“The fact that I could study, make, and experience art with people from all around the world was nothing short of a privilege. Every single person brought a different perspective in every setting, and my confidence as an artist skyrocketed over the course of this program.”
After YYGS, I was given a grant by my school for an independent travel research project. I went to my home country, Nigeria, to study clashes with human rights and culture. I met with several NGOs, government agencies, secret organizations, and freelancing human rights activists. We discussed globalization as a neocolonial entity that propagates Western ideals, which leads to the eroding of culture. We also discussed how many cultures that Nigeria firmly holds onto are not native to us at all. Certain discriminatory attitudes are, in fact, imports of colonialism.
This information has given me a more holistic understanding of human rights and culture and their capability for alignment. I’ve used this information to start discussion sessions at my school to give others a more robust understanding of this situation. I am inviting some of the people I met in Nigeria to visit my school to open up conversation even more!