Stand Up is working with young people to make a ‘splash’ in tackling sectarianism this summer! Community based youth groups from across Scotland will use the summer to bring people together through new and challenging activities!
In May, leaders got together with Ocean Youth Trust to prepare for Stand Up’s sail against sectarianism from Oban to Greenock. The sail will take in some of Columba’s journey from Ireland to Iona, bringing Christianity to these shores. Young people will join the voyage in August from Glasgow and Edinburgh, but to begin with, the leaders got together to learn the ropes – literally! A good weekend was had sailing around Loch Fyne and finding ways of including anti-sectarianism awareness-raising within the programme!
Last week in June, Stand Up will be hosting 28 young people at the Iona Community’s outdoor centre at Camas, Mull. The young people will train as peer leaders for their local youth groups with skills of starting conversations as a way of tackling sectarianism among their peers and people they don’t know! Last year, young people identified that they needed more subtle ways of tackling sectarianism among their peers, with 68% of participants saying they felt confident in challenging sectarianism within their peer group. It is hoped that this approach being developed by young people will increase as a result of next week’s stay in Camas! Youth Work Games! Stand Up will be taking part in the Youth Work Games, Muirhouse Youth Development’s flagship project held annually on the banks of Loch Tay. Over 200 young people from North Edinburgh and beyond will compete in friendly challenges with opportunities to learn about ways to Stand Up to sectarianism and other forms of hate behaviour.
More Info will be available next month to see how the young people got on and to tell you about the Voyage from Oban to Greenock, and about the Stand Up exchange with St Peter’s and Immaculate in Belfast!
