From One of the Extra Volunteers
Eleven of us were members of the “extra” volunteer team. We stayed at the youth hostel with the SAL delegation and were led by Julia Seibert (from Germany). We had a brief introduction with the delegation and then didn’t see them much—they were constantly on the move.
We didn’t have access to the Bonn Zone but were able to run our own listening projects and listen to and talk with many people one-to-one at the external events and on the bus. We encouraged people to attend the SAL events. We also attended these events and met and listened to lots of people.
Special for me was meeting people from Sudan, a country I had lived in many years ago. A woman was thrilled because I had lived in the town her husband came from and I remembered some Sudanese Arabic.
Several decades ago Harvey Jackins and I had tried to get a Community started in Sudan, but it was not possible, as communications were so difficult. Now, in the age of the Internet, I’m excited that a Community could grow there.
Going to Bonn has clarified for me that committing myself to SAL means that racism, internalised sexism, classism, and other distresses of oppression can discharge along the way.
London, England
(Present Time 190, January 2018)