In the seventh episode of Change of Perspective – Beyond Helping: Reinventing Solidarity, we speak with Yili Rojas, member of the educational platform Südblicke – Perspectives from the Global South. Together, we question what solidarity really means and how dominant narratives continue to shape the ways Europe sees itself and others.

Yili reflects on political education, colonial continuities, self-organization, and the importance of unlearning. She challenges the idea of Europe as a producer of solutions and invites us to rethink solidarity — not as saving others, but as a deeper process of confronting power, language, and ourselves.

The interview was originally conducted in Spanish and is presented in English voice-over.

Film “I am fine, but” - https://hannesschulze.com/portfolio/finebut/

Brochure “Willkommen ohne Paternalismus” - https://www.glokal.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Willkommen-ohne-PaternalismusReflexionshilfe.pdf (German)

“Checklist for Reflection and Practical Transformation” - https://www.glokal.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Checklisteng.pdf (English)

Brochure “Mit kolonialen Grüßen” - https://www.glokal.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/BroschuereMitkolonialenGruessen2013.pdf (German)

https://www.instagram.com/nowhitesaviors/

bell hooks: Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center (1984)

(https://funceji.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/bellhooksfeministtheoryfrommargintocentebookzz-org.pdf))

Valcárcel, Amelia: Politica de las Mujeres (1997)

Reflection on own positions, privileges and responsibility in transnational solidarity

Episode 3 is about checking our own privilege. We speak about “Power and Responsibility in Engagement”.

Our guest Josi reflects on her own position and privilege. She is part of the Brückenwind Team and has studied migration studies. Being in the No Border Movement she stands in solidarity with people negatively affected by the Border Regime. She honestly speaks about her path to the point where she is now in the process of reflection about her own position.

What does activism mean and how can we work together and support each other without victimizing or paternalising? Where do power dynamics continue to exist? These are questions that we discuss in this episode.

Episode 2 of Change of Perspective “Decolonising Aid and Solidarity” reflects on how humanitarian systems often go hand in hand with systems of human containment.

In conversation with Salahadine Djouma Abdallah, co-funder of Refugees in Libya, we speak about the Book of Shame, written by refugees across Libya, Tunisia, and Niger to break the silence around UNHCR’s crimes. Our guest Salahadine confronts Europe’s role in funding detention centers in Libya, the violence faced by refugees, and the power structures that decide who is “worthy” of protection, “who is evacuated or left behind, who is allowed to live, and who disappears”. Salahadine calls for radical care and solidarity that includes evacuation, resettlement, and collective action. He reminds us that silence is what kills first, and that is why we must keep speaking up for those who are still stuck in Libya or in other North African countries.

Throughout this episode Hadis Yakubi will read extracts from the Book of Shame, out of the chapter: “The witness must speak - On UNHCR in Libya and Beyond” written by David Yambio. The extracts will appear at different moments and will be combined with the conversation we had with our guest Salahadine.

This episode contains references to violence, systemic abuse, and human rights violations experienced by refugees and migrants.

Source: Book of Shame: How UNHCR Fails to Protect Refugees in Libya, Tunisia, and Niger (Vol. 1, 2025) https://www.refugeesinlibya.org/book-of-shame.

Know more about Refugees in Libya: https://www.refugeesinlibya.org/

We officially announce that our second season of the podcast series “Change of Perspective” is out!

The first episode, “The Roots of Inequality – Colonialism's Legacy in Global Structures,” focuses on oppressive colonial history, how it affects Sudan today, and Sudanese self-organising revolutionary movements, with a focus on gender and the role of women in the revolution.

We are happy that we could host the great Mahasin Dahab!

Mahasin Dahab is a Sudanese feminist and colonial researcher. She is the co-founder of the Midanik feminist movement and the managing director of The Dahub Consultancies.

🔗 Mahasin on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mahasin-dahab-509532197/?originalSubdomain=sd

As the final episode of Season 1 of Change of Perspective, we present a powerful panel discussion on solidarity-based approaches to volunteering, highlighting perspectives from the Global South.

Too often, volunteering and aid efforts are shaped by Eurocentric narratives that reinforce hierarchies and paternalism. In this conversation, our speakers challenge these dynamics by centering lived experience, justice, and proximity over charity.

Panelists:

- Adeola Carew (Safe Space Sierra Leone), a feminist organizer and founder of a survivor-led initiative supporting women and girls affected by sexualized and gender-based violence. Her work focuses on trauma-informed, community-rooted care and deconstructs the ethics of volunteering through a lens of justice and responsibility.

- Radwa Khaled-Ibrahim (Medico International), a Critical Aid Consultant working at the intersection of communication, global health, and structural critique.

Moderated by:

- Ceren Uysal, human rights lawyer from Turkey, Executive Director of the Progressive Lawyers Association (PLA), and Co-Secretary-General of the European Association of Lawyers for Democracy and World Human Rights (ELDH).

This episode not only reflects on the ethics of helping, but also sets the tone for deeper reflection and transformation in how solidarity and support are practiced.

🎧 Thank you for being part of our first season. Stay tuned—Change of Perspective will return with a new season full of critical voices, fresh perspectives, and more conversations that matter.

In this episode of Change of Perspective, we explore paternalism—when decisions are made for people rather than with them, often under the guise of “helping.” This dynamic is deeply rooted in colonial thinking and still shapes many forms of international aid, development, and even activism today.

We question the popular narratives around helping, support, and "giving a voice"—and ask: who defines what help looks like? Who holds the power, and who is expected to be grateful?

Our guests share how paternalistic attitudes have affected their communities and why shifting from charity to solidarity is essential for real change.

Join us as we challenge the power structures behind well-intentioned help and advocate for a more equitable, respectful approach to support.