The week of action against discrimination at Fachhochschule Dortmund was a moment of reflection. The aim: to focus on different facets of discrimination and raise awareness within the university community. Critical self-reflection instead of apportioning blame.
During the action week in November 2024, employees, students and professors came together to discuss conscious and unconscious forms of exclusion and discrimination, to educate themselves and to develop concrete steps to improve coexistence on campus. The week featured a series of workshops and lectures, including a reading by French political scientist and activist Emilia Roig from her book "Why we matter", which sparked in-depth conversations and critical debates among the participants. Another workshop dealt with the topic of "Pigeonholes in the mind: Islamophobia and anti-Muslim racism". The workshop provided a critical basis for identifying and overcoming stereotypical thought patterns.
The program was also enriched by an art exhibition curated by students in Dortmund's city centre. The students' works offered an artistic perspective on the topic of "What is culture?" and thus provided further points of reference. "We wanted to create a safe space in which people can talk openly about discrimination with the activities offered during the week," emphasizes Sandra Bolesch, who created the programme for the "Week against Discrimination" together with Tonia Fondermann. "We want everyone at Fachhochschule Dortmund to feel seen and understood."
New partnerships for future projects
Fachhochschule Dortmund received funding from the Ministry of Culture and Science of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia for the action week. The exchange with coaches, experts and initiatives from the region not only strengthened existing collaborations, but also opened doors for new future projects and partnerships.
The subsequent excursion to Berlin in December served to deepen the discussions and learning processes begun in Dortmund. Lecturers, students and staff from the UAS took part and engaged in various activities, such as argumentation training against regulars' table slogans. They also gained valuable insights from a lecture by UAS Professor Dierk Borstel from the Faculty of Applied Social Studies on the "Normalization of misanthropic ideologies at local level".
Tonia Fondermann: "These events are crucial to ensure ongoing communication on such essential topics and to create educational opportunities that not only raise awareness, but also empower."
The "Week against Discrimination" and its follow-up events are a testament to Fachhochschule Dortmund's commitment to being a learning and constantly evolving organization. The appointment of Madina Omaid-Quraischi as the central contact person for diversity and discrimination issues at the UAS underlines this ongoing commitment to firmly anchoring anti-discrimination activities in the university culture. The campaign week not only raised awareness of the issue of discrimination, but also highlighted the need to involve all members of the university community in this dialog. Fachhochschule Dortmund is a place of diversity and mutual respect. This is not a one-off commitment, but an ongoing process.
