#201: Yasmine Ouirhrane - How to Fight for Your Right to Belong and Put an End to Othering

This week, I chat with Yasmine Ouirhrane on a topic that's close to my heart: that of being "othered", even in your home country, and what it means to belong. My son Ali lived this identity crisis and often wrote and spoke of it. Discovering that there are incredible young women out there like Yasmine who are fighting for social inclusion has made my heart happy, and this is a message we all urgently need to heed.

Yasmine is the co-founder of We Belong, a platform and podcast that amplifies the voice of the New Daughters of Europe. She has been an advocate for Social and Gender Justice in Europe, working with the oppressed and underprivileged, since the age of 16. Yasmine has served as an expert on Peace & Security for the European Union, African Union, and some of the top supranational institutions and social justice foundations around the globe. She was named Young European of the Year 2019 by the Schwarzkopf Foundation and EDD Young Leader by the European Commission.

Listen as we discuss:

- My son Ali's identity crisis.
- What does it take to become Young European of the Year?
- Micro-aggressions and the feeling of being othered.
- How Yasmine got a seat at the table.
- Spirituality and how it made Yasmine a better student.
- Why she chose to wear a headscarf and why she eventually removed it.
- Whatever and wherever you want to be, you belong.
- How a fear of a standing out leads to a [tragic] desire for anonymity.
- Freedom comes on both sides: the choice to wear or not wear.
- Why she sued Marine Le Pen, who used her image to spread hate.
- Europe is a project, not a blood.
- What is We Belong Europe?
- My personal experience as the only non-white, non-American top executive at Google.
- Yasmine's secret to happiness? Knowing why you do what you do.

YouTube: @mogawdatofficial (full episodes on video here)
Instagram: @mo_gawdat
Facebook: @mo.gawdat.official
Twitter: @mgawdat
LinkedIn: /in/mogawdat
Website: mogawdat.com

Connect with Yasmine Ouirhrane on Instagram @yasmineouir, Twitter @yasmineouir, and webelongeurope.com

Don't forget to subscribe to Slo Mo for new episodes every Sunday. Only with your help can we reach One Billion Happy #onebillionhappy

0:00 Slo Mo Intro
1:29 Guest Intro
4:58 Episode
59:26 Outro