[oberlinbcsl]

Vincent's Photo Essay

[oberlinbcsl]

Day 3: Dutch Eurasia Today was an interesting day. We learned quite a bit about Indonesians, the Dutch, and the relationship therewithin. One thing the stood out though is the relationship between the colonizer and the colonized. The colonizer automatically assumes that they have the right to consume and absorb the colonized heritage and culture. For example, certain Indonesian foods - like herb tea - are just considered dutch.

[oberlinbcsl]

Kevin Lee

Kevin Lee is a Junior at Paul Quinn College in Dallas, Texas studying Business and Pre-Law.

In his freshman year at PQC he won $20,000 for his school by creating and pitching a business plan to over 100 CEOs and business leaders during a fast pitch competition which addressed poverty amongst children in Dallas, TX. He was also selected as a participant in the Duke Immerse at Paul Quinn College Program where he studied the relationship between environmental outcomes and social inequalities in communities.

Kevin is a 2013 NAEHCY scholar and was recently awarded the Presidential Scholarship at PQC which grants him a full ride to school, including tuition, room and board, and books. In April 2015, he was selected as one of twelve students in the U.S. to learn about business research at the University Of Pennsylvania Wharton School Of Business at the doctoral level and he completed a master class with world-renowned Wharton faculty. Kevin was also selected to be an intern for Chubb Insurance Company through the INROADS program this past summer. Kevin’s performance as an INROADS intern led to the opportunity to be the keynote speaker at the 45th INROADS Award Ceremony for corporate partners and interns. He gave the speech, “From Homeless to Hopeful”.

In August of 2015, Kevin participated in the Summer Institute for Emerging Managers and Leaders at the University of California-San Diego where he learned how to be a more effective manager, leader, and entrepreneur. Most recently, Kevin was selected by the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities as an HBCU All-Star and will serve as a Student Ambassador for the White House and his college. Throughout Kevin’s experiences and achievements he has been developing his entrepreneurial thought so that he can pursue his dream of serving his community and the world that he lives in through entrepreneurship and law.

Kevin is originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

[bonnersinamsterdam]

Wednesday, January 20th

Today’s activities were focused on LGBTQ+ issues/areas of interest. We started the day at Hang-Out 010 in Rotterdam, where we had a great presentation from the organization, together with refreshments! It was very interesting to hear the director’s perspectives on multiple issues but most prominently for me was the discussion about LGBTQ+ refugees. This was a great follow up to our activities yesterday at the Humanity House. I particularly liked that this organization focused on self acceptance rather than a pressuring to come out to society.

Following a lovely lunch provided by Hang-Out 010, we headed to an elderly home nearby where we met a handful of LGBTQ+ elderly people. It was wonderful to meet elderly people who identified as LGBTQ, because in my experience the activism in this area always seems to focus on youth members. I loved hearing their stories and it was particularly interesting that much of what they experienced in their youth is what is generally being experienced by LGBTQ+ refugees in their home countries today. At the home we were offered an incredible amount of food and were so welcomed in their space. Overall it was a very well rounded and thoughtful day in an exciting new city.

- Nia

[bonnersinamsterdam]

Wednesday January 20th, 2016

Today we started the day quite early. For the next two days we will be visiting The Hague and Rotterdam so we packed up an overnight bag and departed by around 8:15. 

The first stop once we arrived in The Hague was The Humanity House, an interesting interactive experience where one goes on a “journey” as if one is a refugee. Starting with getting photographed and receiving your “papers,” one then went through the place, where many photographs and videos were displayed and got to hear stories of refugees as well as go through a little mini interview.

 After going through and reaching the other side, I had many mixed feelings about the experience. On the one hand, the interactive elements made things more real and forced me to stop and think about just how scary and difficult this process can be to seek refuge in a foreign country. On the other hand, it was hard not to also feel that this seemed to almost trivialize the whole experience. Of course, this exhibit is tailored for a wide-ranging audience, including children, so obviously the types of information, displays etc. must be adjusted accordingly so its hard to judge it too harshly but I definitely left with some mixed feelings (and am certainly planning on going to seek out more information when I have a few free moments). 

We then walked through the city to a nice place where we had lunch. SO many options! 

The food was all made fresh and there were salads and fresh fruit and pastries, and smoothies…you name it! I ended up getting this fresh grilled tuna flatbread with pickled onions, cucumbers, lettuce and some kind of mayo sauce, and a yummy mango pastry.

After lunch, we went to see the Peace Palace (didn’t actually get to go inside. It’s only open to visitors once a month unfortunately). Sometimes called the “seat of international law,” this is where the International Court of Justice and Permanent Court of Arbitration are housed. Although we were not able to go into the actual peace palace, there was a nice information center that had a pretty fancy schmancy audio guided tour (I’m talking laser pointers and everything—see photo), and we at least got to snap a few pics from in front of the palace. 

We also stopped and got to see the World Peace Flame, which is a beautiful installation that marks the moment in history back in April 2004 where every single country in the world came together and signed a Statement for Peace.

Surrounding this “eternal” flame, there is a stone garden where each country contributed one stone to be placed there. Quite a powerful symbol and for a second, my mind imagined what it would mean if we all came together and actually worked towards a world free from violence and one in which everyone knows peace. 

Then onwards to ROTTERDAM!! When we arrived it was clear pretty quickly that this was quite a contrast to the old, quaint city of Amsterdam. We were immediately met with gleaming, modern architecture and tall skyscrapers. 

Much of this city was forced to rebuild after the bombings by the Germans in WWII and they came back with some very unique architecture. We are staying in these crazy awesome Cube Houses. They are so cool looking and no one room is the same as the other. 

After checking in, we had a few hours before dark so I went right back out to try and explore while there was still light. I generally am not a fan of most modern architecture I see these days, but the architecture in Rotterdam is something special. Each building has character, and I found myself really enjoying every new crazy building I came across. One of the coolest (well, besides the cube houses we are staying in), is this giant indoor market place that is housed in their giant dome-like building that is painted with the coolest picture. Absolutely stunning!

After dinner at the hostel, I went back out to explore a bit more before returning back and am now getting ready to get some zzzZZZ’s. I’m excited for what tomorrow will bring. I hope all of you back in the USA are staying warm and cozy! Ok Goodnight from Rotterdam!!

—Benjamin Biffis signing out

[bonnersinamsterdam]

Monday, 18th Jan

I cannot believe an entire week has passed already. Not that I expected anything different, but I’m still always surprised by how fast time seems to fly during trips such as these which keep us engaged throughout the day. I’m definitely feeling more comfortable navigating the city - which is saying a LOT since it’s only been a week and  thanks to my cell phone situation, I’ve had to rely on my brain rather than google maps for making sure I get back home alright (incase it wasn’t clear already, directions aren’t something I’m particularly good at at 😜).

The highlight of my day was definitely being able to work at the refugee donation collection center. Welcom Winkle - the welcome shop - was housed in a community center in the Bijlmer. The number of clothes and blankets and shoes that people had brought in was absolutely amazing. The room (I’d say in total it was about the size of a basketball court) was half full at the least with bags and boxes of cartons just filled with all sorts of stuff. Also keep in mind that the sorted donations from this site are picked up nearly every week which means that the volume of items coming in is this large on a WEEKLY basis. Given the volume of items, the Shop had actually reduced the amount of items they were sending to the camps and had starting distributing some to organizations such as the food bank that we worked with on Saturday. We were able to help out with sorting the items into various boxes which was a really nice thing to be able to do. Some of the clothing was really reallyyy nice and most of it was really well packaged too in that it had been laundered and folded and to an extent already sorted within the largest bags.

Needless to say, I was fairly hungry after this session. Glo, Benji and I went to a Surinamese restaurant that had been recommended and the food was so so good! I’ve really liked being in the Bijlmer. I also met a half pakistani-half Indonesian shop owner and got to speak some Urdu while in Amsterdam which is always a really nice feeling :)

Hopefully the Internet will support me and I’m going to be able to post this up now!

Until later, Sakina :)

[bonnersinamsterdam]

Gucci, Gucci, Fendi, Fendi, Louis, Louis.... Prada?

Yesterday, the group got the chance to help out at a center, the Welcome Winkel, that helps to distributes donated goods to refugees in need. These goods range from shirts and shoes, to mink coats and Louis Vuitton purses that looked to be in pristine shape!

One of the things that definitely struck me as a little bit off, was the condition in which most of the goods were that came into the center. A good amount of these items still had the tags on them. Taking into account that the Netherlands is one of the richest countries in the world, I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised 💯💯🇳🇱🤑

But at the end of the day, we were able to really connect with the volunteers who hosted us; and learn a little bit about some happening Dutch areas! Guess we’ll be going to those next 😎👍🏾

Signin off til next time, Dru

[bonnersinamsterdam]

Today is our day off! And now I can take some time to reflect on what has been my favorite day so far, yesterday at the Bijlmer (pronounced Bel-mer) neighborhood in Southeast Amsterdam. These photos represent the biggest difference between how the Netherlands and the United States handles issues such as poverty; this area has been referred to as the “Dutch Ghetto”. And yet, I found this area to be one of the safest and most attractive parts of Amsterdam. Yes, there were issues in this area, with high rates of drug use in the 80s, similar to the US, but unlike the US policies of “getting tough on crime” that eventually led to the mass criminalization and imprisonment of many black and brown people, the Netherlands looked at drug use as a health issue, moving people out of the harmful situations into safer housing, and destroying and renovating buildings that had high illicit drug use and selling, to make it harder for people to conduct this business in secret.  With a high concentration of Surinamese and African peoples from all over the continent, this was the “blackest” area of the Netherlands I had seen so far. It was beautiful to see so many people who looked like me walking around knowing that although there are still issues being a person of color in the Netherlands, they could rely on their government to make them a priority, give people on welfare enough money to actually survive, and allow them to be contributing members of their society. What is tough for me is the fact that I was so entranced by how life was specifically in that area that I found myself planning my eventual emigration from the United States, specifically to this neighborhood. Although I do not know how realistic that idea is, I had to reflect on my identities as a gay/queer, Black American in a whole new light; should I attempt to escape the injustices of my home country in order to reinvent myself in a new society, or should I stay in order to fight as much as possible, even when it feels like my life is unnecessarily in danger? Are the two mutually exclusive? And do any of these ideas factor into what I (think I) want to do for the rest of my life; travel the world and gain and share stories? Obviously, I have lots to think about… -Tony

[bonnersinamsterdam]

Day 4

We started out the day with another yummy breakfast at the hostel before heading back by tram to “the office” (aka SIT) for a morning debrief of yesterday. After going over the events of yesterday while sipping on tea and coffee, we transitioned into a presentation by Tobias on Dutch approaches to HIV/AIDS. We learned how the Netherlands confronted and dealt with the AIDS crises in their country and got to compare and contrast this with the way the USA reacted.  In the Netherlands, organizations and campaigns came together to help research drugs to help combat this disease, educate the public and, most importantly, the issue was treated as a public heath issue rather than a moral hazard.

After breaking for lunch, we walked through Amsterdam on our way to the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. We got to see some new parts of the city as well as walk over the iconic Magere (“Skinny”) Bridge. 

Upon our arrival, the first thing we saw was one of the AHF’s Mobile HIV testing trucks painted in bright orange. As we learned later on, this mobile testing truck goes around to festivals and other events where high risk groups of the population are and offers free HIV testing.

Its an interesting system when it comes to HIV testing in the Netherlands. If you are part of the four identified high-risk groups (men who have sex with men, intravenous drug users, sex workers and “youngsters” under the age of 25), you can get the proper testing for free and completely confidentially but everyone else must not only pay but they cannot take the test anonymously.

At the AHF, we were met by a lovely woman and gentleman (totally forgetting their names!) who explained a little bit about what the Foundation does as well as show us how the rapid HIV test is administered. In just over a minute you can know your HIV status with 99.6% accuracy. I had never realized how quick and straightforward it was.

For the next couple of hours we helped create little packets of condoms, lube, and information about the center that would be handed out, as well as separate condoms into their individual packets. So many condoms! Literally hundreds and hundreds of them.

At around 4:00 we wrapped up our work, learned a few dutch words and phrases and then departed. The rest of the evening was ours to do as we wanted to. A few of us went to the Rembrandt museum (his house) and then had dinner at a nice, small Italian place. 

After stuffing our face with lasagna, we walked around the section of Amsterdam we were in, got some amazing frozen yoghurt with so many new and interesting toppings that you don’t find back in the USA, and then parted ways. 

I stayed in Amsterdam for a little while longer just walking around and taking everything in. I had some time to just relax and reflect, and also just explore more of the city before I finally headed back to the hostel and eventually to bed (well, that is after I post this).

-Benjamin  Biffis 

[bonnersinamsterdam]

The Black heritage of Amsterdam unit we discovered on Tuesday was nothing short of intriguing. We began our day with a lecture from Nancy Jouwe from SIT where we went through the complete colonial history of the Netherlands to see what is often left out in the historical narrative and usually goes underrepresented or untold completely.

Our boat and walking tour led by Ms. Jennifer Tosch was another way that I was able to reflect on how big of a role race has played in the formation of Amsterdam. She pointed out many examples of Moors heads being used as symbols of power and money and the ways in which Black presence was usually used to serve the same purpose in art.

In my experiences here in Amsterdam so far I have been feeling what it’s like to be Black a woman and American in the Netherlands, and I have seen that these issues surrounding race do not go away even with the implementation of progressive policies such as those here.

-Glo

[bonnersinamsterdam]

Thursday, January 14th

I had very high expectations for today, given my existing interest in sex work and related topics. Already planned on the schedule was a discussion on sex education and sex work in the Netherlands with Marije Janssen, a visit to the exhibition at the science museum NEMO called Teen Facts (see first picture), and a visit and tour around the Red Light District (see all other images) with Mariska Majoor at the Prostitution Information Center (PIC). I was expecting to be most moved and interested during our visit to the PIC, but I was actually far more invested in our discussion and presentation with Marije.

I reflected on the fact that during my first visit to the RLD, I was struggling to fight the mentality that these workers needed to be saved - not for the work they do, but from the tourists and other boisterous visitors that laughed and pointed at them. I found a solution to this feeling in something Mariska said, in that - as a sex worker - she explained their ability to “scan” the crowd and only focus on potential clients. From both Marije and Mariska I realized that, despite the legalization of prostitution in the NL, the stigma and the fairness of the rights/policies afforded to them are still making life very difficult for sex workers, though.

Marije also gave an overview of the NL’s views on sex work since post World War 2. The work that she does surrounding sex education and activism - spreading across areas of BDSM to feminist pornography - was incredibly interesting to me, to the point that I was jealous that I did not have such a career yet!

Overall, every aspect of today complemented each other so well. The morning discussion with Marije was a perfect introduction to the puberty exhibition at NEMO, and many aspects of what Marije said also applied to our tour with Mariska.

I wanted to include the image of the floor art piece of the hand on the breast as a lasting reminder - just as Mariska ended her tour - that the ultimate thing to remember about sex workers is that we should respect them.

- Nia

[bonnersinamsterdam]

Even though the group has only been in Amsterdam for a grand total of 3-days, I think it’s safe to say that many of us have learned more in that time than we may have on the internet researching the issues we hold dearest. On the topic of issues that hit home, in today’s session with our instructor Bear, we got the opportunity to learn about the LGBT, queer, and activist communities here in Amsterdam. More importantly, our conversations about activism reminded the majority of the group of sticky situations in which activism does not always look like an outward display of one’s own politics. Even though we were lucky enough to make pancakes for many wonderful people at one of the local health clinics, not everyone has the time, energy, or ability to engage in these certain kinds of activism.

Getting the real dish, from our lovely tour guide Glenn, on the Underground Tour of the Red Light District, was an experience that left me with wayyyyy more questions than answers! For instance, the drug policies that treat hard drug addiction as a mental health issue, the legalization of sex work, the rather chill laws on soft drugs (including the infamous Green herbal giant, Marijuana); all end up making the Netherlands a safer and more pragmatic country than the US—which has higher incarceration rates due to drug related arrests, higher rates of STDs, higher rates of teen pregnancy…. And the list goes on! Maybe the group can collect some more tips for America tomorrow, but I think today gave me plenty to think about!

P.s. After all the walking today, I felt like my feet were about to fall off… 😳😖 So now I know my boots are definitely NOT made for walking!

Signing out y'all, Dru

[bonnersinamsterdam]

Tuesday, January 12th

I didn’t realize how tired I was from all the traveling and sessions on Monday until I got to bed at night and slept like a baby. Which was great, since I woke up this morning feeling very refreshed and ready for the day’s events. While I didn’t experiment with the sprinkles on bread this morning - a Dutch breakfast speciality which I will get to trying in the next few days - I did try some deliciously baked bread and cheese for breakfast. I’ve also really missed having milk as a given breakfast item in the States and having so much of it here is quite refreshing.

Upon reaching the office, we delved into discussion immediately. The Naar Netherlands documentary was particularly interesting with regards to the ways in which it portrayed “Dutch culture”. I couldn’t help but think about families I know that have immigrated to more developed parts of the world in recent years, and their continued struggle with trying to assimilate in order to achieve success, but consistently being unable to. What further struck me were the histories that the video chose to develop and focus on - the East India Company and West India Company, and all the trade and wealth it brought along with it, for instance, and the ones it chose to silence - colonialism and the slave trade. The conflict of interest between the master and counter narratives was something I observed throughout the rest of the day, especially during the Black Heritage Tour. I couldn’t help but think about the fact that the information I was getting access to would most likely not be part of a more generic day tour of the city. I’d be interested in taking a day tour of the city just so that I can better identify these differences, although I am not sure if I will have time for this given all the options I already have to choose from!

Tonight was our first night alone, which was all sorts of exciting and nerve wracking. Nia, Benji and I chose to eat dinner at a Surinamese-Chinese restaurant called Albina, upon Yvette’s suggestion. The food was delicious, cheap, and totally worth the while at the end of a long day. We also managed to make it back home, with the help of some very nice people willing to confirm our directions. I’m definitely feeling more confident about traveling alone within the city now, and will perhaps manage to keep my transport card with me throughout the entirety of this trip.*

*My transport card and I have had an interesting relationship. I managed to drop it outside the tram today, and watched the doors close without being able to do anything to stop it. Luckily, everyone in our group is wonderful and quick on their feet, and Trecia and I managed to get off at the next stop, walk back, and retrieve it. I do still think there might be some benefit to me switching my card with someone else!

Sakina Lavingia

P.S. It was also my mom’s birthday, so happy birthday to her!!

[bonnersinamsterdam]

My name is Dru, and for the past four-years I have called Oberlin College my home away from the best state in the US, aka Texas! While at Oberlin, I managed to receive a B.S. in Geology and a minor in Environmental Science, with a concentration in environmental justice. My career has mostly been centered around the successful collaboration between my academic research on environmental racism and the coalition building with a town that has been plagued by big oil and big industry.

I’m super excited to go to Amsterdam to learn more about the ways race and ethnicity intersect with issues related to sexual health; and how they also intersect with the current refugee crisis within Europe. I know this service trip to Amsterdam will open up my eyes to SOOO many different issues that I have only been able to track on the internet, but I’m super happy to learn more!! :-) 

Talk soon y'all,

Dru

[bonnersinamsterdam]

Benjamin Biffis

I am currently a third year, politics major, environmental studies minor at Oberlin College. I am very excited to have this opportunity to travel abroad to Amsterdam and work with a wide array of community organizations. As someone who is interested in both politics and law, I am hoping to find out more about the legal and political systems in the Netherlands with the aim of comparing and contrasting their system with our own system here in the USA. 

[bonnersinamsterdam]

Nia Owen

Hello! My name is Nia and I am a sophomore at Oberlin College. I am studying Art History and Photography, but often the fields of Gender, Sexuality & Feminist Studies complement and inspire my artistic endeavors. In Amsterdam I am hoping to explore the topic of sex work deeper, in order to inform research that I intend to complete at Oberlin. I am hoping to experience a very different Dutch perspective to this issue that will contrast how it is dealt with in my native country of Wales as well as America. 

[bonnersinamsterdam]

My name is Anthony (Tony) Moaton, and I am a third year majoring in Performance Studies and minoring in Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies. I am very excited to go on this trip to Amsterdam to explore topics of sexual health and youth development, focusing on LGBTQ+ issues. Due to my desires to pursue a career in journalism, I will use the written and photographic reflections I take of the trip as inspiration for articles for The Grape, the student publication I write for.