Civic participation Settling in and adjusting to life abroad can be quite a handful – how do you engage with locals if you’re not currently holding a job? Julia Gaska came to Denmark from Germany about a year ago together with her boyfriend Tom and their two children. She found that there are plenty of opportunities in Denmark to meet the Danes and become part of local life.
In 2013, I became a mother for the first time, but I couldn't imagine staying in Germany for the rest of my live and raising my children there. So, when my boyfriend graduated and became a Diplom-Brewmaster in Berlin, and I was pregnant with our second child, we decided to go abroad together for a couple of years while the kids were still young. Since I was pregnant with our second child, it was up to Tom to look for a job abroad. What is your current situation?
Why did you and Tom decide to move to Denmark? Before and during my studies, I went abroad several times. I studied a Bachelor’s degree in social sciences at Universität Bielefeld and the University of Bergen, and did my Postgraduate Master in European Studies in Berlin. I also did an internship in Poland and spent a working holiday in Australia.
Around Christmas in 2015, Tom applied for his current job in Aalborg, and got invited for a job interview and accepted this in January 2016. Our daughter was born in February 2016 and Tom had to start his new job at Søgaards Bryghus in April. Until the end of November 2016, the kids and I were still staying in Germany, so Tom could get settled in Aalborg and have enough time to find a proper apartment for us – during the first months he shared a flat with other people. The kids and I visited their father twice, before we moved to Aalborg. He tried to visit us once a month. This was a crazy year for us. Today, he is the brewmaster at the aforementioned local brewhouse. He is happy there because he has the opportunity to experiment and learn a lot. This step was a great opportunity for his career.
I currently attend Danish lessons and I am looking for a job. Besides that, I engage in political activities and network with Danes and other internationals, and basically just enjoying life in Aalborg. I became a member of my kids’ day care institution’s parents' board – This has turned out to be a great way of meeting more Danish families. How did you get involved in the political community in Aalborg? International House North Denmark and their Spouse Space Programme facilitate events and workshops that provide great opportunity to learn more about the Danish labor market, the city and region, and for networking and making new friends. I met Lasse Frimand Jensen, who is currently running for city council in Aalborg, during one of my visits to Aalborg in 2016. Earlier this year, I had an appointment with him for individual job search counselling. This is how he found out that I was politically engaged before (Amnesty International campus group, mentor for a Syrian refugee girl in Berlin, spokeswoman of the Social Democratic party's (SPD) EU working group in Berlin) and already did campaigning in Germany. Luckily, the parties match, and we do have many values and political opinions in common. In 2014, I worked professionally as a campaigner for SPD Berlin during their European Parliament election campaign. Lasse told me that he would run for city council and asked if I would like to help him. As political engagement and intercultural dialogue are vital to me, I did
not hesitate to accept his offer. I was happy about this great volunteering opportunity. Lasse thought that he and I would be a great fit, because his aim is to get more internationals to the ballot boxes to make use of their voting rights. So, having an international volunteer would be a great idea. My network as a mother was also an advantage. It helped me organize a Halloween Party for Danes and internationals. Besides this informal campaign event, I also assisted with briefings for panel discussions, the preparation of presentations and press releases, and various other hands-on campaign work. Is it a good opportunity to meet Danes/make new friends? Yes, it is. Lasse's other campaign manager is a Dane. I also meet many other politically engaged Danes and internationals, and I have learned a lot about my new home Aalborg. I think being politically active is a great opportunity to integrate even better in Danish society.
Thank you for sharing, Julia. Good luck with the campaign!