On 26th March some of us gave a presentation to the people at the Quaker House about APOW! This is a blog by Liz, one of the people at the Quaker Meeting House, who met us on the day….
On 26 March we were very happy to welcome members and organisers of the group APOW to our Meeting House for our Fourth Sunday talk. Anyone who has come by the Meeting House on a Friday evening will have been greeted by the friendly, welcoming, energetic and engaged young people who have adopted our premises as their base for their weekly meetings and activities, and it was a pleasure to invite them to our Fourth Sunday session so that we could find out more about each other.
After an icebreaker where we shared our hobbies and things we enjoy, the group performed a very short but effective performance of the bewildering, scary and intimidating experience of being young, alone and facing suspicious authorities as a refugee. We saw a short film made by the group about what they do. The young people spoke from the heart about what it has meant to them to be part of the RefugeeYouth group, and the coordinators gave us some background and history about how the group developed and found a home in our meeting house. They made sure we all know how much they appreciate the space and freedom of using the Adult School Hall and meeting house for their activities.
Listening to how the young people are welcomed, encouraged and empowered to find their voices and place in the community reminded me very much of the work of the under 19 programme does with young Quakers, and which is organised and managed in a very similar way.
APOW is completely inclusive, with young people who have come from all over the world focusing on what they have in common, what they can share and what they can learn from each other, whether it is a dance, a recipe, a song, story or simply the hand of friendship. The group chose their own representatives who meet to plan programmes and activities and learn the leadership skills and confidence to see the plans through. The activities are a mix of fun, more serious discussions about the issues young refugees are faced with.
The talk moved from the meeting room to the common room for a shared lunch and more lively discussions with the young people and the coordinators. We have all been invited to come to the meeting house on a Friday evening to meet more of the young people, see them in action and maybe join in to share a song, a dance, a skill or how to cook a favourite recipe. I hope many of us do take up this opportunity, even if it is just to say hello. Everyone is welcomed as a friend.
By Liz Collins
English