Harambee - All Pull Together: Recent Episodes
Harambee
Harambee, a Swahili word meaning ‘pulling together’, represents TADAT’s call to collective action. The Harambee Podcast explores the unspoken narratives of immigrants of African descent in Finland. The podcast aims at creating a space where lived experiences, frustrations, joyous moments, connections and aspirations, meet and are pulled together to cultivate a Voice for ‘speaking up and out’. The Voice will make for greater intercultural and transcultural foundations in Finnish society.The Harambee podcast, featuring guest interviews every month, sets the stage for conversations on what it means to be part of and included in Finnish society. The podcast unearths knotty topics on democratic participation, civic participation, ‘democratic trauma’, student integration, amongst many other issues. Delivered with lighthearted humour, Harambee is where the small voices are finally given air in Finland.Think Africa Democratic Action Team produces the Harambee podcast.The team’s story started with the itch to be part of a solution to the problems faced by Africans, Afro-Finns, anyone with African blood flowing in their veins in Finland.In looking for a solution, the team came across the Sitra Lab 3.0 call for applications. The team saw it as a chance to look at the bottlenecks to democracy from the lens of people of African descent; this then birthed the Think Africa Democracy Action Team (TADAT). The three founding members of TADAT are originally from Liberia, Ethiopia and Nigeria, bringing a combined diversity and expertise to finding solutions to the problems at hand. Our commonalities & strengths come from having multiple identities and identifiers in Finland such as ‘immigrants’, ‘Africans’ 'foreigner' and 'internationals,' and sometimes ‘refugee/asylum seekers’, making us a triple force in writing the narrative in our way while reconceptualising and renegotiating our space in the Finnish society. With this understanding, we aim to collate our experiences and those of others in the same positions, curate meaningful conversations and create dialogue (s) aimed at forging a better path for immigrants of African descent in Finland.At Harambee, we take a knowledge-based approach to participation and inclusion in Finnish society. We open up dialogue and bring to the spotlight crucial issues that affect the everyday lives of immigrants, especially those of African descent. Academicians, politicians, media, and everyday people will have the floor to impact change we all want to see in Finland - a vibrant, all-inclusive Finnish society. The episodes run between 40 - 50 minutes. Hosts: Feven Abegaz, Omotomilola Ikotun and Cucu Wesseh Produced by: Think Africa ry Music and Editing: Ondi Madete
In the third episode of #iVote series, Mathew Mailaparampil (Swedish People's Party), Nina Suomalainen (National Coalition Party), Paul Abbey (Left Alliance), and Paco Diop (Left Alliance) share their insights on a range of critical issues that impact our society, from social services and health care to labor shortage and racism.
iVote is a series that discusses the upcoming parliamentary elections of April the 2nd, and addresses the under-representation of people of foreign background in Finnish politics.
Not only does it aim to raise awareness and increase civic participation among naturalised Finnish citizens, but it also promotes the visibility of candidates of foreign background from different sides of the political spectrum.
iVote #representation #participation #diversity #parliamentaryelections #yourvotematters #eduskuntavaalit2023 #eduskuntavaalit
In this second episode of the #iVote series, Ajak Majok (Left Alliance), Hussein al-Taee (Social Democratic Party), and Naomy Hyvönen (Center Party) discuss topics ranging from, but not limited to: public finance, the state of education in Finland, and their respective parties.
iVote is a series that discusses the upcoming parliamentary elections of April the 2nd, and addresses the under-representation of people of foreign background in Finnish politics.
iVote #representation #participation #diversity #parliamentaryelections #yourvotematters #eduskuntavaalit2023 #eduskuntavaalit
Not only does it aim to raise awareness and increase civic participation among naturalised Finnish citizens, but it also promotes the visibility of candidates of foreign background from different sides of the political spectrum.
iVote is a series that discusses the upcoming parliamentary elections of April the 2nd, and addresses the under-representation of people of foreign background in Finnish politics.
Not only does it aim to raise awareness and increase civic participation among naturalized Finnish citizens, but it also promotes the visibility of candidates of foreign background from different sides of the political spectrum.
This first episode of the iVote series, moderated by host Sofia Achame, features a panel discussion with parliamentary candidates Georgiana Forsang (Center Party), Elie Al-Khouri (Christian Democrats), and Theresia Bilola (Greens). They discuss, among other issues, social and health care services in Finland, foreign labor, and integration and employment.
iVote #representation #participation #diversity #parliamentaryelections #yourvotematters #eduskuntavaalit2023 #eduskuntavaalit
Join us in this episode as Harambee host Cucu Wesseh sits down with Myriam Munezero, the Chairperson of Think Africa ry, for a reflective conversation on leadership and legacy.
As a volunteer-based role with a low threshold to leave the position, the role of Chairperson can be challenging and demanding. In this compelling conversation, Myriam shares what keeps her going and persists in seeing initiatives through, as well as the thoughts guiding her work. With regard to Think Africa’s values, Myriam also discusses her achievements and journey with the organization.
Originally from Rwanda, Myriam has been the Chairperson of Think Africa since 2018. Her ambition for the development of African countries and their people has played a vital role in advancing Think Africa’s positive influence among its members and in Finnish society. With a background in computer science, having received her MSc and Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Eastern Finland, Myriam currently works as a Data & Analytics Manager. For more information visit her website http://myriammunezero.com/
Tune in to gain a fresh perspective on what it means to lead with passion, vision, and purpose, and learn from an accomplished chairperson's experiences.
In this Harambee episode we give the floor to a conversation on the employability of highly educated foreign talents in Finland, data informed integration services, the role of employers in valuing the potentials and their inclusion in the Finnish workforce.
Harambee's host, Cucu Wesseh sat down with Takura Matswetu, an IT manager with over 10 years of experience in the field of migration and integration. Takura is currently working for the City of Tampere as an integration services designer developing smart customer management systems aimed at improving the city’s integration work.
This thought provoking conversation brings in the often talked about but less acted up on topic in a light and insightful manner. Tune in, and enjoy this episode!
Host: Cucu Wesseh Music: Ondiso Madete Produced by; Think Africa ry in collaboration with TheoKeys Media
This episode is very special to us as we invited long term Think Africa members and friends Dora Puhakka and Akin Akinsola to discuss identity. Listen in as they share the factors shaping, influencing and informing their individual unique identity.
Dora is a Namibian living in Finland with a passion for themes around diversity and inclusion. Originally from Nigeria, Akin is an Engineer living and working in Finland. You get to hear a thing or two about Yoruba, Ovambo and much more.
We tend to crave for meaningful conversations, genuine interest and safe spaces to share what informs the richness and remarkable understanding of the self. Rightfully so, we don’t always have the energy to tell the whole story.
This conversation goes on to dissect diverse trajectories and extent to what constitutes an individual's identity and what conveys the unique characteristics of identity as a socio-anthropological phenomenon.
Enjoy this empowering, insightful and thought provoking episode coloured by meaningful interactions!
Host: Cucu Wesseh Music: Ondiso Madete Produced by; Think Africa ry in collaboration with TheoKeys Media
In this Episode of the Harambee podcast, host Cucu Wesseh engages Roberto Blanco Raitasuo in a casual conversation on topical matters of democracy and current affairs. Both gentlemen discuss democracy and political participation contextually in regards to recent development , Ukraine, Europe and the United Kingdom. The conversation also focuses on participation and inclusion of minorities in the Finnish democratic processes.
Roberto is a Finnish-Spanish international relations and sustainability specialist with a wide range of experience in immigrantion and consular related services, entrepreneurship and development aid. He has learned, lived and worked around Europe, North America and Africa.
We hope you will find this episode interesting. With no further ado please enjoy this month’s episode!
democracy #Ukraine #Participation #inclusion #minorities
This Episode of Harambe Podcast features a discourse on Democracy through the lenses of history: past experiences, present challenges and future threats. Harambee Co-host, Cucu Twagbe Wesseh, a member of Think Africa Democratic Action Team (TADAT) , sat down with Dr. Aminkeng A Alemanji, Head of Masters Program on Social Exclusion at Åbo Akademi (University of Turku), and Mr. Martins Kwazema, a Phd Candidate at Åbo Akademi (University of Turku).
The effects of elitism on democracy and recent political events and socio-political developments in Guinea, Sudan and Zimbabwe are some of the highlights of their conversation.
Dr Aminkeng is a researcher on race and racism, antiracism discourse and antiracism education.
Mr. Martins Kwazema is a research scholar on recurrences of social exclusion and the conditions that perpetuates and permeates social exclusion in society through the theoretical prism of Past and Futures Framework (PPF).