'If they are the future, then we do have something to believe in and work for.'
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 By Rikko Voorberg, Director of the Network
The sun was out in Brussels. A warm welcome to Board, Teammembers who joined the Retreat Day and of course Young A World of Neighbours (YAWoN). The group of young people outnumbered all of us. They worked with dedication to create a magazine in only two days, supported by two artists from the Netherlands. While we worked through strategy and new leadership questions - exciting stuff for sure - these young people were doing interviews, writing articles and putting together so much amazing knowledge. If these young people are the future, then we do have something to believe in and to work for.
And why a Retreat day for AWoN Team members? Can we not relax on our own? That is more easily said than done. To actually breathe in, and breathe out - realising the urgency and toughness of the work you do and at the same time listen to your body, your sometimes tired mind and heart. Together we can create spaces to hold them both. So we did. A first time for this retreat - and more of these moments will follow. Important days in Brussels for heart, mind, strategy, future and our book: Living in a World of Neighbours. For that’s what we create, bit by bit.
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Fruitful and promising in-person Board and Crew meeting in Brussels
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Kicking off this intense week, AWoN’s Board and Staff gathered for a two-day intensive Strategy and Planning meeting. Amidst an exciting leadership transition, AWoN’s executive teams looked back at the year and goals set at their last in-person encounter to assess AWoN’s progress, adjust targets, and lay the work for the upcoming Direction.
For both old and new members, it felt meaningful to return to the quiet and beautiful Maison Notre-Dame du Chant-d’Oiseau, the location which hosted AWoN’s very first Annual Summit, in 2022 - the old tree so many pictures of first practitioners’ encounters had been taken under was still there, majestic and steady.
Some key takeaways of those two rich days: keeping the focus on practitioners, who make and hold the Network, as it enters a phase of consolidation. So much work to be done and challenges to be faced - and lots of energy and willingness to achieve our common goals!
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While AWoN Board and Staff were working on the next chapter of the Network, not so far away, in another room, Young-AWoN was starting to blossom!
In Warsaw, last September, a small group of youth, based in Poland and the Netherlands and coming from many horizons, had met and started imagining ways of working together towards a more diverse and welcoming Europe.
In the beginning of this Spring, while the world only seems to keep on falling apart more and more, they were twenty to gather in the capital city of European politics, to meet, and talk but not only this time. During a three-day workshop facilitated by CitiZine artists Annette Kouwenhoven and Mohammed Bah, YAWoN participants put their stories, knowledge, anger and hopes into texts, images, T-shirt and a microphone.
They came up with a digital magazine and podcast series that they will soon be sharing more about - and a lot of ideas to make their voices heard and grow their movement. Stay tuned!
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The presentation by two of the three editors of the book, Pr. Dr. Ulrich Schmiedel and Dr. Ryszard Bobrowicz, was followed by a reflection from guest respondent Dr. Nella van den Brandt, from KU Leuven, and a lively discussion with the audience, mixing practitioner-contributors, researchers and colleagues. We cannot wait to share this important book more widely, check it out now already!
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A World of Neighbours’ mission is to empower migration practitioners through maintaining an interreligious and cross sectoral peer-to-peer support network of practitioners. We foster a “community of practice” among those working on the front lines of accompaniment of people on the move, and social cohesion.
AWoN is the only network of its type - and we need your support to keep up the good work.
Would you consider making a donation to keep us going?
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We're on a mission to support migration practitioners and to expand our community of practice. Subscribe and follow us! |
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Support for AWoN projects was provided by a grant from UMCOR.
Top photo: YAWoN participants creating the first issue of their digital magazine. Brussels, April 2026. By Joanna Zychla. All rights reserved.
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