COMMUNITY XCHANGE PROJECT
Steven Longden
This is my favourite photo because it has got most of the Multan participants together (except Iffat) and we were all having a nice, relaxed time at a café. You can tell from our faces that we were having fun and I think that reflects the fact that all five of us got on really well and did a lot of laughing over the three weeks.
The British Council programme provided me with the opportunity of a lifetime. To visit Pakistan for three weeks and learn so much about the politics, society, people and economy of the country was a great privilege and honour. Most importantly, it allowed me to make friendships with people in Pakistan which is, of course, a priceless gift. The BC staff worked tirelessly to give us a great and honest experience of Pakistan. Sadia, Kim, Nasir, Obaid and Charlie should be very proud of all the effort they put in and the results of that effort. I am also grateful that Mark Stephens and the efforts he made to enable us to travel freely.
Not everything went smoothly, but then I never expected a programme like this to be completely free of problems, especially as it was a pilot programme. I was given ample opportunity to give feedback on the programme and I hope my comments have been constructive and will lead to another Pakistan/Manchester Xchange in the future.
Before coming to Pakistan I had fairly negative feelings about the country and its people. Unfortunately, this perception was not simply created by Western media outlets but also encouraged by colleagues and family members of Pakistani heritage. Spending two weeks in Multan was the antidote to these stereotypes. Masroor’s mother and father were truly wonderful and made us feel part of the family. We were inspired by the enthusiasm and energy of the young volunteers at Multan’s Youth Assembly. I was particularly touched by the Multani character – genteel, hospitable and warm. It is the people of Multan that have inspired me to want to continue to maintain my links with the city, with Masroor and Tanzeel, and to return to Pakistan one day, Insha Allah, with my wife and sons. I feel that in Multan I can give my boys a really positive introduction to their Pakistani heritage. It is this positive message that I have been broadcasting to all my colleagues, friends and contacts since returning to Manchester. For me, this is the greatest legacy the Community Xchange Programme could have hoped for.
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Nusrat Ahmed
My experience in Pakistan was life-changing; it was so special and I think I am a better person for it. I am so grateful to the British Council, YPP and Pakistan for investing in my participation and hope that this visit was as fruitful for them as it was for me. On a personal level I have grown so much that I feel quite overwhelmed by the whole experience. My outlook, thinking and ideologies about Pakistan have completely changed and now I think I am able to comment on the country and its people with some substance to back me up. This is quite ironic really, as I am of Pakistani heritage and have a husband from Pakistan; it makes me quite sad that I never appreciated being of Pakistani heritage until going on the programme, where I was allowed to meet the real people of Pakistan who can and will, with a bit of help, make a difference to the country and its people.
I have to agree with Steven and say that Multan made the difference for me, the gentle, over-accommodating, and overwhelming love from people who – prior to our visit – had no connection to us at all. Our host Malik Masroor and his family let us into their home as though we were also their family members and I felt as comfortable as if I had been at my parents’ home. I feel I have another family now in Pakistan and feel privileged to continue to be part of it now and in the future.
Working with the NGOs in Multan I was pleasantly surprised by how much energy was put into reaching out to communities. YPP and its youth amazed me with their enthusiasm and approach to life even when they were up against so much negativity in the country. I was especially surprised to see how active young women were, being involved and having their say too. I intend to maintain my links with YPP and in particular with Tanzeel, working together to create youth volunteering opportunities in Pakistan and then sustaining this network to encourage positive activity for young people in Multan and across Pakistan as a whole.
It was refreshing to see how the other groups we met – Pattan, Mehmoona Foundation, etc. – were working to empower women in rural areas. They operated at grassroots level to reach out to the hearts of the community, to the women who are the foundation and strength of families. I am so happy that Pakistan has acknowledged women and given them a chance to develop into active contributors to the community and country as a whole. Tackling illiteracy will bring positive outcomes and our community event in Multan allowed us to make contact with these very people.
The sheer hospitality and generosity of the village people was so overwhelming that I cried. The deep sense of bonding I felt was so genuine, it seemed we had had a connection with these people from years before. To sum up I would like to reiterate what I said at the press conference in Lahore with Abrar ul Haq. "As a British-born Pakistani I have been completely surprised by what I learnt from the exchange programme and am happy to say that I am proud to be of Pakistani heritage". I hope this has given you a small idea of my emotions and what effect the programme has had on me. I will email more photos, but this one shows how I feel the most. I could not pin down one photo so did two as our community event was in two halves; one with women and one with men, with each event celebrating achievements of the local people.
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Huma Nazar
It was a great honour for PK CX team to be invited to Town Hall to meet with the Lord Mayor and Pakistani officials working there as ministers and MPs. The artistic architecture caught everyone’s attention.
The story behind this photograph is that during dinner I was wondering how to have a picture taken with the Lord Mayor as I was holding a camera in one hand. The Lord Mayor perhaps read the expression on my face. To my awe, she came closer to me, put her arm around my shoulder, handed my camera to someone and asked to have a photo with me. Then everyone else began crowding around to get their picture taken with her, so she decided to have a group photo with more than twenty different cameras taking the same shot!
Being a Masters in English Literature and Linguistics, the Lord Mayor’s appearance and posture reminded me of the classic heroines of English movies based on classic literary novels and dramas.
When I heard it for the first time, the name “Action Factory” sounded interesting, but after paying it a visit I was more amused by the colourful and creative artwork placed in the spacious hall called the “Art Factory”. This was established over twenty years, prepared by thousands of volunteers during various workshops.
The staff was wonderful, especially the affectionately paternal Mr Julian, the senior officer who was a fountain of knowledge. I am grateful to him for the time he spent explaining UK geography to us. He explained the role of the organization this way: “Having a small core team, AFCA develops, manages, and delivers participatory arts workshops and projects in a range of settings, including work in education, with youth and community groups, at festivals and events, voluntary and campaign groups, with health agencies and housing and regeneration initiatives.”
This picture reminds me of the spell-binding place which was full of art. AFCA deeply inspired me that arts and creativity can play a valuable role in community and individual development.
Having been associated with Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC) for years, you may call me a microphone addict. I had a great wish to work with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and appear in one of its programmes to learn more about the profession. The British Council fulfilled my wish – I was not only interviewed at the BBC Radio Manchester on the show “Asia Magazine with Tallat Farooq Awan”, but also guest-presented the “Nina-Marcus Show”. I was also invited to a talk show based on Community Cohesion at the BBC Radio Lancashire, but unfortunately time constraints meant I had to decline.
Whenever I look at this picture and listen to the audio recording, I experience a sense of satisfaction and pride that I was able to explore my talent, was inspired to polish my English communication skills, gained confidence and a belief that “I can do better”. I am very glad of the exposure to the media on an international level, of having learned of the ways they operate, of shows based on Asian culture and community, of their issues and radio-related technicalities. I enjoyed meeting English presenters, producers and editors, and found new ideas of making better use of the microphone as a tool of instruction.
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Martina Roche
I picked out three photographs that hold great memories for me. There is one of me at the mosque in Lahore, which was my favourite day. It was so serene – I could have spent all day in the gardens. There is also a picture of me teaching at the National Institute of Cultural Studies in Islamabad. It was a wonderful venue to teach in and we got a fantastic response. And third is a picture of myself and Mariam; I had a great experience throughout the last two-three months and I feel I learnt a lot about myself, my own culture and that of Pakistan. It is something that I will reflect on often, and Pakistan will always have a place in my heart.
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Tanzeel-ur-Rehman Alvi
This picture was taken in a community event during the UK phase. At this event, I wore Pakistani clothes and sang traditional Pakistani songs. That moment was very touching because everyone was dancing and enjoying themselves even though they were unable to understand the language. They did so because love has no language. It is a universal expression and there was much love in my typically Pakistani song. There was a smile of pride on my face as I won a lot of hearts for my dress and song. This was one of the most important and beautiful moments of my life._________________________________________________________________
Mariam Azeem
This is one of my most favourite photographs, taken while riding on the Manchester Wheel. It was so much fun, and I just can’t describe the sheer excitement and the butterflies in my stomach as the cabin rolled higher and higher. It was so thrilling, and when I saw the face of the person sitting across from me – utterly scared, wide-eyed and with lips tightly clamped together – I couldn’t help laughing my heart out! One of my friends was thoroughly enjoying my excitement and he snapped this playful photo of me. I love this picture because it’s so much fun, so real and full of life!
I loved the ride on the Manchester Wheel because it was so exciting. That’s also why I really enjoyed being part of Community Xchange. The programme was an amalgamation of challenges which helped us recognize our own strengths and encouraged us to improve and widen our skills.
I also loved exploring the beautiful art and architecture of Manchester because I am an artist. I appreciated the diversity of working with people from a different culture, who operated in a different frame of mind.
Community Xchange gave us all a chance to have fun to the fullest. We didn’t have to pretend to be anyone else; all participants were truly original, and that gave many opportunities to smile and laugh.
Now that the program is over – successfully over, I should say! – I really miss those sleepless nights, unnecessary panic (that was really because of excitement), impromptu meals at 3 in the morning, non-stop photography, tempting chocolate muffins, and steaming cups of frothy coffee.
I miss the encouraging pats on the shoulder, warm hugs of support, the laughter and even the moment of goodbyes reluctantly said.
Manchester will live in our mind and hearts forever. Pak-Man Rocks!
Community XchangeThe United Kingdom’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities.
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