‘Changing Minds’ Training Course
Enhanced Skills in Conflict Resolution and Social Cohesion
14th – 16th March 2014, Bradford
FINAL REPORT
This pilot training course brought together a total of 16 youth workers and young people who are actively volunteering in their local communities. Most were in their early twenties but their overall ages ranged from 17 to 41. Ten were local to Worcestershire and 6 were from the Bradford area. All were keen to share their experiences and to learn more about peacebuilding and conflict resolution.
The trainers/contributors were:
Lorraine Lockyer, the Programme Manager for Training at EIL and a teacher with 26 years of experience in international and intercultural training.
Nazaket Ali is a senior youth worker in Bradford with 20+ years of experience in working with a culturally diverse community and has led international exchange programmes for many years.
Lisa Cummings graduated from Bradford University Peace Studies Department and has been working with them for many years leading their ‘Programme for a Peaceful City’. She is a community mediator and has developed a field of practice in inter-faith and inter-cultural dialogue.
Activities
* Interactive workshops
* Seminar by peace building expert
* Q&As with local faith leaders, youth and community workers
* ’Mile of Tolerance’ - visits to different places of worship
(Mosque, Hindu and Sikh temples)
Outcomes
Outcomes
* Increased knowledge of other faiths and cultures
* Deeper knowledge and skills for handling conflict
* ‘Changing minds’ and attitudes of the participants
* Confidence to address these issues and communicate with their peers
* Skilling up young people to engage with their local communities
* Networking
The feedback from participants was excellent about their learning
and the ‘best bits’; this is what they had to say:
“I learned how to handle tense situations”
“I learned lots of things about culture”
“The topics were relevant and interesting to discuss, it was thought provoking and needed initiative.
It increased my confidence to participate … the atmosphere was open and relaxed”
“… many interesting topics discussed and gaining ideas and tools for practice”
“… visiting the different places of worship”
“The best things were … gaining practical knowledge and ideas … sharing practice … creating a
network of likeminded professionals … meeting the trainers … the ‘mile of tolerance’ …”
“… the fact that we got to do interesting group work and also visit places of worship and learn about
different cultures”
“The best thing for me was visiting the different places of worship and hearing their views …”
“… the Mile of Tolerance … more knowledge of other faiths … very good all round”
“… learnt how the religious places were contributing towards community cohesion”
“Lisa was absolutely amazing in delivering the session on conflict … the whole session was engaging
… learnt about the different types of conflict”
“The best bits: … meeting other professionals in the field … exchanging ideas … group working … very
upbeat trainers/speakers … exceptionally good for networking”
As a result of this pilot, all of the participants said they were inspired to use what they have learned in their professional practice and community volunteering. In collaboration with EIL, five participants are coming together to develop a similar project in Worcester late in 2014 and another in spring 2015. Three of the young people in Bradford are planning an inter-faith dialogue event in their local communities. Most of the participants are working with hard to reach, disadvantaged young people which is very encouraging in terms of reach for this pilot. We look forward to following their progress over the next year through our social media page.