Ableism
Ableism means discrimination against people based on a (physical) impairment to which they are limited.
Awareness
Describes and means an attentive, considerate approach in contact between people. It is an approach and concept to ensure the well-being of as many people as possible.
• Means being sensitive to other people’s needs and perspectives.
• Shall provide a reference point and more security in dealing with assaults and discriminatory incidents.
• When your own actions harm other people: They feel threatened, intimidated, harassed – your actions cross personal boundaries.
• We are not bad people when we violate boundaries, but our responsibility is not to repeat this behaviour: to look at what happened and deal with it, reflecting on our own actions.
Power of definition
Power of definition is the concept that only the affected person can define when boundaries are crossed, at what point violence begins and what can be described as violence. Violence is experienced and perceived differently from person to person, so the naming of violence/a boundary crossing by the affected person should not be questioned under any circumstances. Regardless of what the assault looked like or how you may have perceived it: if the person affected defines it as violence/assault, this must be respected. In addition, the affected person's ability to perceive should not be denied, for example by asking for details of the assault or constantly asking for a new description.
Racism means the exclusion of people who belong to a supposedly different "race" and are considered inferior. By the way: "human races" do not exist. Racism promotes thinking that is characterised by an "us" and "them".
Discrimination
Discrimination means unequal treatment, disadvantage, exclusion, devaluation, underestimation by another person, by several persons, by institutions. Ignoring differences and diversity of people, wanting to normalise, thinking in good/bad, right/wrong.
There are endless forms and ways of how people are, how people live, how people want to be, how people love.
Hostility, name-calling, insults, threats, physical assault, exclusion based on gender, sexual orientation/sexual desire, origin, skin colour, religion, age, social position/social origin, impairments (physical, mental), appearance, language.
Categories of diversity in society: for some they mean participation, privileges, advantages, benefits, favours, access. For others it means rejection, exclusion, being treated inferior, having fewer opportunities, disadvantages, devaluation.
Discrimination becomes visible and audible in: Prejudices, stereotypes, assumptions, attributions, devaluations/negative evaluations, condescending, belittling remarks, labelling, or putting a stamp on people.
Inter*
This is the name given to people who cannot be clearly assigned to one gender because they have both female and male gender characteristics.
Classism
Classism means discrimination based on social origin. Not only the financial possibilities of an individual are important, but also the social status as a whole and the circumstances in which a person grew up. (Quelle https://diversity-arts-culture.berlin/)
Consumption and intoxication
Alcohol and other substances change your own perception of what is happening around you. Boundaries become blurred, unclear, and it becomes harder to pay attention.
An intense, wonderful high for one person can mean a crash for another. From one moment to the next, the situation can change. Sometimes all it takes is a small incident that we may not even be able to categorise. Your head and body then say, "I feel really bad right now!"
Be aware that even if your boundaries expand when you use drugs, the boundaries of others still want to be respected and must be respected. When in doubt, think about it a bit longer, ask what is ok (consent). Look out for each other. Freedom means taking responsibility.
Microaggression
Microaggressions affect any marginalised groups who belong to a minority based on their origin, gender, religion, sexual orientation, etc. Microaggressions can be words, sayings, or behaviours, such as when people are intentionally ignored or treated differently than others. Often, they are everyday discriminations that go unquestioned or unnoticed. They are not necessarily intentional but are hurtful to the other person.
An example is the question "Where are you from?" - The question implies that the person cannot be German, based on their physical appearance. Some people are exposed to discriminatory remarks, behaviours more often than others. The fact that they react sensitively to supposed "little matters" is related to the fact that they are exposed to these microaggressions more often than others. An awareness team should be aware of this and react with understanding and sensitivity.
non-binary
Mostly people are read as either male or female. However, there are also people who do not wish to be classified within either of these categories and may describe themselves as non-binary.
Partiality
Being partisan is a political and conscious decision. It is assumed that some groups need targeted support due to discrimination to counteract existing relationships of power. As an awareness team you take sides with the affected person and stand up for their wishes and needs. Most incidents of sexualised violence [x] rarely or never come to light. Many victims do not talk about it because they are ashamed, afraid of being doubted, they have no "objective" evidence or because they are afraid of being (partially) blamed. The result is often silence. This silence is an elementary component of oppressive structures. The approach of partiality gives those affected the power to define what happened themselves and to come out of a state of powerlessness.
Queer
Formerly used as a swear word, and today a self-designation: people who do not want to locate their identity in the social norm, define themselves as queer. Often the term is also used as a designation for and by LGBTIQ+ people (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, inter, queer, +).
Racism
Racism means the exclusion of people who belong to a supposedly different "race" and are considered inferior. By the way: "human races" do not exist. Racism promotes thinking that is characterised by an "us" and "them".
Sexism
Sexualised violence often happens without witnesses, in places where people feel unobserved, in places that are somewhat hidden, where no one really notices what is happening. Sexism shows itself and takes place in the contact between two, or more people. Sexism is a structural problem: how we grow up, how people live in a society, what beliefs, images, assumptions, and roles there are for women, men. Whenever a person is judged differently or treated worse by another person, by several people, or by institutions because of their gender: that is sexism. Sexism is expressed in attitudes, statements and resulting actions. It is also about role models, attributions and power relations based on gender.
Sexualised violence
Sexualised violence means any form of violence and exclusion, devaluation based on one's own gender. This includes remarks, looks, touching, and even sexual, intimate acts that happen against the will of the other person. This is about exercising superiority, power, and strength and exploiting it. In this imbalance, there is the person exercising violence and the person affected by violence. Affected person(s) must deal with effects, after-effects, and long-term effects: Personal freedom is restricted, avoidance of certain places and their audience, unsafe, fearful feeling as a companion, constant alertness. Violence is experienced, classified, and assessed differently by affected persons due to their personal history, background, and experience.
participating clubs
Eisen, Fehrfeld, Haus am Walde, Heartbreak Hotel, Papp, Pusdorf Studios, KITO, Kulturzentrum Lagerhaus, Litfass, Pier 2, Schwankhalle, Tower, Sendesaal, MS Treue, SummerSounds, UmBauBar, Irgendwo, Kulturetage Oldenburg, Römer, Breminale, Lift
trans*
People can describe themselves as trans* who, for example, feel male but have been assigned the female gender by birth and by society.
Trauma
Trauma is the term used to describe an emotional injury that has occurred as a result to a negative, bad experience in the past. A situation, usually prolonged, in which a person felt helpless, powerless, fearful, or miserable. The painful memory can lead to psychological problems. Trauma can result from sexual assault or other transgressive behaviour. An incident at a party may remind the person of a trauma from their past.
Trigger
Triggers are events, circumstances, situations that remind us of past trauma. This can include smells, words, music, or objects - everything that can awaken memories. Because we often do not know what happened to other people in the past, it is especially important to deal sensitively with discrimination, violence, and feelings. An awareness team should be sensitive and alert to trauma or triggers and know that people may perceive situations with a different intensity due to their different past experiences. Personal boundaries differentiate based on our individual experiences.
Confidentiality
Joint support and accompaniment are based on trust. Sensitivity and confidentiality form the basis of awareness work. This means that information is treated with discretion and is only passed on to others in concrete, direct consultation, with the consent of the person concerned. Talking about the situation with others can be important in creating awareness of problems or possible grievances. It can also help to make the event safer for other participants.