Building Bridges ...Breaking Boundaries
A joint Action Reconciliation Service for Peace / Fellowship of Reconciliation Seminar
18th to 20th May 2007.

International Bridge Building for Young Peacemakers
Tuesday 22nd May 2007

“Building Bridges…Breaking Boundaries” was the theme of a joint seminar held last weekend (18th – 20th May) by the Fellowship of Reconciliation and Action Reconciliation Service for Peace (ARSP). FoR run a programme for young people interested in peace and conflict issues, through conferences, talks and training. ARSP run year-long placements for young people in Europe interested in peace and conscientious objectors from military service, arranging for them to come to the UK and work with charities. At the seminar young people from across Europe met and spent the weekend in mediation skills training, discussing faith, singing around the bonfire and worshipping together.

I attended the weekend and was pleased to have time to discuss peacemaking with young people from Poland, The Netherlands, Greece and Germany as well as the UK. The weekend allowed for plenty of time to develop a community through social times and shared meals as well as times in sessions. We had a variety of speakers to lead us in interfaith sessions through exploring scripture readings from the Islamic, Jewish and Christian Scriptures and an in-depth discussion on Jewish questioning. We related this to how we can ‘Be Just’ on a personal, community and global level. Mediation skills training were a highlight of the weekend. A variety of exercises had us invigorated throughout this thought provoking session on both mediation and overcoming racism. We had time to look at identities, at what makes us who we are and how who we are affects our communities! We enjoyed time around a bonfire toasting marshmallows, making crafts, walks in the countryside and an international shared meal where we contributed traditional meals from our countries.

We all left richer for having met each other. Information was shared, discussions we had left seeds in all of us and friendships were made! FoR now looks forward to future work with ARSP and its own Called to be Peacemakers youth conference in October to be held on Conflict Transformation.

The flier for the "Building Bridges ...Breaking Boundaries" seminar is attached at the bottom of this page.