My journey as a refugee and the Youth Leadership Program

by Emad Yosufi

CMGJ “Gender Justice Beyond Borders” Youth Leadership Program

Participant

“There are millions of people, refugees, who have experienced the same conflicts and struggles I did. They have the same potential to defy the odds and achieve great things. - Clemantine Wamariya

In 2019, I made the hardest decision of my life because I applied for asylum in Germany. If you have a migrant background, you now remember experiences that some can’t even imagine if they have not made the same experiences. As a refugee, I lost the opportunity of being a free human being, free student, free advocate. I must have waited for four months until I could go to at least a language course and another year for until my asylum application get accepted. I also waited for two years until I could go back to university. Going to university was only possible after learning the German language and recognition of your asylum application. When you become a refugee, you need to prove every single claim. Every single penny in your account needs to be reported and calculated. However, I believed that good days are also on its way.

After  a long search and counseling with many institutes, I found a place where I could meet people from the same background and stage. As part of the LGBTQIA+ community, I was regularly visiting a local based organization for the LGBTQI+ refugees in Stuttgart, Germany. We, LGBTQIA+ migrants in Baden-Württemberg, were meeting every two weeks and were sharing our concerns and experiences. This was the first place that I expressed myself as a Transgender refugee. The members were counseling and helping us find solutions for our issues and struggles. Through this local organization I learned of the CMGJ Youth Leadership Program and so my journey began with CMGJ. 

I dream of being a voice for the rainbow community. However, my background; religion and culture make it hard to follow those goals. Also, being a refugee is the main obstacle that always limited me from opportunities that were easily accessible for others. CMGJ’s Youth Leadership Program IS FROM MIGRANTS FOR MIGRANTS. As part of the rainbow community, I initially need to learn about myself and the gaps that as a Trans-migrant needed to be filled, if I want to be an advocate for my other fellows. CMGJ was one of those establishments that was helping me to develop my capacity building. I believed my participation in this program will significantly add to the lives of LGBTQIA+ community because my awareness would be based on the strategies that I have gained from CMGJ. Group activities were one of the obvious examples that helped me to believe in myself and confidently share my opinion. 

As part of the Youth Leadership Program, we explored the relations between Gender and Migration. The main focus of this course was analyzing gender-based violence experienced by women, LGBTQIA+ and gender diverse migrants. The course consisted of education, research and advocacy. In the first period, online courses were conducted by CMGJ. Participants reviewed and analyzed different case studies and later on were discussed together. 

The second section was the most challenging one for me. I was not the only one who was struggling with writing a research policy brief, but also my fellows. As we shared our feedbacks, most of us had never the experience of writing a policy brief, and therefore we requested CMGJ that for the next section it will more effective to give more time and exercises in introducing new topics. In fact, the same as writing a policy brief all we have learned or written in our life, are things we never knew at the beginning how to even start it. 

The advocacy part was my favorite one. We campaigned actively for 16 days against gender-based violence through different social media platforms. From my point of view, participants became closer in this section. I believe team work and mutual understanding and the art of negotiation are skills that we all as a successful leader need to work on, and CMGJ is a place where you can improve them.

After Taliban took over Afghanistan, I lost my concentration and the chain to follow up the program. Yet, continuous help and support from CMGJ leaders, is the reason that I today am able to write about it and believe in the possibility of becoming a leader that I am dreaming of.

Moreover, I never had the courage to talk openly and express myself with my real identity. However, CMGJ was the podium where I was the real Emad. The open, friendly space and mutual respect that I was experiencing through this program, has given me the courage to be who I was/am. 

Thank you CMGJ! 😊