Workshop by Andreas Liebmann.
Andreas, who hosts this workshop, talks about ways in which you may demonstrate qualities in people that have been given the label refugee by the rest of us. The workshop centres around knowledge sharing, where Andreas asks a handful of participants to share their knowledge. If you meet someone who holds knowledge that you are curious to learn about, then as a dialogue partner you will reach out for that person's knowledge which can be considered as something different from the personal narrative and may help us to relate to each other. Also, knowledge sharing has the potential for us as humans to reach into unknown fields together.
A person who does not experience being stigmatised in everyday life may tend to regard a refugee as a victim. If this person possesses some knowledge, it will help you to reshape your view of the person, as the person then becomes an expert within a field. So, to me, it appears as if this workshop is about power relations and negotiating them – in this example through knowledge sharing.
Talking to a group of people requires you to speak from a space where you feel confident. If you are uncertain whether you are welcome in a space, you may also become uncertain about your knowledge and the dissemination hereof. If you can find a space where you feel secure through an awareness that your knowledge is valid and valuable, then you will experience greater confidence in other spaces, which Andreas is trying to create at this workshop. The workshop focuses both on the importance of minority individuals having platforms where they can share experience and knowledge and on the importance that their position as part of a minority does not overshadow their knowledge. It is an embedded paradox that is important to call attention to.
