Show solidarity, form alliances

How can we show solidarity and ally with the people we study and work with?

How can students, teachers and administrative staff show their solidarity when tricky moments occur during class and in every day university life? Students can empower and support each other and act as allies in situations where others are belittled or discriminated against by fellow students or teachers, or, for instance, when forced outings or (unjustified) blaming occurs.
Physical, structural or personal barriers and discriminatory experiences have a straining effect on people (self-esteem, academic success, motivation, etc.). People who are discriminated against on structural or personal grounds and/or forcibly outed during class or in a public situation (for example based on sexual orientation, gender or by the public revealing of private/family matters) cannot be left alone. The point is to collectively expose the inherent injustice of an act/a situation and to render visible the underlying, structural conditions and societal paradigms.

Why do we need alliances?

Showing solidarity and building alliances injects dense knowledge and information into the processes of difficult situations as well as tangible solutions. In most instances, the experiences, situations or challenges we encounter do not represent isolated cases even though we may perceive them as such. To a large extent, they have happened before, once, if not repeatedly. These cases often result from structural causes and not due to individual persons and or the make-up of a group of persons.

Alliances allow the sharing of experiences and the discussion of solutions. Greater impact becomes possible together. In order to reach the next step of effecting structural changes, allies from different sectors, located in different corners and on different (hierarchical) levels of a system are required. Alliances help in finding and connecting different key employees and key positions.

Often times there exist political activist advocacy groups or non-profit organizations in contact with important players in the arts, culture and politics, communicating interests and concerns back to them for the purpose of working towards a more diverse and equitable society. It is possible to enter into direct communication with these groups in order to receive information and in many instances it is also possible to collaborate.

Time, patience and resilience represent important aspects in the building of alliances. Processes of systemic change require time and undergo several cycles before they become successful. Having the right allies, renders enduring these processes easier. Alliances not only aid in terms of strategy and content but also provide emotional support during challenging phases. (bw)

Solidarity can be shown by

  • realizing and understanding one’s own privileges, questioning and critically examining them.
  • acquiring knowledge and information about inequalities and discrimination.
  • standing up in a discriminatory situation, asserting one’s position and intervening. (Caution: do not make yourself the center of attention and refrain from talking about the person who is experiencing discrimination, …)
  • reaching out to the person who experienced discrimination after the situation has passed, offering support and figuring out a possible next step together.
  • by turning to contact points and providing information about the incidence (for example Working Group on Equal Opportunities – AKG).
  • sharing information on structural inequalities both off- and online and thereby raising awareness in relation to issues of inequality.
  • demanding that university classes address structural inequalities in the specific subject also in terms of content, e.g. female/non-binary composers, camera women and female directors in early cinema, reconciling work, family and career, etc.
  • becoming active in an organization that advocates greater equality.
  • providing resources/donations for organizations that oppose inequality and support greater diversity.

Processes of change require time and bring with them many setbacks. Being an ally may also mean being exhausted and overwhelmed, not knowing if all efforts were actually helpful. It can equally imply not understanding a situation and being confronted with matters that are challenging and leave speechless. Here it is important to be gentle with oneself and take the time to breathe and recharge.

Further links and tools

for reading and exploring