Turning the Tide logo

End of year reflections

2018 has been a tumultuous year for the UK and for Turning the Tide too.

We’ve had staff changes, an unexpected and incredible learning visit to Rwanda and a BIG strategic review.

Alongside all of that, TTT facilitators and staff have managed to facilitate some really valuable spaces, Spaces that have explored issues such as gender and militarism, collective action on poverty, active hope, sanctuary and more.

Here is a round-up of some key moments throughout the year.

Goodbye to Hannah

We were sad to say goodbye to our Programme Coordinator Hannah Smith in September. We’re hugely grateful for all Hannah has contributed to TTT. An example of Hannah’s recent work was designing and facilitating a successful gathering on ‘Gender and Countering Youth Militarisation’ with War Resistors’ International in Nicosia, Cyprus (May 2018): https://www.wri-irg.org/en/story/2018/wri-training-countering-youth-militarisation-held-cyprus

Hannah has moved to Wales to work with the brilliant PIRC: http://publicinterest.org.uk/

East Africa Gathering

Group photo of around 30 teenagers and school students outside a school in Rwanda.
School and Youth Peace Clubs, Rwanda, 2018

The highlight of our year was the invitation to participate in the first regional gathering of Turning the Tide East Africa in Kigali in October.

Hearing first-hand about the way people are building peace using nonviolent approaches in Kenya, Rwanda and Burundi, was utterly inspiring. TTT UK has so much learn from our counterparts in TTT East Africa.

For more stories and inspiration, follow @AfricaQPSW on Twitter.

APLE Collective

It’s been brilliant to be a very small part of the development of the APLE Collective and their campaign to transform the way people think about poverty, including the #PovertyTakeover in October. The APLE Collective is led by people with direct experience of poverty. TTT has connected with this collective over the year in various ways, including co-facilitating their first gathering. Please do follow them on Twitter – @ApleCollective.

Grenfell Silent March

Photo of heart-shaped banner that reads 'love'
Silent Walk for Grenfell: One Year On

One of the most powerful moments of our year was experiencing the ‘Silent Walk for Grenfell: One year on.

The power and love of the local people who continue to strive for truth and justice was profoundly moving.

Strategy review

We started the year spending time with our Quaker ‘committee’ (the TTT Group) reviewing and refining our strategic objectives. And we’ve ended the year by agreeing some changes in how we work. Nonviolence remains absolutely central to TTT. We feel nonviolent approaches for positive social change are needed more than ever.

Our thanks

As this year draws to a close, we’re hugely grateful for all of the people who have contributed time and ideas to TTT over the last year. From our Quaker colleagues, TTT facilitator/trainers and the TTT Group (our Quaker ‘committee’).

We wish everyone who celebrates, a very Merry Christmas.

And we hope 2019 will be a year where we continue to find ways of living adventurously and creating peaceful change together.

 

Call to Action!