The main mission of the news platsform Amal, Berlin! where the Syrian journalist Amloud Alamir works is to inform and educate newly arrived groups about German politics and social life as an aid to orientate themselves in the new homeland. The initiative has received a very positive response, but also met resistance, from what Amloud Alamir calls extremists. Especially on one occasion, after an interview with a local politician in Berlin, there was a wave of hate comments, she says.
– At that time I felt great pressure and backed off, especially as my German is not perfect.
But the Malmö meeting made Amloud change attitudes towards the haters, she says.
– I will listen to these people. What do they want? Is there anything we have in common and might even work together against or towards? We are part of the same society and may have different opinions, but we cannot be enemies.
– I didn’t have that courage before, but this network makes me stronger and it has become clearer to me, what I want to do in my own context.