The Daniel Braden Reconciliation Trust · Confronting stereotypes, changing perspectives

NEWSLETTER SUMMER 2014

Jessie, New ZealandMany thoughts and prayers are being

sent out to all who are suffering through war and oppression. May we, each and every one of us, work towards peace. It is not easy, but to turn from fear and anger, towards kindness and tolerance, recognizing we are all one human family, is the only way we can reach this peace. With love and kindness to all, especially those in Palestine and Israel at this time. Peace in our time.

Mike, LondonWar is bad. War is often fought for evil

motives. War is brutish and nasty. War destroys. That is why we need people and organisations seeking to bring peace to the world or isolated parts of the world. I applaud Encompass for its work in trying to bring peace through reconciliation in the areas in which it works. As the Bible says: “Blessed are the peacemakers”. May your efforts be fruitful.

Heba, PalestineA quote from Albert Einstein, he says

“Peace cannot be kept by force, it can only be achieved by understanding“. I hope Allah would give us the strength to have a peaceful life in the future no matter how much bad days we are having now.

David, LondonIt is easy to speak of peace when sitting

in the safety of a home in London, and yet one can be inspired and influenced by the attitudes of those who have come out of their comfort zones to reach out to others from different backgrounds, religions and cultures. At an Encompass reception of young people recently returned from a Journey of Understanding, I was impressed with the attitude of a young woman from Israel who told that she was a person first, a Jew second and an Israeli third and that as a way of life when she encountered other people, whatever their background, she saw them as a person first.

When tuning in to the daily news, all of us will be shocked at the sheer volume and scale of different conflicts going on around the world. More than ever it seems that the world has lost a sense of perspective. Fear, hatred, terror and violence are so widespread that it’s difficult to know where to turn our collective gaze first.

As a charity that has worked with many young people from both the Palestinian and Israeli communities, Encompass has been following the Gaza crisis with sadness and deep concern for all involved. Our thoughts go out to the families of the initial murder victims and everyone caught up in the continuing aftermath of violence.

We have been encouraging supporters to leave their messages of peace on our website www.encompasstrust.org/message-board-of-peace. If you haven’t already left your message we would appreciate you doing so. As well as a lasting record of hope, we would like to share some of your messages with communities affected by the violence and conflict in Palestine, Israel and everywhere else that is affected by war.

On this page you will see just some of the messages people have left so far. Please add yours too.

Praying for an end to the violenceEncompass brings together young people from diverse cultures, communities and religions to challenge stereotypes, identity and conflict.

Help our work: www.justgiving.com/encompass/donate

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Laurence from Yorkshire came on the March 2014 International Journey of Understanding. Like so

many of our alumni he continues to benefit from his Encompass experience.

“I’ve been busy with all my voluntary work with Independent Academic Research Studies (IARS), The Found Generation (TFG) and UK Youth Voice (UKYV). It continues to

be an amazing experience for me personally. Since the Encompass programme and attending another course held at the ASHA Centre called ‘Young Leaders Managing Conflicts’, I have continued to share my experiences with friends and colleagues at UK Youth.

I have been getting involved lately in two major projects known as the Democracy Challenge Toolkit (designed to engage

young people in politics) and an IARS policy briefing on youth unemployment. These tie in perfectly with both my experiences on Encompass and at ASHA, having found a new ability to grasp and embrace such different cultures other than my own. This has given me the confidence to be able to continue my voluntary work and to plan for the future.” Laurence starts a new a job as a computer forensic analyst in September.

Eat, drink and raise moneySunday 21 September is UN International Day of Peace and what better way to celebrate than by having dinner with your friends?

Encompass has teamed up with Dinner4Good to bring supporters a way of raising money for our work by inviting friends around for

dinner. Through the Dinner4Good website you start by creating a personalised ‘Dinner Page’(takes about 5 minutes) and then email invitations will be automatically sent from the site. Just go to www.dinner4good.com/Encompass

Your guests accept your invite and donate online, which means you can see who’s coming and how much is being raised – in a click. It reduces the awkwardness of asking for money and there’s no hassle with collecting cash.

For more information go to www.dinner4good.com/Encompass or email jason@encompasstrust.org

Alumni profile: Laurence

We were joined by 13 participants, mainly from Slough and Brent. The sun shone for almost the entirety of the two days, and with the participants having just finished their various exams, there was an atmosphere of relaxed happiness, a wonderful setting for friendships to blossom and lots of fun (as well as serious discussions!) to be had.

The topics we explored included our cultural backgrounds and identities, religion, moral issues such as legalisation of drugs, stereotypes, our communities, and ideas for community projects which we are now supporting participants to put into effect.

Journey of Understanding alumni Ramsha and Aisha were our volunteer facilitators, and together they facilitated the hardest session of all; the infamous “Where Do You Stand?” They worked brilliantly as a team, coming up with a series of interesting and topical statements to be discussed (with no easy answers), making sure everyone’s voices were heard and time keeping impeccably!

If there was only one word to sum up the programme, it would have to be “teamwork,” as the whole programme wouldn’t have been possible without it. Aisha and Ramsha worked together to deliver their session, relying on and supporting each other with planning and delivery. The participants had to trust each other in order to share their stories and opinions, and create a safe atmosphere to do that. And of course, building a 12 foot tower of crates beneath you (especially when you’re scared of heights!) is actually impossible when you’re not working in a team.

Teamwork at its finest In June we held our fourth UK programme. The programme was held at Longridge Centre in Marlow, a beautiful venue by the river Thames with lots of green space and a great room for workshops.

www.encompasstrust.org

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How were you first involved with Encompass? When I found out I was going to study in London I told a friend who suggested I look into the programme, because she knew someone who had done it and loved it. Going on the programme was the first thing I had to interview for since I was fourteen and applying for my first job, and I was absolutely terrified. Obviously I was accepted onto the programme and I’m so thankful because I finally figured out what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

Growing up I lived in a diverse community where friends celebrated Kwanzaa (African American and Pan African holiday), Christmas, Hanukkah and others observed Ramadan. For years I had seen people of all faiths live in harmony and was bewildered in 2001 when I realised the rest of the world wasn’t like that. The night of September 11th my parents told us that in 1988 Syracuse University lost thirty-five students to a bombing of a plane. Throughout this discussion my parents stressed that we cannot, and should not, blame an entire people for the actions of a few, no matter

I finally figured out what I wanted to do for the rest of my lifeHannah Nast came on the International Journey of Understanding in February 2012 and now takes up the pioneering role of first Encompass USA Coordinator. We caught up with her.

how large their numbers are. When I applied to University I wrote my personal statement on how I wanted to change the world and through Encompass I’ve found a way to be a part of it.

What do you do now for Encompass? I am Encompass’ USA Coordinator which means that I support the American participants when they return to campus. We will be meeting regularly to work on projects in the community and to connect with the other alumni groups in Encompass’ other programme countries. I also work with Syracuse University staff and use social media to promote the Journey of Understanding and build awareness of Encompass on campus.

What is the one experience with Encompass that most stands out in your memory? One of my fondest memories is of the multiple coach problems we encountered at the start of our Journey. First they sent us the wrong size and then when the replacement arrived it broke down around midnight. Everyone was exhausted but I think that shared experience helped us

bond. In what other situation can you star gaze with people you’ve just met from all over the world?

How does it feel to be the first Encompass coordinator for the USA? To be completely honest, it’s daunting. I really believe we need someone here to be the point person for the students who come back but to be that person is scary. There are a lot of opportunities in the surrounding area and on campus (other organisations, classes, professors to know etc.) and to have someone here to talk to about those opportunities I know would have benefited me. I felt lost when I returned to campus and I would love to be the person that helps alumni come back and continue the Encompass legacy.

For years I had seen people of all faiths live in harmony and was bewildered in 2001 when I realised the rest of the world wasn’t like that.

Circle: Hannah (left, with Putri) on the International programme

Help our work: www.justgiving.com/encompass/donate

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The Daniel Braden Reconciliation Trust · Confronting stereotypes, changing perspectives

NEWSLETTER SUMMER 2014

As well as her hard work for Encompass, she happens to be a celebrity in her home country of Indonesia. We caught up with Putri in order to find out more.

How were you first involved with Encompass and what has been your experience? I initially knew about Encompass through my Dad, who has been Indonesian coordinator since 2003. In early 2012 I took part in an Encompass Journey of Understanding. On the Journey I realised that there were so many differences between us on the programme and within my home country of Indonesia. I have continued to play a big part in working towards better understanding between religions, cultures and communities.

I decided to put my degree in international relations in to action. I volunteer with Encompass Indonesia where I recruit participants and volunteers on to our programmes; facilitate workshops in Jakarta and Malang; and have just created a space in my own house called a ‘room of

understanding’ where I encourage friends to question stereotypes and identity. I want to empower people to make a difference.

What do you do now for Encompass? As Acting Chair of Encompass Indonesia I have more than 30 new volunteers to train each year. I often come to Malang to check the smooth running of our programmes. I am in charge of developing the organisation, seeking funding and recruiting participants on to the Encompass programme.

You are well known in Indonesia for your work on television and film. Tell us a bit about that? How did you get involved and what sorts of things have you done? When I was 14, my Mum and Sister sent a photo of me to a teenage magazine for a contest for cover girl. I won! Amazingly the biggest production house in Indonesia offered me a role in a soap opera because they thought that my face would suit a particular character. In 2006 I got a new breakthrough playing the main role in a horror movie called The Empty Chair.

Recently I got to promote Encompass on an Indonesian TV talk show and through a national newspaper.

What is the one experience or activity with Encompass that most stands out in your memory? One experience I will never forget is when we held Bhinneka camp (Bhinneka means diversity in English). My friend from Papua New Guinea stood up and thanked the facilitators for finally giving him hope to face life. He said he now had confidence and friends. It was such a powerful statement that it became a motivation for me to continue my work for Encompass.

What are your hopes for the future of Encompass Indonesia? My hope is that our new ‘Harmony in Diversity’ awareness programme will be a success and that we can be an inspiration to young people around us to help change their communities for the better. I hope that we can visit more schools and universities to raise awareness and build respect for our differences.

Empowering people to make a difference

“Recently I got to promote Encompass on an Indonesian TV talk show and through a national newspaper.”

Adhitya Putri was a participant on the February 2012 International Journey of Understanding. She now takes on the role of Acting Chair of Encompass Indonesia, taking over from her father Heroe.

www.encompasstrust.org · Registered Charity no. 1096213

Putri – Acting Chair, Encompass Indonesia

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