Vice President International Affairs and Diversity (VP3)
A space for mutual listening, understanding, endurance and growth: Trialogue at H-BRS
„The objective of the Trialogues is to create a place for mutual listening, understanding, endurance and growth.”
Gesellschaft im Wandel
For this, on 26 November 2024 the two speakers Lili Zahavi and Zakariyya Meißner traveled from Berlin to Sankt Augustin. They started with a brief presentation focusing on the following questions: What is anti-Semitism? What is anti-Muslim racism and what is anti-Palestinian racism?
In conclusion, they pointed out what is needed in these complex and conflict-ridden times: perspectives critical of racism and anti-Semitism, open spaces for discussion and reflection, multi-perspectivity, tolerance of ambiguity and contradiction, courage for complexity and concretization, as well as structural development that makes all of this possible.
Afterwards, the focus was on the “braver space”, which creates space for courage, the expression of emotions and challenging feelings and the sharing of a wide range of perspectives. The forty participants were invited to move from their heads to their guts and to feel their own emotions with regard to the Middle East conflict and its consequences for our coexistence, to talk about these feelings and to recognize ways of dealing with them.
One important finding was: dealing with one's own hopelessness, anger, overwhelm, exhaustion and at the same time seeing that no matter how differently one may be affected by the conflict, all emotions are legitimate and can, may and should be expressed.
In the end, although no solutions emerged from the open and safe discussions, some individual strategies were found for dealing with the situation and the various feelings and for experiencing self-efficacy. This includes, for example, supporting initiatives, asking questions in cases of uncertainty, listening, seeking or continuing controversial discussions and exchanging ideas with friends. Because this is the only way we can grow as a society and remain a community even in times of conflict.
The great interest in the event in advance and the feedback following the Trialogue show how important a safe space for discussion is in these times. We would like to thank our speakers as well as the participants for the respectful and engaging conversation.
About the Trialogue project
Our speakers
Lili Zahavi is a filmmaker and student of scenic directing at the Filmakademie Baden Württemberg. Her films ME MYSELF ANDI, SCHABERNACK and 04_EMIL_CASTING.mp4 have screened at renowned festivals. Lili is also an author and has written for the series DRUCK, among others. Since her school days, Lili has been involved in social and political projects, often in an artistic context and mostly with young people. As part of the Trialogue team, she is a committed supporter. Lili is a scholarship holder of the Ernst Ludwig Ehrlich Studienwerk. She lives and works in Berlin.
Zakariyya Meißner studied Islamic Studies in Freiburg and has many years of professional experience in the prevention of Islamist and right-wing extremist radicalisation. He recently completed his training as a coach and organisational developer and offers support as a freelance speaker on topics such as the Middle East conflict, anti-discriminatory organisational development and group-focused misanthropy.
Contact
Sarah Friedrichs
Head of Diversity Management, Senior Expert for Diversity and International Affairs to the Vice-President
Location
Sankt Augustin
Room
E 236
Address
Grantham-Allee 20
53757, Sankt Augustin
Telephone
+49 2241 865 137
Location
Sankt Augustin
Room
E 236
Address
Grantham-Allee 20
53757 Sankt Augustin
Contact hours
Monday - Thursday
Telephone
+49 2241 865 9830