The February 2010 Journey of Understanding!

“The programme made me realise that the real change can come from the most unexpected place, even from me.”
Yasmin, 18, Israel

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This Journey of Understanding was all about change…

Not only did we embark on this programme with new faces, hearts and mind from all around the world, but this Journey was begun with the determination to devlop the knowledge, attitudes and skills that the participants would be able to take away from the programme and build upon in their daily lives.

From the bonds created between them, it seemed like more than one week since representatives from Indonesia, the UK, Palestine, the US and Israel first met at Heathrow Airport, full of anticipation and apprehension, wondering what the people with whom they would be spending the next week working, playing, eating, sleeping and discovering would be like. However, it wasn’t long before ideas and opinions were being shared.

Undergoing physical challenges together, from jumping into the freezing Loch Eil to climbing a 60ft tree tied to 13 other people, served to develop the bonds and the trust that enabled not only similarities to be discovered, but also to be able to challenge on another on issues of faith and values.

Contrary to the misconception that bringing people from different cultures together alllows the realisation that we are all the same, the experience on the Journey of Understanding shows that it is the ability to disagree but nevertheless to be able to work together and develop friendships despite these differences that the programme is all about.

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Onions have layers!

This quote from the movie Shrek was used to demonstrate the different levels of identity each person has, and to help each participant to peel back the layers, both their own and those of their new friends, to really get to the core.

This programme was about intercultural exchange, and part of this was sharing what the participants felt represents their own cultures. Here is a traditional dance performed by the Indonesian group:

For many of the participants, the end of the programme was quite a daunting time as the realisation set in that making changes is not an easy process, and that a lot of dedication and hard work would be needed to build on the new knowledge, attitudes and skills addressed during the programme.

However, help is at hand. Not only did this programme benefit from having Naseera, our new Youth Development Coordinator on board, whose role is to work with the participants to develop their ideas and give them practical support in promoting intercultural understanding, but we also had a new facilitation team. Snezana and Helen worked hard to plan, deliver and evaluate a week full of activities designed to get the participants digging deep inside themselves, finding the confidence and the courage to question the views of others, and to reflect on how this experience could empower them, starting straight away!

We were also lucky to have Emma, our Trainee Facilitator, there on the programme, who herself was a UK participant back on the December 2007 Journey of Understanding. Having stayed active over the last 2 and a half years with Encompass, Emma returned to gain new skills in facilitation of discussion activities, while at the same time reflecting on her own experience as a participant to help develop the planning and delivery of activities. After the programme, Emma will be working with Encompass to deliver workshops based on the themes addressed during this programme.

Although the process of making positive changes both within themselves and in their communities will not be easy, their Journey of Understanding served to demonstrate some of the barriers that they may come across, and how to set about negotiating them. The big challenge now will be maintaining the motivation and enthusiasm to make a difference, but we believe that we can do it together!

The message taken away from the programme by these young people is that small changes, even within oneself, can create a big difference, and we are looking forward to supporting them in taking the steps towards this change…

For personal accounts of the Journey from the perspective of some of the people who took part, check out their blogs:

http://www.marleimartinez.com/travelblog/?p=189

http://pattyhodapp.wordpress.com/

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