There and back again…

Jun 25, 2010 by kieran    1 Comment     Posted under: Span That World

We’re back! And the Bridges Project has been born…

A fortnight ago, 5 Woodies: Misha Franklin, Bridget Holtom, Ben Raw, Kieran Ford and Eppie Garton headed to Palestine and Israel to visit as a delegation the International Falcon Movement in the Middle East Region.

We had an AMAZING time! We learnt so much – all about the movements, their values, their work and their members. Some of it was challenging stuff. Seeing the effect that occupation has on individual Palestinians in the same week as discussing zionism on the other side of the separation wall was tough emotionally and challenging intellectually. However, the entire process has been incredibly stimulating and out of this delegation: the Bridges Project was born.

The Bridges Project is a new DF project – much in the same way that MEST-UP or PARTY are projects – it’s an ongoing programme of focussed activity working within a set of aims and objectives. The Project is unique within DFs in that it’s a triangular project working both with Independence Youth Union of Palestine, and Framfylkingen of Norway.

The Bridges Project: Unite, Create and Educate
The project is an educational project with the aim of producing an engaging and stimulating critical education programme for all ages, focussing on the issues surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We aim to do three things:

UNITE: create an international network focussing on awareness-raising, study trips and volunteering opportunities in the region

CREATE: we will create a short film to be used as an educational resource

EDUCATE: we will create an educational programme of workshops at national events, and resource packs for local groups of all ages in order that everyone in Woodcraft Folk can engage critically in the conflict.

The Bridges Project has a new webpage! Look up. You see where it says ‘What we do.’ Scroll down through projects and you’ll find the Bridges Project Page. Over time, this will be filled with loads of information and stuff to do with the project and how YOU can get involved.