We have launched a new community-based project called Leap of Faith Together (LoFT) aimed at creating greater cultural awareness and understanding in Europe.
Designed in partnership with the Faith Regen Foundation, LoFT is the first part of a major initiative of the British Council's South East Europe Region’s Living Together project.
Living Together is aimed at encouraging intercultural dialogue between communities in South East Europe and the UK and has brought together diverse groups of people from the UK, Balkans, the South Caucasus and the Eastern Mediterranean.
LoFT is based round a simple idea: working as a team enables individuals to understand one another. This team work breaks down barriers of ethnicity, faith, and other cultural and social divides.
The project has recently recruited eight young people (aged between 20 and 25) from each of the four participating countries – Scotland, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Republic of Macedonia and Romania.
The participants are already working and making a difference in their communities. The team are currently identifying and planning a project that benefits a city in Scotland. This could include the conversion of waste ground into a public garden, or providing a small library for a local orphanage.
Teams will meet for up to six hours each week for up to ten weeks to plan and deliver their project. The next step involves working together on a second ‘super project’ in each country. They will then travel to another country location and spend 10 days with another team of volunteers.
Each team will launch their project with a public event, where they can share their experience using talks, video diaries and presentations. The Scotland team is visiting Bosnia-Herzegovina and host a team from Romania.
For more information e-mail alison.jeffrey@britishcouncil.org or telephone +44 (0) 131 524 5715.
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