Radical Daughters
Who do I want to be in this world?
© InputUX / Adobe Stock
Don’t go with the crowd, express your opinion: This is important for our democracy – and can be a lot of fun, says Cesy Leonard, 41, founder of the “Radical Daughters” initiative.
I have made some unconventional decisions in my life. As a teenager, I played hip-hop and used spray cans to beautify my hometown of Stuttgart. I learned early on that it is important not to go along with the crowd, but to express my own opinion.
The idea for our democracy initiative came to me because I made politically committed films after training at drama school. That’s when I discovered the topic of education: passing on knowledge through lectures and workshops. But knowledge alone is not enough. We have to take action.
That’s why “Radikale Daughters” (radikaletoechter.de) has existed since 2019. Our name does not represent a gender, but rather the dawn of a new, non-patriarchal time. Of course, men can also take part in “Radical Daughters”.
Courage instead of anger
Together we want to transform social anger issues into courage issues. Bringing people into action, whether it’s about the loss of our democracy, climate protection or racism. Our focus is on young people in rural areas East Germany, where a particularly large number of people do not vote. Another focus is women and girls because they experience significantly more hate when they take a political stance.
We offer these young people workshops in schools, training companies and youth centers that combine politics with action. First, we ask young people what makes them angry. In a group of trainees recently, a young man who works in a shoe store said he was not political. He then explained how angry it made him that his colleague was often ignored by customers because she wore a headscarf. Through our workshop it becomes clear to him: This is racism. I am against it and I want to do something.
This is how it feels for many participants. They may be thinking for the first time about what is political in their environment and what their stance is on it. That alone requires courage, and You have to train this courage like a muscleso that it grows and leads to action.
Who do I want to be?
I train my own by striving to live by my values. When I’m afraid to represent them, I remind myself that values are more important than not standing out. The question “Who do I want to be in this world?” is my constant training.
Wars, a shift to the right, inflation and climate catastrophes are making many people hopeless. Our capitalist society always demands an immediate solution. But Democracy is a marathon, just like the climate crisis. So we also have to do the work of hope and ask: What gives you strength? Where have you experienced successful initiatives? Where can you find allies so you don’t lose heart?
What helps me most is humor and fun. Political participation must become sensual and connective again so that people stay involved in the long term. We tackle topics concretely with colorful action art: A participant who arrives at the workshop on her bike is stressed by how often she was honked at on the way. We think together: What urban development ideas are there? Who could be your support group, what could be your stage? Finally, she designed a pop-up bike path that can be rolled out like a carpet wherever it is needed.
After our workshops, participants often go to demos together and network on social media. My vision is that creative cells that advocate for democracy emerge all over the country.
The sentence that gives me the most courage:
“It’s not about me, it’s about the cause.” If I know what I’m fighting for, I can go before the world without a prepared speech or makeup and still not feel vulnerable.
I would like to pass this on to others:
If you lose courage, consciously look around at what has already been achieved and what you have achieved with others.