VIDEO TRANSLATION
I’m Mariame Sow from the charitable association formerly called FORWARD – Germany, presently FORWARD for Women. We’re here in Nied, part of Frankfurt am Main, in refugee housing run by the ASB (Arbeiter Sanitäter Bund or First Aid).
MOHAMED HANZA TARIQ: We have 150 residents of 9 different nationalities.
THOMAS MÜFFKE. We built this up and then I met Mariame of FORWARD, who has become one of our most important partners.
MARIAME: Integration is also one of major interests as a feminist theme because we understand that here in Germany, the position of women looks a lot different than it had in their home countries. In my experience, working only with women in all-woman groups doesn’t accomplish much because men, too, must be addressed.
THOMAS MÜFFKE: In contrast to programs we otherwise offered to refugees, this one includes relaxing activities that facilitate people’s opening up, for instance, drumming together, cooking together, dancing together and weaving into it all discussions of important values, especially concerning the roles of women and men in Germany.
MARIAME: We don’t lecture but instead create platforms for discussion and exchange of viewpoints so that newcomers can better orient themselves in the new society and thereby improve decision-making. As a women’s NGO we asked ourselves, how can we pull the men in, convince them to join us? So we asked them, what do you need? They answered: football (soccer).