Community Counts Expert Exchange #2 – Racism and Child Welfare in the Context of Community-Based Anti-Racism Counseling

Racism as a threat to child welfare in the context of community-based anti-racism counselling

The professional exchange format aims to create a space for anti-racism counselors to exchange ideas, expand their knowledge, and reflect on their own practice. The event is also open to other interested participants, particularly those working in anti-discrimination, counseling, empowerment, and community work. We would be delighted to see broad participation and the opportunity for networking! The chosen topic addresses a need faced by counseling centers, which are repeatedly confronted with emotionally and professionally challenging cases, such as those involving children being taken into care. Racism can play an intersectional role in various aspects of this process: firstly, in the assessment and review of child welfare for the children involved and their guardians/parents. Secondly, experiences of racism themselves can negatively impact children's well-being, for example, if the education system fails to respond adequately to these experiences and does not guarantee sufficient protection. The professional exchange will provide a broader, critical perspective on discrimination within the complex issue of child endangerment and racism, including background information and current developments. The workshop will also provide an opportunity to exchange ideas and expand consulting expertise based on concrete case studies regarding the roles of youth welfare offices, schools, daycare centers, and other relevant stakeholders. It can also address possible courses of action, as well as reflecting on one's own role and the framework conditions as a consultant.

Registration: https://info.antidiskriminierung.org/fachaustausch-cbb?hs_preview=ryLZyqwO-385933981933

Sonja Kosche has been fighting against racism and anti-racism for over 20 years.gypsySonja is active in the field of antisemitism and antisemitism and, due to her own heritage, has increasingly focused on racism against Sinti and Roma. Initially, Sonja was primarily active online against hate speech, incitement, and right-wing extremism, working with and for various Roma and Sinti self-help organizations, currently providing community-based counseling for Pro Sinti und Roma eV in Baden-Württemberg. In addition, Sonja works full-time in child and youth services for the city of Berlin and volunteers at the Sachsenhausen Memorial and Museum, where she is involved in Holocaust research against Sinti and Roma.

Olenka Bordo Benavides (RAA Berlin) is a queer, migrant, light-skinned Black educator, social scientist, and author. She heads the contact and specialist center for discrimination protection in schools and daycare centers in Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg. Her work focuses on education, decoloniality, anti-discrimination and anti-racism, analysis of representations and images in media, empowerment, child welfare, care work, and transnationalism. Olenka Bordo Benavides is part of Generation ADEFRA and the board of QUEERFORMAT e. V. – Specialist Center for Queer Education. She is also a member of Colectivo Qellcay – Decolonial Practice and the OLAS Collective. Furthermore, she is involved in the State Committee for Migration, Diversity, and Anti-Discrimination of the GEW Berlin (LAMA).