View from a distance...
In Peru, I took part in business start-up programs, which were quite trendy at the time. There I learned how important economic growth, the free market and foreign investment are for the development of a country and the well-being of the population. I watched the news about mining conflicts in Peru on television and was convinced that the protesters' demands were driven by political interests that were rather anti-progressive. Given this background, I applied to Color Esperanza e. V. and the Archdiocese of Freiburg to work as a volunteer in Germany, a “developed” country, for a year.
New political experiences ...
I did my voluntary service at the One World Forum Freiburg, a network of organizations that promote sustainable and globally equitable development. In my very first week of work, I took part in a degrowth conference in Leipzig. The consequences of economic growth on society and the environment were discussed there. However, instead of focusing on solving problems such as lack of resources, environmental pollution and poverty, the conference suggested questioning the dogma of economic growth in order to prevent these problems from arising.
In the first few months, I had some problems getting my head around it. I took part in demonstrations, actions and trade fairs. At these actions, I also encountered “passionate opponents of the system” who enjoyed being rebellious. In Peru, many of these groups would be treated differently by the police - they would be arrested, investigated and deliberately linked to terrorist groups allegedly seeking to destabilize the country. So that's where I would find myself for the rest of the year ...
... lead to a change of perspective.
At first, Freiburg seemed like a little green bubble where people ride bicycles, run solar panels, buy organic and fair trade products, eat salad and want to save the world. Over time, of course, I realized that Freiburg is not the same as the whole of Germany - it's just the part of Germany that I got to know.
On the other hand, I also learned a lot about Peru: I first had to go abroad to find out that many indigenous people are being displaced by the oil industry because mining projects and large companies are exerting pressure on the state. Such backgrounds were not talked about in Peru. This also led to a change of perspective for me: in a city where the left is a significant political force, I realized that leftists are not terrorists.
... start with yourself.
Living and working with Claudia, Barbara, Thomas, Dagmar and Susann and all my colleagues for a year showed me that it is important to live in harmony with your own convictions - and that my actions in one country can have an impact on people in another country. Above all, however, it showed me that change has to start with myself and my immediate surroundings.
Since my return, I have been very committed to human rights and practicing responsible consumption - at least I try to. We also decided with other returnee volunteers to get more involved in implementing the South-North component. So we founded the association of returnees “Yanapachikun Immer” (Quechua: Always help). We are focusing our attention on environmental protection and still have many ideas and projects that we would like to drive forward.
My personal conclusion.
What significance did the weltwärts program ultimately have for my life? Weltwärts created the space and conditions for me to live in Germany for a year, to get to know the people I met, to learn the things I learned, to make the mistakes I made and to realize that my point of view is just one of many. But others have also gotten to know me, learned from me and have become aware that their point of view is just one of many.