UPF Youth Project to create a Peace Garden in Birmingham, United Kingdom

UPF Youth Project to create a Peace Garden in Birmingham Birmingham, United Kingdom, August 2022 By David & Patricia Earle Most of the young women were the project, particularly in the young daughters of ladies who are part of women, gaining confidence through

T he Universal Peace Federation, (UPF), supported by the Women’s Federation for World Peace, carried out a Youth Service the Birmingham Women’s Peace Group. Also, each day a home-made lunch public service, creating something of value for the community, and building lasting friendships with the other participants in the process. Project in August, in which twelve was provided by different ladies Wonderful! young women, and twelve young from the Women’s Peace Group – men, laid the foundations for a Peace Bangladeshi, Moroccan, Jamaican, At the end, Certificates of Garden in a beautiful EcoPark, in Iranian, Pakistani… Achievement were presented to Small Heath, one of the most everyone by the Region’s longest Several people came in to speak to deprived areas of Birmingham, serving (35 years) female Police the young men and women, working in partnership with the Officer, Rani Gundhu. including 2 women City Councillors Birmingham and Black Country from Small Heath, Cllr Moledina, We will take one of the young men, Wildlife Trust. and Balsall Heath, Cllr Bano, a Mohamed from Somalia, and one of The young men cleared out a very Christian Minister, Rev Carver the young women, Evanjelin from overgrown part of the park, which Anderson, and a local Imam, Shahid Sri Lanka, to receive a special UPF was like a jungle, and began making Tameez, working with youth and Youth Award in the UK Parliament, a new fence around it, together with street gangs, and a young woman in October. some benches for people to sit on who leads the Violence Reduction They will have time to speak in and enjoy time reflecting in nature. Unit in the Office of the Police and Parliament about their experience on At the centre of the Peace Garden is Crime Commissioner, Nadia the Peace Garden project, and other a beautiful fig tree. Hussain. social and humanitarian work they The young women completed the All were inspired by the efforts of have been doing to help young woodwork, and cleared another area the young people, their teamwork, people, before receiving the award of very tall reeds and grass, putting and the fact that they represented so from their Member of Parliament. in new soil to make a large flower many races, religions, cultures, and It’s been a lot of hard work, but so bed. Seeds from these flowers will be 10 different nationalities. It was so rewarding to work with such great sent out to other parks and green interesting to see the transformation young people. spaces in Birmingham next year. which occurred during their 3 days at