On March 2, 2023, I finally sat down for the long-awaited panel on cultural appropriation. Although I was the moderator and not a keynote speaker, I expected it to be a difficult talk for me. When i initiated the discussion on cultural appropriation in Switzerland in 2017, i was accused of cultural apartheid and racism at the time. Most people in the Swiss cultural scene demanded that my Swiss nationality be revoked and I be deported back to Kenya. So, it took six years before I agreed to face the aggressive Swiss cultural mob who were still hungry for my blood.

We needed to create a safe space to hold such a critical discussion, so we created some rules.

Diskussionsregeln

Goal: create a safe space for a respectful discussion

1. We are not here to discuss whether cultural appropriation exists
2. Culture thrives on a healthy exchange and today we are talking about how this exchange can happen on an equal footing
3. It is crucial that both sides can express themselves: those affected by racism and those not affected by racism
4. Today we give the floor first to those affected by cultural appropriation. In the previous discussion about cultural appropriation, we have mostly heard privileged people speaking in the media
5. If someone does not follow the rules of a respectful discussion this afternoon and interrupts the conversation with inappropriate comments or heckling, does not listen or interrupts others, we will escort them outside
6. We recognize jazz's historical origins as African-American music
7. Based on this, we discuss further information and background of jazz music

Today we will not primarily be looking for answers, nor is it about finding solutions. 

Today it's about starting an exchange and a dialogue on the same wave length and it's about us starting to listen to each other and learn from each other.