I have just come back from a wonderful week at a Youth in Action training course On ‘Crossing the Sea- Euro-Med Dialogue’ and I just wanted to share my thoughts about this course with you.
It is so difficult to describe, yet there is so much to tell.
Participants came from the UK, Portugal, Slovakia, Palestine, Israel and Egypt. It was a rather random mix, with all sorts of languages being spoken when I arrived. The week was filled with team-building and trust exercises, reflections on what good communication is, opportunities to learn about each other’s culture and a lot of laughter! It was like living in a comfortable little bubble.
Together we also visited the Grange, a Camphill village, which is a community that takes care of adults with special needs by really including them in their daily activities. The Grange produces its own fruits and vegetables, they have different farm animals, a bakery, and residents also weave baskets, make pottery and different decorations in their wood workshop, which they sell locally and internationally through the Camphill network.
We then visited Bristol, and despite the rain, which was only appreciated by our Middle Eastern friends, we had some beautiful views of the city, with a strange mix of old buildings and its famous street art. We had the opportunity to pursue our own artistic streaks through a workshop with painter Jeroo Roy, who showed us her work and guided us through our own inspiration. We also helped organising ASHA’s open day, for which the group prepared typical food, dancing, crafts, sports, an interactive theatre play where the audience acted out a variety of Egyptian stories through the different civilisations and a Palestinian wedding as a grand finale.
Art Workshop*
One of the exercises -I know that I have never been blindfolded this many times in my life!*
The place where we stayed, the ASHA centre, is a little oasis of peace in the middle of the Forest of Dean. The smells of the rose garden, the taste of the fresh fruits and vegetables, the sounds of the stream that runs next to the property, the sensation of wet grass under your feet and the beauty of the people and the place I will never forget.
the ASHA Centre
The sun sets on the rose garden
A last night of dancing, clapping to Arabic rhythms, singing, sheesha smoking and laughing and it was already the end!
As I stepped out of Birmingham train station and stepped into the hustle and bustle of the city centre, I suddenly felt alone, lonely even, alone amongst all these people, after having spent a week in the middle of nowhere, it was quite odd. At ASHA, every person you meet makes eye contact, smiled, had a friendly word for you, or even a made-up song purely consisting of the repetition of your name. Here, I am alone, you have to look out not to bump into anyone, you are aware of the people, but you see them as obstacles.
As I unpack in my room, I can still hear the voices of the friends I made, the way they pronounce my name, the words they invented, their laughter... now I really feel alone.
Get back to real life? No. I'll first watch the pictures :)
Adrian, Zeiad, Ameed, Jad, Peter
Mark, Antonio, me, Tareq
Haythem, Elisabete, Moataz, Abed
Gina, Linda, Monica, Lucie, Ahmed
Lubka, Denisa
Mahmood, Nasr, Kawther, Gabriela, Alex, Areej
Alex
and Hayat is taking the picture :)*
*Pictures courtesy of ASHA
