Essex Friend at Mexican conference
A Quaker from Colchester spoke at the sixth Juconi International Congress
A Friend from Colchester Meeting spoke at an international congress in Mexico as part of her testimony as a Quaker in addressing ‘the needs of the most traumatised and vulnerable children and young people in our society’.
Social worker Jane Herd was given an education bursary by Southern East Anglia Area Meeting to speak at the sixth Juconi International Congress on developing peace, held in Mexico.
Over two days on 25 and 26 October, she gave a keynote address, two workshops and a panel presentation on subjects including reflective practice, managing stress and therapeutic fostering. The congress, which included 500 delegates from 117 countries, covered subjects including: migration, street children, family violence, and alternative family care.
Jane Herd told the Friend that it was an ‘exciting opportunity’. ‘I particularly wanted to assist my Mexican colleagues in thinking about fostering in the country, which is very new for them, as they only have had this in law since 2014 and have no clear policy or practice. The whole experience was fabulous and exhausting. It was really eye-opening to hear about the realities of working in a country with no real social security, abject poverty for some – including families living on the streets – and the high risk of violence, both in family and externally. Saying this, I have been staying in Puebla and have always felt safe.’
The social worker was asked to speak at the event because of her research at the Mulberry Bush School, which works with highly traumatised children.
