We Belong
Dear friends,
A very warm welcome!
I am Iva and I have the pleasure of hosting this newsletter or - as I’m hoping it’ll be for you - a place of discovery. One of the ways I understand the value of my work is that accompanies people — through times of transition, joy, struggle, vocation, and life.
As a regenerative storyteller and nature-loving advocate, I aspire to elevate the stories of BIPOC people with a focus on healing in relationship to intersectional feminism, environmental justice, individual and social creativity, and compassionate living; to invite an inquiry into the metaphors that shape our imagination of our life together.
We Belong: Stories that connect us
Founded by three passionate young women from Italy and Luxembourg, We Belong's mission is to create safe and supportive spaces for women of color to share their experiences, explore their identities, and reclaim their narratives. By amplifying their voices, WB is paving the way for a society, where the richness of diversity is celebrated and empowered to flourish.
At We Belong, we are audacious believers in the power of storytelling. Therefore, every month I will bring to you a tapestry of personal stories, initiatives contributing to collective transformation, readings or community-inspired arts and resources, and gentle words inviting you into a creative practice.
With this reading, intended to nurture curiosity and rebellion, I invite you to explore the many larger-than-life issues and celebrate radical imagination. But most of all, reclaim Belonging.
I'd love to get to know you, so if it feels right, hit the reply button and introduce yourselves. I look forward to what we might cultivate together in the coming seasons.
I hope you find solace and joy in this labor of love.
Meet the founders🩷
What is your word?
Jana: My word would be unstoppable! I have faced a lot of challenges in my life and I have fallen many times, but I stand up every time because there is no choice other than to keep pushing it! My source of energy and motivation without a doubt is my little brother Jeff who is autistic.
Yasmine: My word is resilience, which comes from Latin and means to jump back. There have been many backlashes in my journey, like having a French far-right presidential candidate attacking me on social media along with hundreds of citizens. Still, the most important has always been to jump back. This is how We Belong started, as a way to turn stigma into strength and share a message of inclusion all across Europe.
How did the theme of belonging become such an essential part of your mission?
Yasmine: Growing up in Italy and having an Italian mother and a Moroccan father, the majority of my Italian family was reluctant towards us because of my father's origins. This reluctance was also present at school later on and prompted me to question my sense of belonging from a very young age.
The first time I heard the word Belonging was in 2018. I was 22 and I was in New York, about to join my very first panel with senior officials. It was a panel on gender equality with the Former Australian Prime Minister and I was feeling very intimidated. Before the panel, I reviewed my talking points with my mentor, reflecting on a tweetable message to end my intervention. She advised me to say "You Belong". At the time I did not know this word, so I googled it and then I replied to her "You belong to what?". She suggested: "Just say: You Belong". And it was powerful. From then on, I found it so meaningful and this is the reason why in 2019, after winning the "Young European of the Year" award and being the target of hate by hundreds of people online, I took the stage at "Europe Talks" in Brussels and ended my speech with "We Belong. We Belong to Europe" in front of 300 people.
Belonging means that no matter who you are, your age, your background, and your appearance, you have a seat at the table and a place in society.
Jana: The sense of not belonging started for me at a very young age, primarily within the context of my family. In my public life activities, especially in public office, my connection to Luxembourg has been questioned far too often. The feeling of not belonging somewhere has significant consequences. It affected me personally, I felt less confident in pursuing my true dreams because I constantly doubted myself. However, over time, and with a strengthened sense of belonging, I began to feel more self-assured.
The work we undertake at We Belong aligns perfectly with this concept. We aim to instil a stronger sense of belonging in these young people, enabling them to realize their full potential.
Very often, it is in times of hardship that we realize we miss having a sense of belonging in our lives and it is only then we start addressing its importance. How do we create and sustain a community?
Yasmine: Finding a sense of belonging can be a constant work in progress for many of us, especially as we enter spaces where there are few to no peers we can relate to. How do we find a balance between pushing boundaries and taking care of ourselves in the process? A community can play a crucial role here: we are not alone in our struggles and hardships. Through the stories that we narrate at We Belong, our listeners can relate to the struggles that the guests share and this helps them feel understood and seen. Then, as the guests share how they overcome their challenges, we hope that this can inspire others. A community, in the digital era, can be a group of people feeling deeply connected despite being miles away.
A very special part of PowHer is personal coaching. It’s also something many people miss in their lives. Could you speak about how having a mentor/role model has shaped your journey?
Jana: Having someone you look up to, serving as an advisor or mentor, is fundamental for every leader. I realized this quite late, to be honest. There were times when I felt incredibly lost, without a reference to hold onto when I had questions of any sort. Without a guiding reference, you start doubting every decision you make, and progress becomes sluggish.
A mentor is there to provide guidance, and that's precisely what happened to me when I started having one. I began making better and more reflective choices in my journey.
What gives you a sense of belonging?
Yasmine: The daily effort to recenter myself and remind myself that I belong anywhere.
Jana: My little brother, Jeff.
What changes will PowHer bring about?
Jana: It will allow every participant to realize their full potential in all aspects of life!
Yasmine: Creating a sense of community, between the cohort, the mentors, and the personal development coach.
PowHer in one sentence?
Jana: Celebrate your authentic self!
Yasmine: Whatever you want to do, wherever you want to go, you belong there!
🫶On Belonging
In his essay “Radical Belonging in an Age of Othering”, Joe Primo explores the concept of belonging and its importance in combating loneliness, isolation, and othering. He invites us to consider “whether we are sick from loneliness or from not belonging — to each other and ourselves — and how gratefulness offers a remedy.”
The Othering & Belonging Institute’s podcast series
🌳Belonging in Nature
In Pondo, there is a beautiful saying: “Umntu ngumntu ngabantu nagemvelo” (A person is a person because of other people and nature). A gentle reminder that there is a place - the most resplendent and consistent source of generosity and awe - where we all belong: Nature.
So, dear You, if you find yourself spending too many hours on your computer, please get out, take off your shoes, and “ground“. And if you can’t, I curated this small collection of virtual getaways for you:
𝄞 Sublime nature sound recordings - spacious 3D-binaural soundscapes created by nature recordist Lang Elliott
Green Renaissance crafts captivating short films that elevate the personal journeys of ordinary individuals, aiming to foster understanding, disseminate ideas, and catalyze positive change.
This captivating short film delves into the transformative power of community, vulnerability, the art of listening, and deep appreciation, as six individuals share their personal stories of how these qualities have enriched their connections, making them feel truly alive.
Cabinet of Curiosities
🎨Thomas Jackson Art For the more visually oriented among us, experiencing something beautiful with our eyes can also be deeply relaxing. Thomas Jackson's photographs combine natural landscapes with kinetic installations to create a specifically surreal feeling as if from a parallel world. The entire collection can be found here.
🌱Soulful Changemakers: Rooted in a land ethic of grateful reciprocity, Soul Fire Farm's work is driven by a deep commitment to dismantling racism and injustice in the food system. A BIPOC-led community farm that not only provides nutritious food to combat food scarcity but also serves as a hub for education and skill sharing in sustainable agriculture, natural building, spiritual activism, health, and environmental justice.
🕵Opportunities
Worldwide:
CEPS Young Thinkers 2024 (Deadline: Dec 2)
CatchLight Global Fellowship (Deadline: Dec 9)
CARE Luxembourg: Stage conventionné en communication (on a rolling basis)
Changemakers for Democracy (Deadline: Dec 5)
Call for Activities for the 2024 AWID Forum (Deadline: Jan 15, 2024)
Yale Young Global Scholars (Deadline: Jan 10, 2024)
JSK Journalism Fellowships at Stanford (Deadline: Dec 6)
NYU journalism fellowship (Deadline: Jan 15, 2024)
Reporters Without Borders Germany hosts scholarship program (Deadline: Dec 4)
Global business journalism program in China (Deadline: Dec 31)
Deutsche Welle organizes intensive training (Deadline: Nov 27)
EJC: Programme Lead Training & Events, Maastricht (Deadline: Dec 10, 2023)
Atlantic Fellows for Social and Economic Equity (AFSEE) fellowship (Deadline: Jan 11, 2024)
Community manager – The Bloom (part-time, global remote)
Editorial manager - Thousand Currents
Be well, and I will see you back here next month!
With love,
Iva