On running a hybrid learning program during the pandemic

The last Facilitathon had happened in 2019 and like so many other things – and as the pandemic started dragging on in 2020 – we started gaining hope that a 2021 in-person edition could be possible… Maybe at least some people could do it in person? That’s when we started exploring what a hybrid set-up […]
My Rumo Experience

I cannot clearly remember the date but I remember it was on the early days of December, 2019 when I received the call. I was back in my hometown; Nakuru, Kenya. The year had been eventful for me and I was ready for a challenge but was not sure what to make of my feelings […]
Becoming aware of my lens

Kosovo – I must admit that I did not know much about it, before participating in EUtopia – Diversity in Changing Europe training brought me to Prizren, a city in southern Kosovo touching borders with Albania. This place became for me the embodiment of different identities, realities and stories that made me question what I […]
The kick-off phase of UP and how I have experienced it

Finishing my degree in Business Administration here in Leeuwarden (the Netherlands) has propelled me into the field of work and I could not have landed in a better place. For a couple of weeks now, I have been part of NOW and working on UP. UP is a 9 weeks program that gives refugee status […]
I Am Strong Because I Am Not Afraid To Be Vulnerable

“Do not cry! Never” That’s what I have been telling myself all my life. It has become the first rule on my “List of rules for survival”, together with Rule 2 “Don’t trust anyone” and Rule 3 “Don’t hug”, and it has been a part of my existence since I remember myself. I have always perceived […]
Honest Self-management 1.0

I used to you believe that deadlines are there to be postponed until the very last minute. That I can accomplish anything within 24 hours. But then, 9 months ago, I have started working for NOW and it brought about a huge change in my life. Suddenly, there was no-one overseeing my tasks, I was […]
“You’re not lost! Welcome to Morocco!”

I woke up at 4 in the morning to catch my flight to Marrakech, went to the airport, passed the security, got on the plane, arrived in Marrakech, and then took a bus to go to Agadir. I arrived there at around 3 pm after spending twelve hours on the road. I was starving and […]
Understanding privilege

I always thought I understood privilege. My parents used to tell me throughout all my life, how privileged we were. They kept insisting on this topic, they kept asking: “Do you understand what we are trying to tell you?” I listened to them and nodded my head and thought, I had understood. But actually, I […]
We are not alone. We always need help

Have you ever asked yourself how your life or your work will look if you would try to get out of your comfort zone and make things look a bit different? For a long, long time I was the kind of man doing things alone, without any help. Any help from others was a disgust […]
The comfort of informality

Imagine a moment you had recently when someone commented on something you did not do so well. What did you feel at that time? What did the person say or do that caused this feeling? For me receiving feedback was for a long time associated with negative feelings and misunderstandings. Yet, today I’m finding myself […]
Artigos não definem quem somos!
Sejam bem-vindas, Sejam bem-vindos, Sejam bem-vindEs! Era assim que começavam todas as palestras da II Conferência SSEX BBOX – Sexualidade Fora da Caixa. Nunca estive tão acostumado com essa provocação, inclusive me dou conta da importância em forçar este estranhamento nas pessoas. Por exemplo, enquanto uma pessoa cisgênera, eu ainda não me deparei com alguém […]
The person who changed my life
I was a hyperactive and naughty child in elementary school. I fought constantly and escaped from school where I got beaten up just because I did not know Turkish. My mother tongue is Kurdish, It is the language I learned when I was born. One day, after fighting with my friends, I cried and went […]