...If you climb a good tree ...
...you'll see times are changing ...
What does the FemoCo2013 logo stand for?
In developing the FEMOCO2013 logos, we came up with various approaches to the design. Through a vote, we chose the above version. It contains two important symbolic metaphors for us, which we would like to describe a bit ...
In Ghana, there is a language of symbols, called Adinkra. One finds Adinkra symbols in different areas of life, mostly as patterns on clothing, on the walls of buildings, pottery, or in wood carvings.
Historians place the origin of the Adinkra language in the early 19th Century. In Ghana, the origin of the Adinkra lies in the region inhabited mostly by the Ashanti, located in the country’s west. Each Adinkra symbol represents a word from the language of the Ashanti, a sentence, an historically significant event, a proverb, an animals or a plants. In the Ghanaian tradition, Adinkra serve as warning, encouragement or advice for fallible people. As in the past, Adinkra symbols still serve a special purpose to this day.
The FemoCo2013 icon is inspired by the symbolism of the Adinkra language. It has been designed and newly developed with the help and use of various existing Adinkra that were reassembled into one symbol. The FemoCo2013 icon, as shown, does not portray an existing Adinkra symbol.
We asked ourselves, during our discussions of the FemoCo2013 logo, whether it was politically alright "to use" this symbolism. That’s why we find it important to say here that, ultimately, it was crucial for us to clearly and openly identify the origin, the source of inspiration and also the meanings of the source symbolism. In our research, we found that some symbols are not to be used externally and these symbols are not found in the FemoCo2013 logo.
The following Adinkra can be found (sometimes quite transformed) in our logo:
You can see a derivative of this symbol in the top half of the logo. It stands for the fact that life is full of ups and downs and for the initiative, courage and determination needed to deal with this dynamic.
This Adinkra symbol is also found in the upper part of the FemoCo 2013 logo. It means that knowledge is gained through the ongoing process of life-long learning.
In the lower part of the logo, this symbol appears. It stands for support, encouragement and cooperation and literally says "when you climb a good tree ..."
This is an existing Adinkra symbol as it is still used today. It says: ... the times are changing ...
For us, the FemoCo2013 incorporates all of these symbolic meanings. In the transferred sense, we understand ourselves as a movement of women, trans* and inter *, who see themselves as black, of color, as Jewish, as Muslim, living in exile, as Roma and Sinti or Migrants, as a "good tree" of knowledge, which you can climb for a better view and understanding. When a movement comes into being, time changes for each individual. Of this we are convinced ... and maybe we can even make a difference in society by standing together, acting with courage and determination, the willingness to learn and share knowledge, and with awareness for initiative and dynamic.
In Zusammenarbeit mit dem Gunda-Werner-Institut in der Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung
