The first session of four workshops will take place prior to lunch. They will be repeated at 3pm. You will be encouraged to sign-up for workshops on registering for the conference.
The workshops will not be filmed or recorded.
1. How to become a Church of Sanctuary
This workshop will be led by Revd Dr Inderjit Bhogal, head of the Church of Sanctuary movement. He will explain the process of becoming a Church of Sanctuary. The workshop will also include testimonies from some places of worship that have gone through the process and are now Churches and Cathedrals of Sanctuary.
2. Advocacy and political voice
This workshop will discuss how churches, parachurch organisations and Christians can be more proactive in setting or influencing the agenda on issues linked to asylum seekers and refugees. Staff from QARN (Quakers Asylum and Refugee Network) will use examples from their work to show the various ways in which church and community groups can make a difference on this hot topic, especially with general elections due to take place in Britain and Ireland very soon.
3. Church-related work taking place locally
This workshop will showcase the activities of two key local organisations, Restore and Fatima House, which are indicative of some of the excellent work and best practices taking place in Birmingham and the West Midlands. It is a session to hear from these organisations and to talk about your experiences and activities in this area.
4. Asylum Voices
In this workshop attendees will hear about the work of the Birmingham-based, Stories of Hope and Home project, which offers asylum seekers and refugees a space to share their stories, and others a space to hear them. The workshop will include first-hand accounts from those who have had to cross borders to live in this country, and hear how the many challenges of starting a new life continue while being resident in these islands.
