2023 4-COD: Session 2 by STOSKIENE RITA

Sari

2023-03-08 21:42:44 UTC

Today I learnt more about the history of slavery. How Pointe-a-Pitre was an important place for slave trade and one of the last places where slavery was abolished.

This morning I learned what the pretty birds near our bungalow are: bananaquits. And how the pelicans are fed by local fishermen.

I tasted local foods and noticed how the restaurants work here.

Wioletta

2023-03-08 22:01:51 UTC

Today was an exciting day. First, a bus took us from the bus stop with the local people, then a slavery museum, a walk through the city streets in Pointe-a-Pitre and lunch at a local restaurant allowed me to feel the atmosphere of life in Guadeloupe. The sight of neglected houses and the smells of the streets made it clear that their appearance is not important, only happiness and joy of life. The museum of slavery, on the other hand, shows the cruel side of life - people against people.

Maria

2023-03-08 22:07:43 UTC

Reflection on life and social injustice put me in a sad mood. So glad we live in different times. The joy of the people I spent time with and met in the city of Pointe-a-Pitre gives me strength for another nice day.

Paulina

2023-03-08 22:18:57 UTC

Today was tiring by the hight temperature but full of impressions. To begin with, a cheerful bus ride, background music and smiling local people. Later, I learned the story of Pointe a pitre, slavery, misunderstanding and slavery to people. This information will be useful for a better understanding of the culture of this island. The first impression of the city centre is not the best. There are still many things to do here, because a lot of corners of the city are neglected. A visit to the museum was a nice change. The building has a modern form and really pleases the eye. The museum opened in 2015, so the exhibition has a really advanced dimension. The exhibition deals with human trafficking and slavery in recent centuries. Later I tried Guadeloupe cuisine, I liked the new flavours and products! It was delicious.

Eliza

2023-03-08 22:31:59 UTC

Today we started with a trip to Pointe-a-Pitre by local bus. There we had an introduction to the culture and history of Guadeloupe. Later we visited the slavery museum, which made an amazing impression on me. Music, modernity and the tragic history of slavery created an amazing atmosphere. After visiting the museum, we had time to do some shopping. I think that the gifts that I will bring for my loved ones from this corner will let them feel the atmosphere of Guadeloupe. The whole thing ended with a visit to the restaurant "Chez Doudou", where we ate Creole dishes. After returning home, we ended the day by celebrating International Women's Day.

Maija

2023-03-08 23:00:53 UTC

Today we visited the museum MARTe. It was a beautiful building with a lot of symbolism even on the outside. Stone walls were black to remember the slaves. Roof was a symbol for the roots, but at the same time it was big, controlling white thing on top of the black.

People are very evil and unwilling to learn from their mistakes. They repeat the mistakes made in history. I think it is very important to teach kids about these mistakes, so that the world could be better tomorrow.

On the culture hunt I did see a lot of traditional clothes, and hair turbans. Somewhat traditional hand work. I did see spices and punch. I saw a lot of colors and people wearing, for example, rastafari hats.

There is some culture that is international. There was a group of gentlemen that wanted to wish us a good women's day.

Michaela

2023-03-08 23:04:50 UTC

I learned some things about the history of the island today. The development of the Creole language, for example, and the influence of different cultures. I particularly remembered a sentence in the museum: "Slavery has been abolished, but it has not disappeared. It is up to all of us to pay attention to it and to ensure that human rights are respected and that equal treatment of women and men is guaranteed."
In conversation with locals, I was able to delve even deeper into the culture of the island, whether in an exchange with a painter or a simple saleswoman.
The food in the restaurant was very good and the conversation with the chef was informative, but given the prices, I wonder if this is really a place where locals have their lunch. I have my doubts. Maybe they are just friends of Rita with a very good restaurant????

Anne

2023-03-08 23:22:49 UTC

The visit to the museum in Pointe a Pitre, was a very special experience for me. On the one hand I was ashamed to be a white woman, on the other hand I admired the will of the oppressed people to survive. What became especially clear to me was the importance of art and music for the people.
When I walked through the city, I was struck by how great the gap between rich and poor still is today. This difference is no longer based solely on skin color, because people of color also participate in exploitation and oppression.

Judith

2023-03-09 02:18:33 UTC

When I left the exhibition in the Memorial ACTe in Pointe-à-Pitre, a school class with - I assume - local students who should / wanted to see the exhibition just came in. Rita previously said that virtually every Guadeloupean living on the island today who is black is a direct descendant of the slaves. So there they are. After reading Willie Lynch's text "The Making of a Slave," which claims that his method would keep black slaves slaves for generations (he speaks of 300 years), I wonder if the students could leave the museum later with another feeling as hatred and despair. And at that moment I realize that it cannot be expedient to send students to the memorial, to let them “eat” the story, without then doing a reappraisal. In my opinion, the memorial should offer a kind of reflection opportunity for the young people to catch and classify the feelings that arise during the visit. It would also be possible to do this work at school. However, when I was a student in a French school, history classes were anything but competency-based or contemporary. I hope this has changed in recent years but doubt it.
So what is the intention and goal of the memorial as an institution (keyword collective memory and cultural identity (by A. and J. Assmann)? Pupils from Guadeloupe and the Antilles become aware of their roots, learn during a visit to the memorial, where they come from and why they are where they are (culture, language,...). But it would be wrong to stop there. What comes after that is only the "increased level of requirements", the supreme discipline. The question is how we deal with this heritage and where to go it can lead us. And which levers we have to set in motion to achieve equal rights and equality for all people. We live in a society in which there are many patterns of oppression: in love, in marriage, at universities, in the media, in the courtroom, at work, in the health system and in the judiciary (list not exhaustive) Racism and Black Pride meet in many families, trauma, homophobia and queerness, patriarchy and feminism. Against the background of a world that is turning faster and faster (keyword internet, social media), these are the questions to which young people, especially black young people, are looking for answers. We should give it to them.