Lumbung Assembly 11 March 2021

“Welcome everybody. Can you hear me?” Said Morten Goll. He did check-in. “This is stick from Trampoline. It is brought from southwest of the US. Somebody will pass it. It is interesting to know what people eat in different part of the world.” Everyone mentioned what they eat the last time. Some mentioned salad, coffee, orange juice.

Morten: We’re thankful for being in lumbung. It’s amazing to have support from lumbung and documenta. The house went bankrupt. It’s always good to have friends in the time of crises. Economy is the agenda today.

The current asylum system is what we are facing. Muhannad will explain about what happened in trampoline. Sarah will explain about the plan for the future.

Feeda: I am an artist and activist. I call myself cultural workers. I have been involved in trampoline house the past five years as a volunteer. Today I will share some insight on the current state of asylum system in Denmark. I will share my screen with you.

So, here in Denmark the discourse of difficulty for refugee to get asylum. There’s a strict rule. The current regime is working on the current proposal. Most asylum are from the third country. They actually had hidden agenda, aiming for zero asylum seekers in the future. That’s integration. Everybody is expecting good from the current regime. There’s a lot of proposal to remove asylum seekers completely.

Another hypothetical state happens in Australia where they had established a center on the islands. I could share the link. So, it’s very hypothetical for now. It’s to get this asylum move to other countries. To move Danish asylum center overseas. It is heavily by offered anti torture committee. That’s to paint the picture of what could happen in Denmark.

There’s a way to start sending people back to Syria. Refugee is facing this rejecting. There’s a woman that has no family members but she was sent back to Damascus which is not very safe.

Muhannad: I am a film maker and a visual artist from Syria. I am sharing my own story. I move to Denmark in 2018 from Syria with the big refugee wave from Syria. I arrive with working visa. I was very confused with everything. Denmark has too specific language. In these systematic complexities, first, I was very confused. Luckily, I came to Trampoline House by chances. I was advised by a friend at the time. Trampoline House has provided. It is very crucial for me during my asylum process. Through Trampoline House I got my refugee status in six months. Through the guidance that I had, I got a lot of trainings like language courses and other courses. That helps a lot to know about Danish society and Denmark as a country. It allows me to find job. I was growing in Syria. I have chance of recording human right violations. When I came here, I could not anything but earning money. Trampoline house gives me chance to bring voices. It gives me opportunity to run the idea. Then, I did residency. I am speaking language on a very reasonable. Covid 19 makes our cause easier. I got a lot of courses and knowledge from other people like how to get legal counseling.

Morten: I used to be secretary director of Trampoline House. I was one of the founders. I think Trampoline House is a big issue. It’s not just refugee, but also to help us fix our country. This has something to do with refugee. We lost our territory where you are able to set social rules. There’s one thing that’s still there, the knowledge and the people. There’s very strong idea we need to promote and get start in real life. For this purpose, we have working group for documenta. The first is to use lumbung at documenta that help to reproduce Trampoline House also to exchange experiences. We tried to refund the experience we had in the past. we’re going to challenge xenophobic idea. We had business plans despite the challenge like Corona. We also have to be in the politics. We had 10 years before the bankruptcy. We work with people who understand what we are doing. We have different ideas of what it means of being citizen in this world.

I think now, in terms of the future, we need to think of how become sustainable. I have four points. We can use our future by attracting funders. We need class struggles. Number two, we should minimize our activism in a smaller, like charity approaches. It’s easy find money if you want to help the poor. This is an option. Number three, we could develop a sustainable business plan. Fourth, to build powerful coalition to support Trampoline House. As a project we are huge. As a social NGO, we are quite small which need support from other NGOs. These are four points that I believe need to be solved. I look forward within this lumbung that discussions.

Sara: I am Sara. I work helping refugee. I met Trampoline House in a fundraising. What we are seeing now is administration. We are thinking of how to go through after the closure of Trampoline House. The vision is going to be on curatorial project mission. We are splitting into different groups. Our working group is heterogenous. Researchers, curators, and others. With temporary house anything we could do today is to get supported by other organizations. It is urgent to start meeting again. To have legal counseling with various languages, women club, children club, cooking, etc. We need to rebuild the community soon despite the lack of physical spaces. The economic situation is the most urgent. We are thinking of the seed fund. It is inspired by lumbung friends. First for activities, second for salary, third is for common collective pot.

How temporary trampoline house we are working on in the lens of 100 days. The art installations through … the new house, most sustainable trampoline house. It will be rebuilt, with the vision. Also, developing something through activism, research, and also lumbung members programs. After this, I’ll go concluding our conversations. We’re planning to do this. It is another urgent issue in order not to lose. The publication would Trampolin English. This would be one of the first step for the new trampoline house.

Yazan: Thank you. It’s good to share what’s happening. I have few questions that came out while listening and previous meetings. This might not be well articulated yet. As part of QoF, also I am part of Sakakini. We stay as collective, not an institution. I know new members don’t know this. All members need to do new presentations to new members. I can imagine what it means of being refugee, especially its relation to Danish politics. I have to say two things: When Trampoline house was close, we didn’t see Muhannad was there. Why?  This is one question. Second question is that now we see Feeda and Muhannad presenting themselves as refugee. They are coming from Palestine. They are Trampoline House. Their works representing Trampoline House. Who is Trampoline House? Is that refugee community that gives meaning to that? The big beneficiary we are using Trampoline. What are we there for? For the institutions, or use it.

Muhannad:

I would like to answer two questions as to why we were not present in the previous period. Dor personal reason, I can’t. Suddenly there was confusion right after closing. Are we going to be part of documenta? How is our situation as workers? It’s not that we’re excluded. Second, regarding our position, whenever we are involved, we often feel we are seen as objects. There are so many spaces working for refugees. And anywhere in the world there are those who only treat people like us as objects. And I’m tired of it all. And Trampoline House is one of those places that allows me to have my own voice. When I am asked to describe Trampoline House, it is an opportunity that gives us room to speak out. From an academic point of view such as a researcher, this is a space that must exist. There is practical experience, and there is knowledge that is brought together. It’s not just for them as an institution. But for us too. Trampoline House is the entry point for me to understand what I have to do as a refugee. The word refugee is an embarrassing word that people are not used to seeing people like us. So, we need a Trampoline House that represents us. That’s why we need a platform to voice our voices. They help not only in caritative matters. I asked for information and they were also helpful. We as the target are also producers. Often Morten and Tone hear and learn from me. Sometimes I feel like I’m patronizing. They said they also learned from us. Trampoline House is an inclusive space. It is a very good platform. They do not exist without us, and we cannot exist without them.

Yong Sun: These are the questions we ask because we are working in a systemic condition that is difficult to change and challenge. That’s why we keep trying and keep doing. One of the reflections that emerged after this bankruptcy was the need to update the method. How to create sustainable methods. This is something we continue to say and raise. Because, especially in Denmark, we live in a very racist system. It is one practice that always critically considers whether we can do this critically. We also continue to raise this in our group.

Kate Adam: There are a lot of complicated issues, but I want to tell you how we can survive as an institution and an organization. This group has a shared value. In the UK, we have a very dark and hostile environment that disguises itself in the face of democracy. We work with people with very complicated disabilities. Then, there is a process of articulating what they have. What should we do to build the situation and become a contributor because we live in a capitalistic society? We try to articulate this through monetary terms if people with disabilities need public financial support. Because we have a thin ethical framework on how people live. The articulation is to make them workers and be able to provide funds or the market economy as workers and this is one of the different ways of changing value. I think we need to articulate our work as articulation so that there are parties who support it. It’s not that we agree on the existing structure, but make them understand.

Tone: I think here, from the work group, I want to make sure they’re given a chance. I think this is the first time you have attended this meeting. You have a new home so go ahead.

Shakira: I am an asylum seeker and have lived in Denmark for ten years. I worked with Tone for nine years. It’s not easy for me to get into the Trampoline House. I can’t trust anyone. Then I realized that Trampoline was the right place for me. Trampoline house opens me up and makes me strong. In my home country, women don’t have a voice. Here I can stand as a woman thanks to the Trampoline House. How can anyone believe in Trampoline House? There is a very good way. You don’t have to hear about having to return to your home country. We are only one community. One family. The trampoline house also makes the refugees unite because usually refugees do not trust easily, and it is not easy to communicate with anyone. We can communicate with people from various countries. We communicate from people of various countries. Uganda, Congo, etc. There are no ties. We do our best. We hope that with the new Trampoline House we can continue to fight, especially for women who fight for their rights. Trampoline House makes one feel it as a second home.

Gertrude: This is also what we want to do at the Lumbung. To bring in philanthropists and they’ll be here for the next 20 or 25 years. How can they stay constructive using the funds we have?

Dani:

I’m from Uganda. I want to respond to my friend from Palestine. Trampoline House is not an organization, but a family. Because this is the only place where people don’t feel themselves in vain. Imagine that you come from a country full of crises, then you arrive in a new country. To the Trampoline House people came with extraordinary talents, but they did not know how to use them. I can’t leave the Trampoline house forever. When I first arrived in Denmark, as a foreigner who came from another country, I felt tortured. You need someone else. You need psychologists and people who care about you. For example, refugees are not just us. This is a place where diversity is key. When I arrived at the Trampoline House, I didn’t even speak English. Trampoline House helped me. In Trampoline House there are doctors, lawyers. But because there is no permit, they cannot work. It is very difficult for children and adults to live in refugee camps

Yazan: Thank you all for the responses. I am involved with this discussion. But it seems that this has led to something else. You don’t have to be defensive. I’m not saying the Trampoline House doesn’t matter. There is nothing in my claim that the Trampoline House is unimportant. This is an important thing because there is something basic. How this closure becomes a moment for change. What does this change mean for the community? How do Trampoline House members take advantage of this condition with their connections with other organizations. I’m not criticizing the old Trampoline. I will also do the same for the new trampoline house. This is an important thing about how refugees end up becoming refugees. We forget the donor structure where they are part of the structure. I live in Palestine. I saw how donor assistance came from the same structure which then maintained the status quo. Suddenly the community disappeared as soon as the Trampoline House closed. I would love to see them talk. These are my thoughts only. I’m not saying this is the only way for Trampoline House to move forward. This comes from my heart. Where did the communities disappear?

Taufiki: We are not defending, when you say when we become refugees is when our country stops fighting. When the war ends, there will be no more refugees. We came here because there is war in our country. It was the war that made us refugees. Here it is about how we become an environment that does not use the name or the term refugees or black people. We create situations where we become one family. We are the same.

Dani: We need people in Denmark who can help. It’s been like this for thirty years, and today you need a voice. At Trampoline House, coming from Palestine. At Trampoline House you have a voice and express yourself in your culture.

Gertrude: I think we’re going to need a longer discussion. We can use next time. We will enter with a feedback session for the economics working group.

Morten: I’ve had comprehensive discussions about Trampoline House, but nobody like me is a white Dane. I think Yazan is very nice to have mentioned this. For ten years this has always been an issue. This is how an ongoing process takes place. Once a new person comes to the trampoline house as a refugee. We were never interested in being a caritas organization. This is the only way to engage the uprooted to heal democracy. We need these people to save democracy.

Muhannad: I think what Yazan said is very true. The question we always ask. When we stop being refugees is what Trampoline House does. I don’t want to elaborate any further.

Carlotta: I thank Yazan. I think we have a responsibility to respond. We come from conditions that are squeezed from various sides. We think it is necessary to mention the things that need to be discussed. At Trampoline House we are working to develop a school where police officers can learn from people of refugee backgrounds so they can change their approach. This was already a plan but with the shutdown going on we had to change. Maybe we can use this. It’s something we want to do even if it’s difficult. We need to dismantle the perspective that Denmark is rich. That’s a different variable. Thank you.

Gertrude: As suggested, let’s continue this discussion in a biweekly discussion. For funding we also do this. We have 30 minutes to discuss economics. The economics working group will meet Monday. I want to open a forum.

If there was a group discussion from yesterday, maybe we could invite them to the economics group. There are ten groups.

Who wants to start? Maybe MG?

MG: At the last meeting, discussions with MAMA, John, and Ferdinand, which drew John to mention the issue of carbon pollution, were also interesting for us. What do collective friends need? Each collective has its own issues related to its locale and it’s an interesting variety to be able to support each other. There is one thing that is interesting, namely the environment. One thing we aim for is to be able to imagine reducing the problem of carbon pollution. We have ten years for our air to be clean. We imagine that the answer to the next value is sufficiency. That’s what makes large industries continue to increase production, accumulate. Accumulating continuously. What about the problem of circular values ​​that go back to zero or rebit. These are ideas that are offered for discussion against an accumulative economy. Another value is sufficiency, which is how we manage the available finances as we know we have resources that we can share. The issue is how to divide this by the characteristics of each issue. Those values ​​need to be discussed.

Ade: I just want to underline about the cycle that has just been delivered by MG. in addition to growing, we also need to think about the economic model. Natural cyclical mechanisms such as harvesting then returning to the soil. Rather than keep accumulating. It’s how to get back to the ground, to zero. One other thing is how to think about the economy which also has a strong relationship between humans and nature.

Gertrude: Thank you Ade. Next, I asked Fernando.

Fernando: I have to apologize to the group I should have sent the link I didn’t realize the time had shifted. I try my best. I’m talking about value. We need to talk, come up with a series of values. We’re talking about solidarity, responsibility, and understanding of sustainability. How do we position documenta in this case. We all agreed that this is a very special moment. And we have long-term ambitions. How can we make funding more diverse so that it doesn’t depend on documenta. Collective pot ideas. There are contributions. The fourth is kiosk, the third is fundraising. Our discussion is about funders. What kind of money can we receive? How can we agree on the values ​​of the funder? We see a lot of capital accumulation. Any funding must be critically assessed. There are two important things discussed. How can lumbung exist via documenta. How do we agree in presenting and dividing what is lumbung. And as a precondition, we need to discuss things like this. I think we can solve this problem because we are creative workers. How we unite. An important question to be discussed is how the granary works in achieving that autonomy. We talked about the importance of regenerating money to get the economy. The purpose of this collective pot is to generate and produce. For example, buying land in Jatiwangi, in Palestine. So, there you don’t just take the money, but break it up to get out of the subsidy structure so that we can have better autonomy and regeneration of money and have positive structures. We’re talking about trust as a core value. There is also an idea of ​​carrying out a review of the lumbung every five years. I think this is what I noted and remembered. Maybe some of our Palestinian friends want to say something?

Yazan: So, there are four of us, Morten, Attaher, and Anna, also the interpreter. I don’t know if we did harvest, but I think Morten you’re the only one in our group. We’re talking about the collective pot. There’s an idea that anyone in need can pick up. We discuss who really doesn’t need it. Maybe we talk about collective pot, we think as partners, as money we invest together. Then we discuss about how after the documenta, is it an institution or us as individuals because we are also vulnerable, how do we position individuals in relation to institutions. This is not only how sustainable structures are, but our sustainability as human beings.

Morten: Ana talks a lot. I cannot what he said. I think that’s representative.

Tone: I would add. Our group consisted of three people, Ajeng, Ngungi, Kym, and me. Ngugi talked about collective pots as something that can help us through any future crisis be it a coup, war, or the next pandemic in which all of our organizations are particularly vulnerable. The collective pot should invest in the artwork done by members of our ecosystem. Through collective pot kits we can introduce incredible possibilities to other organizations. We can use organizations to reach out and shape other organizations. So, this could be a kind of way for lumbung to breed. How we do invest in a sustainable way.

Ajeng: Regarding values, Kym mentioned the importance of sharing in our network. For example, if Wajukuu has an offer, they can share it with other members. That’s also something Kym said. I think this is related to what we discussed about how we can have currency. We can discuss this later. It depends on long term investment. Either in our own currency or otherwise.

Geisha: how do we maintain this friendship through lumbung. We also have to deal with bureaucratic and administrative issues and at the same time dealing with friendship. I think that’s the summary. Maybe someone has something to add?

Gertrude: I think the summary is primarily about friendship rather than the efficiency, how we can maintain that friendship. Thank you, Geisha.

Geisha: We also discussed how we could become a platform to attract the attention and trust of philanthropists.

Lara: We talked about how to live in a crisis and be stronger and more active in these conditions. We also talk about the right models.

What type of organization do we need both social and artistic. like in ruangrupa with art and education. How to survive in our territory and ecosystem. Also we spoke about the value of transparency. Practicing transparency. This is something that documenta trying to do with donor. To work on independency and liberty among the donor.

Ameng: I think we talked that every organization need to find purpose to get there, to create this collective pot of economy in this economy. Other thing is that how to use this global cooperative network to phrase this new chance, to create this new model of our lumbung economy. Because there many models that are collapsing.

Gertrude: Anyone else? So everyone needs to leave now. We will come to the big group and funding group.

Ade: I think the presentation would be great to share for everyone.

Gertrude: Music checkout

Matias: How to see these things out of economic perspective. Counting is a matter of quantity, numbers. In this case, it is difficult to understand and calculate. We discussed how we could provide an artistic model to illustrate this problem. Playing this model into the existing economic model. I think this is a very interesting discussion. We have seen how humans and animals are exploited without considering their rights. It would be great if we could discuss this at a high-level conference like documenta.

Gertrude: JAF is very quiet today. It’s time for them to drink tea and eat fried bananas.

JAF: It has already been mentioned, but this is indeed something that is predicted. There will be a conference in the documenta that has bargaining power on a global scale. How this resolution grew from the lumbung.

Gertrude: It’s already 5:30

What type of organization do we need for both social and artistic? Like in ruangrupa with the art and education. How to survive in our territory and ecosystem? Also, we spoke about the value of transparency. Practical transparency. This is something that documenta is trying to do with donors. To work on independence and liberty among the donors.

Ameng: I think we already talked that every organization needs to find purpose to get there, to create this collective pot of economy in this economy. Other thing is that how to use this global cooperative network to phrase this new chance, to create this new model of our lumbung economy. Because there are many models that are collapsing.

Gertrude: Anyone else? So, everyone needs to leave now. We will come to the big group and funding group.

Ade: I think the presentation would be great to share for everyone.

Music checkout