No man is an island…

Encompass would like to extend its deepest condolences to all the families of the victims of the devastating act of terror in Jakarta this morning. Terrorism and loss of life in such tragic circumstances is traumatic, not only for the families affected but too communities and countries as a whole.

Causing terror to another can never be justified. At Encompass we are working tirelessly to challenge and change prejudiced attitudes; build trust and inter-community cohesion; facilitate initiatives between young people from different communities and countries in a bid to change minds in the hope of helping eradicate such tragic incidents of terror wherever they may be.

We began our work in Indonesia as a result of the horrific Bali bombings in 2002 and have worked with over 10,000 young people in Indonesia alone over the years and continue to work at the grassroots level in Jakarta, Malang and across the country to enable the change we hope to see.

Jakarta, Istanbul, Quetta, wherever the world is hurting, so are we all. As we reflect on the words of the great poet and thinker John Donne, spare a thought for all those affected by the tragedies of this morning and indeed the week thus far,

“No man is an island,
Entire of itself…

Any man’s death diminishes me,
Because I am involved in mankind…”

Apply now for the Feb 2016 International JoU!

Encompass Trust ‘International Journey of Understanding’

21st February – 1st March 2016, Snowdonia, Wales

Would you like to develop your intercultural understanding?
Would you like to develop your confidence in engaging with people from different cultures and countries?
Would you like to be part of a challenging, engaging and innovative programme?
Would you like to meet people from 5 other countries on a lively action-packed programme?
Then the Encompass ‘International Journey of Understanding’ might just be your biscuit!

Programme information
24 young people are drawn from America, Indonesia, Israel, Palestine, and the UK, from a mix of backgrounds, faiths, cultures, traditions and even conflicts.
During the “Journey of Understanding” young people join together and build bonds through challenging outdoor adventure activities, and a complementary programme of professionally-facilitated discussion workshops and skills sessions. The aims of the “Journey of Understanding” are to;

• Support young people from different cultures and backgrounds to understand each other better
• Give young people the confidence and skills to promote intercultural understanding in their communities

Outdoor activities
Outdoor activities are designed to bring the group together, to work as a team and build trust between individuals. The activities you do will depend on the weather, but may include rock climbing, abseiling, mountain walking, canoeing, caving and gorge walking.

Workshops
Workshops give you the chance to explore themes around identity, community, conflict and stereotypes, and will include small and large group work, games, facilitated discussions and drama. Please come prepared to have honest, and in some cases difficult discussions. Some of the issues we will be discussing are sensitive, so be respectful, listen carefully, and speak honestly – even when you disagree with each other (as will often be the case).

Using your experience
Towards the end of the programme you will receive facilitation training and run your own workshop for the other participants. This will give you the skills and confidence to use your Encompass experience to benefit your own community after the programme.

Deadline for applications is Friday 15th January by 5pm. We will get back to you within two weeks from the 15th, to confirm if your application has been successful and to arrange an interview.

Get in touch with Sahdia for an application form or if you have any more questions about the programme: sahdia@encompasstrust.org

•Putri in Indonesia: putri.encompassina@gmail.com
•Karen in Palestine: palkaren@hotmail.com
•Yair in Israel: encompassisrael@gmail.com
•Linda in the USA: lindak@syr.edu

Good luck!

Keeping connected!

Hey guys, I know it has been a long time and I’m sorry! I have been busy taking a stroll down memory lane with the Alumni. It’s been a lot of fun, sharing laughs and memories with each other.

So what made participants undertake the journey of lifetime? Many had a thirst for learning about other cultures but others such as Ghulam Aufa 2011, Indonesia came because he had a zeal for actively unfolding the prejudices he had in his mind about people of other countries. He said he came because he ‘wanted to challenge, what the media taught him’. He was conscious that ‘the media had sensationalised certain global affairs’ and he believed that ‘the only way he could find the truth and to challenge the prejudices he had was to ‘meet people from different countries and ‘speak to them heart to heart’. This resonated with me because I feel that we sometimes become desensitised to the news and we forget that the people we see on the TV are in fact human.

Furthermore, I loved hearing about the some of the highlights of peoples trip, many spoke of how much they enjoyed the outdoor activities as well and bonding with people over some of the conversations and workshops they did. Lilla Indonesia 2012 spoke of how making life long friends were the highlight of her trip. This made me really happy because I too feel that I have met some amazing people through my time at Encompass who have become more like family than friends. The greatest thing to come of these chats for me was learning of the impact the journey of understanding has had on participants. As cliché as it sounds many have said how the journey of understanding has literally changed their lives. The one thing that seemed to be coming up most when talking to the participants about the impact the JOU has had on them was the word ‘Understanding’. They spoke about how the JOU helped them to understand and challenge some of the views held and also how it taught them to understand and challenge prejudices and stereotypes that people may have of them.

Aisha, on Placement! 🙂

#YouAintNoMuslimBruv

Well, it sounds like our message from last weeks event is resounding through London. Are we reclaiming that lost sense of humanity? We sincerely hope so! Good on you, London!

Those who showed up to the Encompass event ‘Forget the F-word: The H is Silent’ were treated to a fascinating debate, illustrated by film clips and first-hand experiences of how humanity can be lost –and gained – in different circumstances.  Chaired by David Brindle of The Guardian, the event was triggered by recent examplesof vitriolic verbal assaults on defenceless people on buses purely on the basis of their race or appearance.  Most shocking had been the fact that nobody had stood up to defend them.

Eric of Encompass set up the debate by posing the question ‘What are we thinking?’. What stops us from standing up for a fellow vulnerable human? From asserting our humanity? We film the event in the clear understanding that is wrong, but don’t intervene. Zrinka Bralo of the Migrant and Refugee Communities Forum has seen the best and the worst of humanity – from violence and aggression to acts, both small and large, that show people willing to give up time and more to express their solidarity. There are great stories to tell, but we are not good at finding places to tell them and make an impression to match the depressing stories of inhumanity in action.

Julie Siddiqi, founder of Sadaqa Day, proclaimed herself a member of the ‘Glass Half-full Gang’ and, despite her own lived experiences of discrimination and abuse, highlighted examples of both individual and collective action that restore faith in humanity. So the question is ‘What makes good people go bad?’ Kathryn Waddington, Head of the Psychology Dept at Westminster University, gave an explanation of ‘bystander apathy’, what makes for ‘active bystanders’ and the role and effects of social media.  Leaders who take action create the environment in which others then join in to assert their own humanity.

The lesson of the debate was that we need to tell more good stories, to show leadership and create the human environment.  From a starting point of almost despair at the lack of humanity show in the situations illustrated, we emerged as all part of the ‘Glass Half-full Gang.  As one member of the audience said – I came here feeling hopeless, I go away with hope.

Some snaps from the event last week.

 

 

Just a few days to go!!!

Spread the word and we look forward to seeing as many of our supporters there as possible!

Let Sahdia know you’re coming at; sahdia@encompasstrust.org

Stand together for Humanity

Encompass is all about standing together for humanity. Recent events, and the pain and suffering, in Baghdad, Eygpt, Lebanon, Paris and Syria have only served to emphasise the importance this work and its message. Humanity is not ‘them and us’. It’s us.

Our dialogue on the 26th November will be looking at how we can live and assert our humanity. Come and stand together with us.

Forget the F-word. The ‘H’ is Silent…

You are invited to the latest Encompass event – Forget the F-word. The ‘H’ is Silent!

Confirm you’re coming to sahdia@encompasstrust.org

Happy Diwali & Hindu New Year!

Happy New Islamic Year (1437AH)

The Hijri New Year, also known as the Islamic new year, is the day that marks the new Islamic calendar year, based on a lunar calendar. Wishing all our Muslim supporters a happy new year (1437AH) and many happy returns.

Remembering Bali 13 years on…with a cup of tea…

Today, 12th October 2015, marks 13 years since the Bali bombings that took the lives of 202 people, one of whom was Daniel Braden. To commemorate this day, we are going with the theme of ‘tea’.  In good old fashion Britishness, we are encouraging all to have a cuppa on Daniel! Offer your colleague a cup. Ask your neighbour round. Have a cuppa and a good natter. Reawaken the old tradition of talking to your neighbours. Invite the new ones round too. In an ever-changing, global world, we must make time to share a cup or two or three, with those around us.

We leave you with the advice of Haji Ali, a Balti man as narrated by Greg Mortenson, in his book, Three Cups of Tea,

“The first time you share tea with a Balti, you are a stranger. The second time you take tea, you are an honoured guest. The third time you share a cup of tea, you become family…”

May we strive to make all those around us just a few cups away from being “family”.

Enjoy!