February 26, 2010 Faith Matters

Resisting Through Resilience Programme in the London Borough of Enfield

This programme provided young people with the opportunity to discuss matters around identity, faith and local issues that may be impacting on them. We worked with young Bangladeshi and young Somali groups in the London Borough of Enfield to look at these issues within a safe and secure environment.

The London Borough of Enfield asked Faith Matters to explore such issues of identity with three main aims. These included:

– What does it mean to be Somali or Bangladeshi, a Muslim and a local resident of the London Borough of Enfield.

– Providing counter-narratives to feelings of alienation and disaffection and providing an anchor through identity to the their local areas and borough.

– The programme looked at the history of Islam within Britain and promoted a sense that Muslims and Islam have a positive role to play with other faith communities in the country. Being part of a pluralistic set of communities is essential to developing strong links between communities.