Inspiring Young Readers

posted on 17 Jun 2016

The Letterpress Project at the Malvern St.Joseph's 'One World Group'

On Wednesday 1st June, Karen Argent, the Letterpress Project Director took part in the St. Joseph One World Group in Malvern.

The St. Joseph's Parish Magazine have kindly allowed us to reproduce the following article about the event:

 

The Youth Club, Cooking and Citizenship

 On Wednesday June 1st the Malvern St Joseph's One World Group invited the parish Youth Club for a day of cooking and 'citizenship'. The cooking was zestful and productive: ravioli and fruit crumble with pasta made from scratch. The crumble looked more professional in the outcome than the ravioli, but all was rapidly demolished when lunch time came.

 The citizenship? Two or possibly three Syrian families will very probably come to live in Malvern in September: how can we welcome them? Karen Argent led two exercises. In the first we considered 'a Syrian family' - fictional but true to life - and how we might welcome them. In pairs (adults too - Karen let no one stand aside) we each took a family member and shared our thoughts with each other and then with the group. The young people were deeply empathetic and imaginative. Take the smallest member of the family, Omar aged three, born prematurely in the camp in Jordan and his development much delayed. The discussion emphasized the need to make sure his teachers talked to the other children about not overwhelming him. The notes left behind (anonymously) by one pair said Omar would 'bring hope of the future and the next generation, he would also bring happiness to everyone who saw him growing and enjoying a safe life'. Yes indeed.

 The next session pushed our imaginations even further. Imagine that you wake up tomorrow to find a total dictator has taken over, with terrible rules ("Everyone must worship the Crocogod, no other is allowed....."). You have three days to leave before the borders are closed for good - do you decide to go and if you do what do you take with you and where to? Overwhelmingly we wanted our nearest and dearest with us, rather than material possessions.

 Karen is a total enthusiast for BOOKS - real tangible books. She ended by talking about books she had brought with her that embodied the refugee experience, the most magnetic one being a book with no words at all. You should hear about that one (The Arrival) and the others, because each person took home a book and is committed to writing a review for the next parish magazine, commenting (among other things) on how, if at all, their book helps us understand the refugee experience.

 Rosemary Thorp for the One World Group, 10 June 2016.