and the position of Germany in between?

10th September 2020:

Migration & Identity with Peter Donatus

The conversation revolved around the intersections between environmentalism, climate change, colonialism and migration with a focus on the relationship between Africa and Europe. We talked about connections between the Fridays for Future / Extinction Rebellion and the BLM movements and critically discussed the role of big businesses in each. The event was moderated by Christoph Hassler.

08th October 2020:

“Making Germany home. What will it take for Black Professionals?”

with BlackinTech Berlin

In this conversation our speakers will share with us their migration background, how they are able to establish new identities in every country they decide to settle into. We will also explore the complexities of identity and why it might be wise to actually specify what you mean when asking people “Where are you from?”

Meet our Speakers:

Jane Wangari

Jane, a kenyan born, is a community developer and social worker by profession. She migrated to Germany in 2015 and works with a non governmental organisation. She is an activist who believes in social change and the development process of the marginalised and excluded women from the society, enabling them to gain self confidence.

Grace Nganga

Grace comes from Kenya and is currently in her tourism industry studies. Being a feminst activist is a part of her. Fighting for women rights is a passion that drives her because she sees and feels the gap between women living in this society.

Hamed Abbaspur

Hamed Abbaspur is a trainer and process facilitator for sustainable development, diversity and transformation. As a person of color and through his studies in organizational development and business ethics, he has specialized in developing and strengthening sustainable structures and processes as well as diversity-conscious teams and organisations. With the aim of sensitizing many people to the issues of discrimination and structural violence, he gives workshops and lectures throughout Germany and works with organizations to promote greater participation and equal opportunities.

Hannah N. Marc

Hannah is a Uganda born, Germany raised Illustrator. For her, the world of colors has been shaping her since early childhood. The love for illustration was discovered while graduating BA fashion design. Being able to question and redefine norms through art in a predominant white society allows her to enjoy the many facets of creating. It allows her to challenge taught realities and the associated limitations and welcome Redefinition a. A journey of identity, connection and ultimately home. Hannah lives with her husband and son in Berlin.

Akiko Ondiege

I was born to a Japanese mother and Kenyan father, and raised in Nairobi, Kenya. I moved to Montreal, Canada to study and then to London, UK for my work and finally to Berlin in January, 2017. I have been working in tech since 2011 and until my move to Berlin, I mostly moved in very diverse and inclusive ‘bubbles’. Only recently have I really begun thinking about what identity even means, and how that affects the advancement of Black professionals in Berlin. Having these conversations is critical if we are to make any moves towards a more inclusive work space for Black people in the Berlin tech scene.

Jonathan Passé

Jonathan is a Software Developer at ThoughtWorks, he was born and raised in France, and moved to Germany in 2017. In the range of his interests are the evolution of cultural grouping, their social and political impacts.

Kave Bulambo

Kave moved to Germany six years ago to pursue a Masters degree in Public Management at the University of Potsdam. Kave wrote her dissertation on The Governance of Mixed Migration in South Africa. Since completing her studies Kave has been working in the tech industry mainly in Talent Acquisition. As an activist and advocate of diversity and inclusivity she founded BlackinTech Berlin and other communities geared to empower, educate and uplift minorities. Kave was born in DRCongo but spent most of her life in South Africa before moving to Berlin.

Peter Donatus

Peter Donatus is a Nigerian born freelance journalist and human rights activist. He has dedicated the last 30 years to environmental activism against the environmental damages caused by oil production in the Niger Delta in Nigeria.

Christoph Hassler

Christoph Hassler is a UX Consultant and Lead for Social and Economic Justice at Thoughtworks, working in the field of design since the early 2000s, active in the struggle against racism and capitalist exploitation since the 90s. Thinking a lot about the future of work and the role technology might take to free or condemn society.

Tuğba Yalçınkaya

Tuğba Yalçınkaya received her MA in Migration and Diversity with a focus on Turkey at Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel and Sabanci University in Istanbul. She is the co-founder of the German-Turkish cultural platform Maviblau where she promotes dialogue between both countries in the fields of education, arts and culture. Furthermore, her interests include racism, anti-discrimination and post-migrant societies. Besides, she is the project coordinator of the programme “Blickwechsel:

Contemporary Turkey studies” at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin.

İrem Aydın

İrem Aydın studied Spanish Language and Literature at Istanbul University and attended the Master Program in Theater Creation at University Carlos III de Madrid in Spain. She wrote and directed plays such as Above the Ground Under the Clouds, TürkLand (an adaptation of Dilşad Budak’s autobiographic novel), and Golem at independent theater in İstanbul called Entropi Sahne where she worked as artistic director. She participated in festivals such as the MOT International Theater Festival, the International Forum at Theatertreffen, and the Interplay Young Playwrights Festival. She produces performative and poetic works trying to focus upon and to understand the tragedy of her age and generation. Her works mostly deal with the topics “migration,” “digitalization,” and “traumatic experiences.” Currently she lives and works in Berlin.

Gesa Dreckmann

Who actually says that a Northern German girl from the plains always has to be blonde and blue-eyed, dreaming of finding love with a farmer in the stable on the stool? "Such pigeonhole thinking can’t be camouflaged by any amount of cowhide", thought Schleswig-Holstein’s Gesa Dreckmann, who doesn't fit into any pigeonhole at all: Her father is a Northern German blockhead, her mother a Haitian hydrangea. What a combination, stronger than any countryside Cola-grain concoction! But how does a Caribbean pearl in the 1960s find herself in a coffee house with 500 inhabitants north of Hamburg and marry into a liquor dynasty? Love transcends all boundaries! And humour of course - Gesa Dreckmann, the youngest (and darkest, as she says) of three colourful Dreckmann kids, knows this too well.

Code of Conduct

A primary goal of ThoughtWorks’ events is to be inclusive to a diverse group of people from all walks of life. Therefore, we are dedicated to providing a friendly, safe and welcoming environment for all, regardless of race, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, appearance, disability, marital status, socioeconomic status, and religion (or lack thereof).

Our code of conduct outlines our expectations for all those who participate in our events, as well as the consequences for unacceptable behaviour.

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