After months of preparations the time had come for the third AWoN Summit, this year in Greece. The participants gathered on the island of Aegina, with focus on connection and retreat, workshops, strategy and reports.
Mohammed Wais Jan, who is currently transitioning from Germany to Poland to begin his studies, attended an AWoN Summit for the first time:
“AWoN is exactly what I have been looking for since arriving in Europe. This community gives me the energy to continue my work, to knock on more doors, and to push forward with my projects and motivates me to never stop striving for positive change”, he said.
Anna Perlini from Italy, working as a volunteer for the organisation “Per Un Mondo Migliore” in Croatia has been involved with AWoN for some time, participating in Home Groups and summits.
“This time I was able to have much deeper conversations with people, get to know their lives, their work and their contributions to AWoN. It really filled my heart and enriched my spirit, like opening a treasure box!” she shared.
Who can I count on?
Being a relatively young organisation, each annual summit also means new developments. During the year that has passed, AWoN has developed a membership strategy and Team Member Agreement, clarifying roles, how to get involved, benefits and expectations.
“Who is part of the network? Who can I count on? These are recurring questions in a growing organisation like A World of Neighbours. Clear expectations build the trust that is so essential to the community”, said Rikko Voorberg, director of the network.
At the summit, 20 practitioners immediately signed the new agreement to serve for the coming three years. In the coming months more will follow. Seven new practitioners are in the onboarding process.
“All of our people are overburdened with work already. This network aims to help them to balance the work they do and have resources to do their work better or lighter. That so many signed up immediately shows the need and usefulness of the AWoN approach to European Practitioners”, said Rikko Voorberg.
Signing the Team Member Agreement is a promise to dedicate time and effort to all the other team members by joining the Home Group Series in fall and/or spring, to be available for calls and meetings with any other of the Team Members and to look for ways to spread lessons learned from AWoN to practitioners in their countries, for example via National AWoN-like Networks.
“A representational, committed group of Team Members is the true worth and vision of A World of Neighbours”, said Rikko Voorberg.
New Board Chair focuses on capacity building
The summit elected Helena Hummasten, Islamic Relief, Sweden to chair the board for the coming year:
“I will focus on further developing our capacity to better serve our vision and goals. There is a great need for a strong civil society that cares for the most vulnerable, and a significant need for what AWoN is set to do—support migration practitioners serving the most vulnerable, wherever we operate.”
She’s taking on this task together with Vice Chairperson, Rebecca Lillian, Rabbi, Copenhagen, Denmark, Treasurer Alaaddin Uslu, student, Slovakia, Amloud Alamir, Amal, Berlin!, Germany Maria Kjellsdotter, Church of Sweden, David Mason, HIAS JCore, UK, Nejra Kadić Meškić, Center for Cultural Dialogue, Croatia, Zoé Balakrishnan, JRS France.
Amazing work by local practitioners
The summit concluded with a day in Athens dedicated to networking with local stakeholders and religious leaders working for and alongside people on the move. AWoN hosted a meet-and-greet lunch, bringing together representatives from St Paul’s Church in Athens, the Green Light Project, Re:Focus Media Labs, Church of Sweden, Humanity First Greece, Welcommon Hostel, Synyparxis, HIAS Greece, Rain Lab, Creative Hands, Muslim Association Greece, Hellenic Ministries and Faros.
“An amazing event. There were so many people that I had never met before”, said Imam Atta-Ul Naseer, Humanity First Greece, whose many volunteers assist with food packages, clothing and other first needs for both people on the move and local Greeks in need.
During visits that same afternoon, practitioners were impressed with the hands-on work and the deep values of the local actors.
Many plans when new season kicks off
A new season has begun. Rikko Voorberg looks forward to the Fall Home Groups Series, where groups of about ten practitioners from the community meet to exchange ideas, support one another, learn, and co-create strategies. The Learning & Exchange program on Community of Practice, Multifaith Literacy, and Migration Themes will soon be published, and Youth AWoN will be up and running in a few months.
“We will also see National AWoN networks established in different countries, and last but not least, we will work hard to be truly representative by the end of this season—in terms of gender, faiths, culture, migration experience, and other relevant themes,” said Rikko.
“You’ve strengthened my immune system”
Summerizing her impressions of the days together, Mirna Nadra, from Syria, living in Finland and working with the Lutheran Parish Association of Espoo said:
“Human immunity is strengthened and enhanced when interactions are based on cooperation, compassion, and altruism. Conversely, the immune system weakens when behavior is rooted in selfishness, exploitation, competition, hatred, malice, fear, and anxiety.
You have strengthened my immune system through your compassion, cooperation, and altruism.
Europe needs more people like you to thrive.”
… before we know it, it will be time for the AWoN Annual Summit 2025, 15-18 September.
Poland, here we come!
