Kærlighed til folket means "Love to the people" and is a song by a Danish reggae band that I saw performing in Christiania at a festival a couple days ago.
I have learned SO so much about immigration, migration, security politics, DENMARK, Europe... but most importantly about myself - making my boundaries, valuing my contributions and abilities, listening to my intuition. So much good stuff. I am a bit deliriously tired today... but wanted to post something. We had a final wrap up of the CPH program - everyone presented their articles and we did a little wrap up exercise. So insane that it is coming to a close! We were asked to share a little bit about what we are bringing away from the program.
I have learned to listen closely to myself. Being around so many of the Danish fellows who are older than me, 24-28, made me realize and embrace how young and inexperienced I am in many ways. I am still charting the boundaries of who I am. That is neither a good or bad thing - it just is. But accepting it is vital. Sorry this is so philosophical... it is what is on my mind. This is the most adult environment I have ever been in. We were very much peers with the leaders of the program and the speakers etc. I liked it SO much... and helped me articulate why college can be frustrating for me sometimes. Not very adult at all. I am tired of the Whitman "we're happy, well-meaning people who want to make a difference...." attitude that doesn't go along with action in most cases.
I wrote my final article with my friend Thomas, a Danish fellow, on asylum policy in Denmark and Europe generally. I learned SO so much about the nuts and bolts of these systems but what was most interesting of course was getting Thomas' perspective. Coming from Denmark the idea that the strong help the weak is almost... unexamined. It is what you do. It is what a welfare state is all about. At first he was confused when I asked him to justify it for me - he didn't know what I was asking. The experience showed both of us where a lot of our assumptions lie abotu the role of government, the law, and civil society. Asylum policy EU/European (there are complicated and boring overlaps and discrepancies there...) is fraught with human rights issues. Asylum seekers are shuttled around the continent or left in Greece's - officially - broken system to rot. I would love to tell you all about it in person but I am afraid my head is exploding off of it right now. So I will just say - Thomas and I had SOOOO MUCH FUN working together. We camped out in his apartment, bought provisions for the several days and just kept it upbeat and fun throughout. He has the strangest, most Danish sense of humor. By the way - I LOVE Danish humor. It is kind of dark in the British sense but a little less depressing, weird in different ways. The Danes just keep it casual, they're great people. Thomas and I had taco day one day, pineapple snacks.... so much coffee and tea... his girl friend brought us snacks while we were working. The friendships are to me clearly the coolest aspect of this program. I have learned mountains from these people.
A couple days ago I went out to dinner with my mom's friend from college, Ron Seversen! We really hit it off and had so much to talk about. It was neat to hear his perspectives on how Denmark has changed, why he thinks Denmark is having so many problems with ethnic tension and race relations, what is happening with the right wing in Denmark. So many good conversations. Afterwards I wandered around Norrebro with two Bosnian friends form the program. It was such a funny little evening - these two lovely Bosnian people are so different from anyone I know, from any lives I have known about. They lived through war in the Balkans and have very different, distinct memories and interpretations of that time. Marija says that she finds a lot of similarities between the Bosnian case and Israel-Palestine. Though of course it is much less violent. Anyway, Norrebro, where we were wandering, is a neighborhood with a lot of immigrants and young people. The favorite neighborhood of most of the Danes on the program because there is so much happening there, so much life.
SOOOO tomorrow I leave for Berlin! We have a conference there through Sunday and then I will be there for a few more days until heading on to Budapest, Geneva (visiting old host fam!), Nantes to farm, and Paris. I am STOKED for Berlin. Seriously stoked. It sounds like one of the most engaging, historic, artistic, active cities in the world.
I will miss practicing my Danish! I have become halfway decent and I really enjoy the game of it. Makes me excited to take German next year... though I think I will be secretly - or not so secretly - wishing it were Danish all the while :)
Love to the people, Kærlighed til folket!
~Alice
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