TASK AREA : WEST AFRICA/ABIDJAN-IVORY COAST

SOCIALIZATION (basics)

ALTHOUGH THIS WORLD IS DEVELOPING FAST
AND MANY CHANGES OCCUR IN THIS PROCESS
ESPECIALLY IN EMERGING SOCIETIES (e.g. the
big difference between city and traditional societies-
the importance in cultures of income etc) – MOST
BASIC STRUCTURES ARE STILL VALID.
ONE ASPECT IS MAKING THE SITUATION CLEAR :
ONE CANNOT CHOOSE HIS FAMILY
AND EXCLUSION FROM A FAMILY OR A VILLAGE
COMMUNITY IS THE MOST SERVERE PUNISHMENT
IN MANY AREAS IN WEST AFRICA STILL

IN AFRICAN SOCIETIES FAMILY AND FAMILY VALUES
STILL CARRY A MUCH HIGHER IMPORTANCE THAN IN MANY
PARTS OF WESTERN EUROPE

IT IS QUITE EASY TO PROOF THIS BY COMPARING THE
TERMS AND WORD STRUCTURES TO ADDRESS MEMBERS
OF A FAMILY. WHERE WE USE THE TERM AUNT ONLY
SOCIETIES HERE CAN DISTINGUISH BETWEEN A YOUNGER
AND AN ELDERLY AUNT ON MOTHER’S OR FATHER’S SIDE
ONLY BY USING SPECIFIC TERMS
THIS STRESSES THE IMPORTANCE OF THE LARGER FAMILY
FOR THE INDIVIDUAL

AS FAMILIES HAVE THE TENDENCIES TO BE MUCH LARGER
IN SIZE – LIVING CONDITIONS ARE OFTEN LIMITED IN SPACE
AND INDIVIDUEL CHOICES
ALREADY WITHIN THE PROCESS OF GROWING UP CHILDREN
LEARN A LOT FROM THEIR SIBLINGS OR JUST BY IMITATION.

IT IS THUS IMPORTANT TO BECOME AND REMAIN A MEMBER
OF A FAMILY – A FAMILY CLAN – A TRIBE
EXCLUSION – FOR WHATEVER REASON – IS A DESASTER
AND A BIG SHAME ALSO FOR THE OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS
IT IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO ESCAPE THE SYSTEM
WHICH ALSO WORKS WITH SUPERVISION AND FEAR

IT HAS EVEN FOUND ITS WAY INTO NOWADAYS SOCIETIES
SAME SEX RELATIONSHIPS ARE NOT CONSIDERED NORMAL
AND ARE UNACCEPTABLE IN MANY AREAS
THEY CAN LEAD TO EXCLUSION AS MENTIONED BEFORE
FROM THE FAMILY – THE TRIBE – THE VILLAGE
CAMEROUN (e.g.) HAS NOT CHANGED RELEVANT LAWS
WHICH NOT ONLY FORBID ANY HOMOSEXUAL ACTION
BUT CAN EVEN BE USED FOR UNETHICAL BEHAVIOUR
AND CARRY SENTENCES OF 6 MONTHS TO 5 YEARS

GROWING OLDER (ages 12 upwards)

THESE DEVELOPMENTS AND THERE UNDERLYING VALUES
ARE EVEN PLAYING A STRONGER ROLE IN THE PROCESS OF COMING
OF AGE AND GETTING OLDER

WHAT WAS THE FAMILY ARE THAN THE BROTHERS & SIBLINGS

• THE FRIENDS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD – THE KIDS FROM SCHOOL
  ETC. THESE GROUPS OF PEERS ARE ALSO PLAYING A VITAL
  ROLE BY ENTERING EARLY ADULTHOOD. THEY FORCE THE INDIVIDUAL
  TO PROOF ABILITIES – THEY HELP TO GET STRONGER – THEY ALSO
  HELP AND PROTECT IF NEED BE
  AGAIN THE INDIVIDUAL HAS TO BE A PART OF HIS PEER GROUP
• THE NEIGHBOUR GANG – THE SCHOOL GROUP – THE ETHNIC RELATED
  YOUTH ASSOCIATION ETC…

EVEN YOUNGER MEMBERS OF SOCIETY WILL UNDERSTAND
THAT ONLY IN A GROUP THERE WILL BE ENOUGH PROTECTION
AND SUPPORT EVEN FOR MERE SURVIVAL IN MANY CASES
SO THE INDIVIDUAL SHOULD BLEND INTO HIS FAMILY-HIS PEER GROUP
-HIS SOCCER TEAM FANBLOC-HIS SPECIFIC AGE GROUP
(e.g. : young-unmarried // young-married)

FEELING DIFFERENT

IN ALL ITS DIFFERENCES THERE REMAIN MANY SIMILARITIES BETWEEN
AFRICANS AND e.g. EUROPEANS AS WELL
IT IS A HUMAN FEELING THAT SURFACES SOMETIMES HERE & THERE
THAT THE INDIVIDUAL GETS A NOTION OF FEELING DIFFERENT
DIFFERENT FROM A LEARNED & STUDIED BEHAVIOR – DIFFERENT IN
UNDERLYING FEELINGS….NOBODY WANTS THIS AND IT OFTEN CARRIES
A SHOCK TO THE PERSON IN QUESTION

IN THESE TIMES SOCIAL MEDIA PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE
IT IS EASIER TO FIND INFORMATION ON EVERY SUBJECT –
ALTHOUGH IT HARDLY HELPS TO UNDERSTAND ONES OWN POSITION

IN MANY INSTANCES BLENDING WILL STILL HELP TO DIVERT ATTENTION
BUT WITH THE CLOSENESS IN THE FAMILY AND PEER GROUP IT IS
A CONSTANT PROCESS OF VIGILANCE AND ATTENTION –
EVERYBODY WANTS TO AVOID THE ONE QUESTION
…..ARE YOU GAY….?? – as the nicest way to clear things up

ALTHOUGH FAMILY AND PARENTS PLAY A ROLE – WE OFTEN LEARN
OF A CERTAIN LAISSER-FAIRE IN ORDER TO DIVERT ATTENTION FROM
OTHER FAMILIES OR RELATIVES
STILL THE REBUKEMENT CAN BE UNDERLYING – WHICH DOESN`T MAKE
IT LESS HURTFULL TO THE GAY YOUTH HIMSELF
AS UNSPOKEN STRAINS DEVELOP- THE REASSURANCE FOR A GROWING
YOUNGSTER LACKS COMPLETELY AND OFTEN LIFE STARTS TO FEEL
MISSERABLE – AS A FEELING OF NEGLECT ENTERS THE RELATIONSHIPS

FAR WORSE AND MORE HARMFULL ARE MEMBERS OF THE PEER GROUP
ESPECIALLY THE SO CALLED UNDER-DOGS IN A GIVEN GROUP WILL
SEE A CHANCE TO GET INTO A BETTER POSITION BY CONSTANTLY HURTING
AND HARASSING THE YOUNG GAY PERSON
OVER SHORT OR LONG THE ACCUSED WILL REVERT BACK TO THEMSELVES
STAY AT HOME – TURN INSIDE – AVOID CONTACTS – SUFFER & GET ILL
THIS AGAIN IS LIKE A TRAP – AS IT IS NOT INTERPRETED WITHOUT SUSPICION
AND VERY OFTEN PROCESSES IN MOST CASES CARRY DEPRESSIONS.
ALTHOUGH FIGURES ARE RARE – 15% OF ALL YOUNG GAYS COMMIT SUICIDE AND
AT LEAST 50% OF ALL TURN TO DRUGS AS A SOLUTION

MANY ARE TRYING WITH ALL MEANS TO MAKE PEOPLE IN DIRECT SURROUNDINGS
FEEL THANKFUL – TRYING HART TO SUPPORT – AND TRYING TO COPY THUS THE
GOOD SON OR DAUGHTER
MANY TURN TOWARDS A POSITION IN AN EVER GREATER SEX INDUSTRY
AND OTHERS SEARCH FOR NEW HORIZONS IN EUROPE

MANY WERE USING THE WAY TO EUROPE
TO BETTER THEIR LIFES AND TO ASK FOR
ASYLUM BECAUSE OF THE OVERALL SITUATION
WHEREAS SOME YEARS AGO THIS HELPED MANY
GAY INDIVIDUALS NEW PROBLEMS DEVELOPED

PROBLEMS

AS OF LATE THIS STARTED TO CREATE ANOTHER
PROBLEM – AS SUDDENLY PEOPLE APPEAR IN
EUROPE IN THE SAME CONTEXT – WHO IN FACT
NEVER BELONGED INTO THE GAY GROUP
AS GOVERNMENT AGENCIES ARE GETTING MORE
RIGOROUS ALSO – THEY START TO DEMAND PROOFS
AND ADDRESSES FOR GAY ACTIVITIES
SUDDENLY THESE ASYLUM SEEKERS MUST PERFORM
A TASK THAT THEY NEVER WANTED & HATED
THIS IN ITSELF CAN CREATE PROBLENS AGAIN

MANY ALSO START QUESTIONABLE LIVING AS ESCORTS UNDER
THE DESCRIPTION OF BISEXUALS. AS REACTIONS
FROM CLIENTS ONLINE SHOW – MANY HARDLY
STAND UP FOR WHAT IS ADVERTISED….
ALL THIS IS HARDLY HELPFUL AND MAKES A
COMPLICATED LIFE EVEN MORE MISERABLE AND DEPRESIVE

THE WHOLE PROCESS CARRIES MANY PROBLEMATIC
DEVELOPMENTS AND HARDLY HELPS THE INDIVIDUALS
IN QUESTION

AIMS OF DUSUKUN

IT IS THUS THE AIM OF THE PROGRAMM TO HELP
PEOPLE AT HOME (for a start ABIDJAN as it is more liberal)

TO PROMOTE AND ENCOURAGE PERSONAL HELP
AND PROTECTION (AIDS AWRENESS CAMPAIGNS)

TO HELP TO INFORM ABOUT MIGRATION
TO EUROPE AND ITS OBSTACLES AND PROBLEMS

(PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT OFFERS TO STOP
THE PROCESS OF MIGRATION)

MONITOR AND INDIVIDUAL PROGRESS ADVISE CONSTANTLY

AFTER TALKS WERE SUCCESSFUL ALREADY WE WILL
ALSO ENGAGE THE LGBTQ ORGANIZATION
OF IVORY COAST