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>> New programme in Jordan established

The AVP Iraq-Jordan program builds momentum with refugee youth and adults, training our first new facilitators in Amman.  This is a key first step for localising AVP work within a Middle Eastern context.

Drumming, dancing, cheers and laughter marked the successful completion of the first Training for Facilitators workshops in Amman. The nineteen newly trained facilitators, (nine of whom are less than 18 years old and did most of the dancing and drumming!) expressed deep joy and gratitude for their experience in the series of workshops, and feelings of being part of the AVP 'family'. They are eager to begin facilitating and to be involved in helping AVP grow in the Middle East.

Three local Arabic-speaking apprentice facilitators, who had been trained in 2008, also had their chance to facilitate in the youth and adult workshop series that ran concurrently throughout July.  Their participation and leadership mark an important step in the process of AVP’s adaptation and integration into the local culture.

The eight volunteer international facilitators involved in the project will soon disperse to the far corners of the globe- exhausted, satisfied and grateful for having had the opportunity to support AVP’s development in Jordan for Iraqi and Palestinian refugees and local Jordanians.

Although the language barrier may have been the biggest facilitation challenge, it forced us to rely on the universal languages of laughing, smiling and singing together which are, after all, some of the most pleasurable parts of community building, particularly across cultures.

Despite generous support for the July workshops from Relief International, a non-governmental organization who serves refugees in Jordan, AVP Iraq-Jordan requires financial, facilitator and resource support to complete the cultural adaptation of the Arabic AVP manuals and begin holding community meetings and workshops for Iraqi and Palestinian refugees.  In addition, as our participants and facilitators receive immigration status in the US we are looking to link them to existing AVP groups.  Please contact Ann J. Ward if your local AVP group is interested in supporting AVP Iraq / Jordan in any way.

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