Different Futures: a SPARK interview

Dialogue with SPARK Teachers Co-Chair - Mette Toft Nielsen

Publishing date
23 Oct 2024
Author
LianeR
Liane R
Communication Expert
SPARK Communities

Mette Toft Nielsen is an Independent Consultant focusing on responsible learning processes, and serves as Co-Chair of SPARK Teachers Community at Foundation ENAR.

What are your favourite things about your background?

This might be one of the most awkward questions to be asked as a person of colour, living in a majority white county, because what does that really mean? What background?

I choose to answer this based on my professional background; I really love the combination of my work, focusing on:

1) the power of language and discourse, part of this being deconstructing existing unjust power hierarchies and imagining what different futures could look like in our schools, at our workplaces, in the media, and in society at large,
2) embracing inner work of healing, community building and solidarity.

How did you end up at ENAR Foundation as SPARK Teachers Co-Chair?

First I became a member of the SPARK DEI community, with the wonderful chair (now chair-colleague) Tamara Makoni, who answered my question about whether a similar community for teachers existed, with the encouraging answer along the lines of - "I think you should start one! Try to reach out to Briana [Fitzsimons], she is also a teacher, I think she would be interested in this too", and now here we are: Briana and I being co-chairs of SPARK Teachers, and we absolutely love it!

You’re an advisor for EU for a day. What change would you recommend here and now? Why?

First - an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza and making sure that all the humanitarian aid that is needed can enter.

Second - all the pressure that possibly can, will be put on all and every relevant bodies to make sure the state leaders responsible for this genocide will be held accountable. After that I would recommend implementing just and fair trade agreements with continents and countries outside of Europe and the EU, so neocolonialism is not continuing to exploit other nations and destabilise their societal infrastructure through wars, ressource grabbing, genocides, corruption.

Finally - I would recommend focusing on transparency, honesty and accountability, also for allies and political-best-friends-forever, so that the public, not least the voters, would actually have a fair chance to understand and engage themselves in the project of the EU and understand what power dynamics are in play.     

I really don't believe in projects and political alliances that exploit other peoples, species and spirits, and destruct our planet, I don't think that will ever create safety or happiness for anyone, it will only grow a superficial, constructed idea of some people being superior to others, that has nothing to do with safety nor happiness!

What book did you enjoy lately and would want to see more people reading it?

"Adoption Healing: A Path to Recovery" by Joe Soll. Not sure if it was a joy, but as an adoptee, it was necessary reading. I think it is so important that more people understand the neocolonial project of adoption, and how it leaves so many people with a lot, a lot, a lot of trauma. It is not the romanticised, happily-ever-after story that so many of us have been told, even if a lot of adoptees do live happy lives. 

*****

Foundation ENAR is building and powering up three SPARK Communities, and growing:

SPARK DEI; SPARK Academia; SPARK Teachers

Foundation ENAR Team comic strip

Related articles

SPARK Communities
Constant Learning: a SPARK interview
Author
Liane R
Date
21 Oct 2024
Read more about Constant Learning: a SPARK interview
SPARK Communities
Outlaw Manels: a SPARK interview
Author
Liane R
Date
24 Jul 2024
Read more about Outlaw Manels: a SPARK interview
SPARK Communities
Practical Support: a SPARK interview
Author
Liane R
Date
10 Jul 2024
Read more about Practical Support: a SPARK interview