Young people explore life’s challenges
‘Young people, peace and community’ event brings together young people from Blackburn, Huddersfield and Bolton
The problems of identity and stereotyping were among those addressed at a Quaker event in Huddersfield on 19 April when forty young people met to share and discuss the issues they face today. The event, ‘Young people, peace and community’, was organised by the Northern Friends Peace Board (NFPB) as part of its work on ‘Building Peace in Diverse Britain’.. The participants, who were between fourteen and nineteen years old, were drawn from young people’s groups in Blackburn, Huddersfield and Bolton. They represented a range of faiths, cultures and communities.
Over the course of the day, participants shared experiences from the viewpoints of their groups and took part in one-to-one dialogues on a range of issues. A number of particularly challenging themes were explored in greater depth. These included issues of identity and stereotyping, relationships with police, political engagement, employment and the importance of young people working together across boundaries.
‘The project has aimed to promote awareness of approaches to working positively for change and to support people involved in such work. Previous events have looked at dialogue and the roots of conflict, raising awareness of a range of initiatives and projects that seek to address these’, NFPB coordinator Philip Austin told the Friend.
