Mapping Colonial Subjects From the French Resistance​

My research is about identifying men and women from French colonial territories, who fought in the French Internal Resistance during the 2WW. I have been trained to gather information from a range of French state online databases and to delve deeper into military archival files photographed by the supervisor on previous research trips. In fact, through the first part of the research period, I have worked in a French military archive in Paris. I have spent 3 days fully immersed by documents and photographic materials that reported pictures and stories of colonial soldiers who served in the French forces. ​

I went to explore addresses, boroughs and locations where the fighters used to live in. To then begin to create mapping tools using the materials found to best share and present the colonial resistance fighters’ lives to the general public, especially school students. This was to make colonial soldiers’ stories come alive and resonate 80 years on. ​

My passion started from the desire to commemorate the colonial resistance fighters’ lives before the public. This was a common goal shared with my academic supervisor. I was inspired by her work regarding decolonisation. Her passion was magnetic and I felt inspired and motivated by the idea of understanding and creating a visualizable project of the migration of colonial subjects from the French empire. ​

As an immigrant myself, I was able to empathetically connect with the feelings of leaving your home country. In addition, I have always sensed the scholarly environment as Eurocentrically focused, but this project to me seemed to break from that dynamic, to construct a fresh and more inclusive framework. From the project I had the opportunity to uncover the marginalisation and struggles of colonial soldiers. Soldiers coming from Algeria, Madagascar, Guadalupe, left their countries to fight in defence of a land that did not technically belong to them, but they still gave their life for it. ​

Yet, this was never mentioned in the history books that I have read. ​

Collaboration and adaptability were the greatest takeaways from the research period. For instance,I have observed that the creation of contingency plans are essential to avoid pressure and stress. Taking example from my academic supervisor during the research, she was able to bring instantaneously alternative dates and plans when things would not logistically work. This made me notice that as a leader being adaptable to new arrangements guarantees a smooth operation. Therefore, I decided to implement that aspect into any occasion since then. ​

Additionally, another leadership skill obtained has been being visionary. I was capable to imagine the end goal from the start of the research, and as a result I became ambitious to accomplish it through the right plans. As a perfectionist, most of the time I was challenged to avoid making every detail from the research plan perfect. Instead I desired to present an attitude that did not want to settle for the ‘good enough’. This became a new way of operating for me since doing the research. To illustrate this, I have applied this new approach during this project when I was creating individual soldiers’ fact files. During that process I was beginning to feel frustrated due to the limited information I was finding regarding the soldiers. But instead, with the new viewpoint that I have grasped, I have accepted that not everything will be perfect, and it is still great to use the information made available, despite how limited it is. In all the work that I produce now, I want to pinpoint the best details out of the information I have. Yet, I remain composed if I don’t find them. ​

Being a laidlaw scholar means to become dynamic. I am always on the go with projects, initiatives and proposals since becoming a Laidlaw scholar. As a result, I am not the same person I used to be. I am more driven than I have ever been before, looking to bring out the best outcomes from every opportunity that I get. There is no better way than to develop leadership through challenges. Since the start, the leadership program has not been effortless, however due to this I feel empowered to face what’s difficult in front of me now. ​

Which particular leaders inspire you the most and why?

A leader that has inspired me the most recently is Vanessa Van Edwards. She is a speaker and the founder of ‘Science of the People’. ​

She is a guru/expert of reading body language, and I found out through her how important it is to comprehend it as a leader. That is due to the help that it provides to understand people better. To me, understanding this perspective from Vanessa Van Edwards helped me to become more credible and authentic as a leader. For instance, through using her tips and advice I have improved my verbal and physical communication during conversations. ​

I envision a future where I will bring out my most authentic self within my personal leadership style, without reproducing roles already seen. I see a room full of people smiling and hugging each other while sharing vulnerabilities. I want to be the host in that particular room. ​

I want to use my platform to showcase growth while also trying to bring my own energy and creativity to it. I desire to create a future where I will be fulfilled through the aspiration to improve what’s around me. ​

To create opportunities and to bring light into rooms shielded by anxiety (which I used to fight with) or defensiveness. ​

Choosing my LiA!