Graduation Speech

I thought to post this speech I gave at our graduation in Sept, because I feel it really sums up my experience over the past year.

A big thank you to everyone who has gathered here to today join us as we celebrate our graduation. I also wish to thank all my colleagues who have entrusted me to represent them and their many thoughts here before you today on our graduation. As I look around the room I cannot help but smile at the friendly faces that surround me. It’s hard to imagine a little over a year ago we all just arrived in Kassel, confused, scared, anxious, nervous; not really knowing what we had signed up for and what this masters programme in Labour Policies and Globalization was really about. But I think we all just embraced this unknown and got to know the many friendly faces in the room. I recall my first week in Kassel, when I was more than excited about the program, and wrote some of my friends back home:

I thought to write you and tell you how things are going here in Germany with my Masters Programme. I think this is a great fit for my interests and background. On many levels I feel I am in my element. Overall, I am very much impressed by the programme. My class is the most inter-culturally diverse group I have ever been a part of; we are a group of 16 from 14 different countries representing 5 different continents. Moreover, what’s really amazing about the program is that we are all what I could consider true activists, definitely not your typical scholar group, most of my classmates have 5-10years experience working in either a trade union, or as part of a social movement.

Since I wrote this email back in September I think this feeling of being in one’s element has not died but has continued to grow stronger over the course of this year.

As a proud supporter and believer in non-formal education, I must say that this program has been much more than a formal run of the mill academic masters programme. As apart from the learning in our various classes, and seminars, I have found we have all learned a profound amount of from each other. The learning that has taken place “outside the classroom” has been phenomenal. Whether it was a discussion about how to overcome capitalism, and build the alternative ( a regular topic of our group) or about gender roles in Ghana and Tanzania, or the full participation of women in the Danish labour market or to the organizing domestic workers, I think you get the point. The list could go on and on...

For all the rich learning we have gained from each other, I would like to take this moment and thank each and every one of you for being you, for opening yourself up to the group and to this overall experience. Many of us have had the opportunity to work very closely together on various group projects, presentations, papers and even three pairs of us decided to take on the challenging task of writing a thesis together. Without qualities like patience, open mindedness, support, encouragement and good communication none of such activities would be possible. I believe I can speak on the behalf of most of us in the room, when I say that the special and dear friends we have made in this program have surpassed all expectations. In many ways, I believe we really are the dream team.

Now as much as occasions like a graduation tend to connote a sense of termination, and conclusion, I would like to say that this is not goodbye, but see you soon, see you later; as I am certain we will meet again, perhaps that might be as we have discussed before in Accra, Ghana for Bernard’s wedding, or for some other international conference in any corner of the world or this time next year at the next Summer School.

What gets me even more excited is when I think of the future and what we will all be doing. I am certain that we will take our new skills and knowledge and use it to continue to fight for the rights of the working class in our home communities. I see many of us continuing to be the movers and shakers that brought us here in the first place, I see future ministers of labour, chairpersons of trade union confederations, major political leaders, policy analysts, progressive economic advisers, gender experts, etc. Whatever it is that we do, I hope none of us will lose the passion and enthusiasm I have witnessed over this past year. Thinking back on all the heated debates and discussions, I know we are all ready to wholeheartedly take on big projects and plans. Knowledge is power and I strongly believe that through the learning and increased awareness we have gained we are now better equipped as the dedicated trade unionists and activists we represent. I think the program should be very proud of this achievement. The world is ours to embrace and it’s now up to us to do something with our new refined understanding of how the world works and to demand a more just and fair world.

Finally, I would like to thank all the professors, instructors, coordinators and support staff that have made this experience all possible. We all appreciate all the hard work, dedication and commitment to the program you have all given it. In particular, we would like to thank the program coordinators, specifically Christof Dieterle and Mirjam Klassen, as well as Lars and Sabine. They were all highly supportive over the past year. As well we should also send a special thanks to Christoph Scherrer, who I think we have taken the most classes with, we have seen firsthand how much time and support he has given to making the program such a success. Finally of course, a big thank you to all the other many professors and instructors we have had the privilege from learning from this past year. I am certain many of us will be returning home with a new set of glasses so to speak, as we now see things differently, having gained in-depth understanding in a variety of new topics.

The coordinators, academic staff, funders, past alumni and other interested bodies will be happy to hear that from the student’s perspective this year was a huge success. Although like any piece of writing, we feel the program too can use some revising and improvements. We hope the program will learn and build upon the experiences of LPG5 this past year, taking into consideration both the positive and negative aspects. I challenge the program to take our comments, suggestions and feedback seriously. There is always room for improvement and with any improvement we think this program can only become better. And just I could like to say to my colleagues here at graduation, I send these thoughts to the program- the sky’s the limit!

In closing, I would like to end this speech with an inspiring quote by Arundhati Roy. I have chosen this short quote because I feel it reflects my experience with all of you here and where we are all going...

“Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing.”

Overdue Update

A real update on this blog is LONG overdue. Since I last wrote I was in South Africa on my internship, working with StreetNet International. Overall my time in Durban was a great professional learning experience. I learned very clearly through my time and work there that I flourish in an environment of political action, whereby I can contribute in some way to improving the lives of others. It was empowering to see all the highly conscious and empowered people I was working with. I miss that kind of environment as back home here in Alberta I feel many of us are not empowered to become active in the political process nor are many of us aware of the issues and how we can make a difference!

After that experience I emerged back into my studies, ploughed away at another semester in Berlin at the Berlin School of Economics. I thoroughly enjoyed my classes, the majority of which were in the area of economics and economic policy! it was challenging but really exciting at the same time, learning about inflation, wages, GDP, etc. I lived in student housing,Goerzalle, in an suburb of the city called Stiglitz. We were a little far from the "happening" part of the city, but we made due with what we had and enjoyed our little area. We did lots of group dinners, bbqs, parties, enjoyed the local cafes, restaurants and regularly dined on inexpensive Turkish food. We also had a nearby swimming pool and a beautiful canal with bikes paths along each side, we would often go there for walks, runs, bike rides. Also nearby was a our infamous weekend fleamarket where you could browse and almost always find some small treasure to bring home.

After 5 months of classes we are all working on finishing up our master's thesis and by mid Sept we handed them in and defended them a week later! On that same day, as our defense, we also graduated and had one big graduation party at student bar in Goerzalle.

Right after that big party I went to another big party, as my younger sister Ali got married in small German village near Kassel. Her wedding was absolutely lovely; she looked absolutely gorgeous and her husband looked quite handsome as well. It was really was a fairytale wedding, from start to finish it was magical and exciting.If I ever get married I would want something just as beautiful.

After her wedding I traveled around a bit. First I went to Mallorca (an island off the coast of Spain) with Janina, a good friend from Canada who came for the wedding. We got our share of sun, sangria and relaxation on the beach where the weather was fantastic, around 25 degrees. We spam in the sea every day and really enjoyed life!

After that I met up with my mom, her partner and the newlywed couple in France for a little family holiday. We stayed in a 15th 4 story house, which to me felt like staying in a little French castle. I absolutely loved it! After 5 days together everyone left and then I had the place all to myself for a couple days, which was really nice, as I think it was the first time I could really relax and be at peace in a long time as prior to graduation things were rather hectic with finishing up my thesis.

After that I came back to Germany and did a bit of circuit visiting and staying with friends from my program. I even made a trip over to Holland to visit a classmate and some Dutch friends. Finally I decided it was time to go home and I booked my return ticket home for mid November. When I first arrived I was lucky as the temperature was almost tropical according to our standards, as it was hovering around plus 5 degrees. Now however its barely safe to set food outside, unless of course you are very well bundled up, with all the necessary scarves, gloves, hats,mits, winter parka, etc, or else you are liable to freeze since it is now minus 25.

Apart from the freezing temperatures I have been managing just fine here at home with mom. I have been helping her with some odd jobs around the house such as reorganizing, renovating and painting the bathroom! For fun I have been back at my regular salsa routine, practicing my new moves and re-connecting with old friends. I also just joined a gym,and plan to get back into shape! I have already been to a hip hop dance class and gone swimming; this weekend I plan to try yoga and a bellydance class! So to sum up: life is good I am one happy camper!