Breaking Stigmas: Bucharest's Autism Centre & Inclusive Duniya Anniversary
Krakow to Junktown, the official finish line for the #polesofinconvenience rally. All the participating teams came back to cross over the finish line and we had a cozy celebration – food, drinks, music and catch up around a fire: lovely even if it was somewhat rainy!
Looking back, it has been fun, yes, but so much more! I am grateful I got to experience the magic that happens when people come together for good and how such collective action / rituals can usher in deep change! We all had our challenges and concerns through the rally, and celebrated our victories, and in some inexplicable way, across different cars and routes, a sense of community and shared purpose developed! We drove to support various causes, but through it all, we were connected by common threads, and a shared spirit!
The rally, the conversations along the way and on that final evening, will stay with me. So much to take away from individual stories.We met a retired couple for whom the #MongolRally is almost a yearly ritual. They raised money through their travels for a hospice that once housed their friend and shared how this yearly adventure helps keep their youthful energy alive!
With another team, I had a synchronous rendezvous in 7 different countries over 7 weeks – ending up in the same place on the same day every 2-3 countries! This strange yet wonderful coincidence was fun to live out, and will be one of my top memories from the trip. One out of the three of them is a transwoman, going through her transition and coming out journey at the moment. She is not my first trans friend but it is the first time I have felt like I witnessed a transperson’s journey in a way that enriched my understanding of the world we live in. Hanging out with her and her friends was also food for thought on how we #makespace for a more #inclusiveduniya for all sorts of diversities, including neurodevelopmental ones. And how we #takespace, mindful of the reality of the here and now, with kindness and consideration to accompany that awareness, but with commitment to our individuality and expression.