Our Project - Immigrant motherhood and Integration (Exchange Workshops/ Public Exhibition) - 1st. Part

Introduction

Motherhood and migration are two variables that usually are not connected to integration. Berlin, an example of a multicultural society, needs to give attention to this topic in order to face potential problems of what this reality represents but the potential initiatives of integration that it implies as well.

The particular reality of Latin American immigration, focused on mothers with academic background and a previous intensive economic live in their own countries is the target group of the present project. The reason behind this selection corresponds to the enormous possibility of these group for organizing, opening new areas of personal encounters and creating new private-public spaces of interaction for themselves and other mothers and kids.

In order to identify the specific contribution of this qualified women and their political role on integration and education of future German citizens, the current project proposes the following: Primarily, initiating a pedagogic and democratic process of discussion between Latin American and Spanish speaking mothers with professional background and defining a statement about their own integration process – as immigrant mothers –. Secondly, organizing a picture exhibition about their realities living in Berlin. Additionally, the participants of this project will develop a planing action 2010 in order to impact the institutional framework where they are interacting.

Taking into account that this topic is experienced by many other women with immigrant origin, one can suggest that these ideas can be multiply in other German (or other countries) as well.

(At present, the financial support of our initiative is in progress)

Objectives:
- To facilitate an exchange between Latin American mothers, immigrants in Berlin about their own experiences as mothers and members of binational families in the context of migration
- To carry out different workshops in order to identify specific contributions of this group and defining a colective plan of action in their own social networks (Kita, public spaces, others).
- To organize a public photo exhibition to share our reflections and images about our particular reality in order to address a public discussion about Latin American immigrants, motherhood and integration in Germany.


Methodology:
The project is based on a participative methodology through the conduction of different workshops. The main contents under discussion are the following: a) Personal and collective process of being Latin American mothers in Germany; b) analysis of our life experiences as mothers and professionals; c) artistic expression about the experience of migration and d) integration and anti-discrimination law. A complementary activity will imply extra sessions for developing pictures of the participants and their kids. Finally, other contents will be provided by the participants during our exchange process.

First Workshops:
· Workshop 1: Knowing each other (Map of Wealth)- what can we do together
· Workshop 2: Being an immigrant mother in Germany
· Workshop 3: Map of power: knowing institutional networks in Berlin
· Workshop 4: Integration and anti-discrimination law
· Workshop 5: Planing 2010
· Photo-Shooting sessions (at least, 3)

Ressources:
· Infraestructure for meetings ♀
· Picture Materials
· Gallery ♀
· Fotographers ♀
· Printing Material
· Intsalation of the exhibition ♀

Participants
· Initially, 12 women from Argentina, Guatemala, Ecuador, Peru and Spain

Time Schedule (Initially, from October until December 2009). The idea is to establish a permanent group and probably became an association.
We have done 2 workshops and the number of participants has increased.

(Thanks for your comments!)