Last Saturday was a joy to be a part of and yes we were blessed with great weather. When it comes down to it most people are the same. They tend to want the same things and given the chance to get involved will help make things happen to achieve those things.
Stiperstones has fewer layers of complexity in terms of diverse cultures. It also has fewer resources and facilities and yet for some reason we can make things happen . My background of working in Management Development has led me to the conclusion that ‘Advanced Simplicity’ is the way to move things forward.
In terms of learning about each others lives and backgrounds and cultures, simply , walking, talking, dancing eating and laughing together has a lasting and memorable effect.
I was intrigued to note, that when we five or six ambassadors accompanied The Smethwick Team on our day visit to Smethwick, that the Smethwick ambassadors were as hungry for understanding of the difference in Culture and practice in our visit to the Mosque Centre as we were. I had assumed wrongly that because folks over there in Smethwick lived in close proximity to many cultures that there was automatically an understanding. It is hard to get to ‘Advanced Simplicity’ when there are many layers, regulations, conventions and mis understandings. But if we start from the point of view that people generally want the same things in life overall. ie To be secure, fed and contributing etc etc. then the more complexity we introduce the harder it is for people to take ownership.
We are spoon-fed TV entertainment for example and everything is either unrealistically yearned for or simply impossible to achieve personally.
I think I have touched on many subjects here but overall I see that if people are allowed and encouraged to take part and have fun and be a part of making things happen then the heart comes back into shared communities.
These are my personal thoughts and observations.

Brian. Stiperstones Ambassador