Sudanese community, Edinburgh- An example to follow!

I visited Edinburgh  a week ago. Coincidentally there was  an event for the Sudanese community in one of the community centres. It was a Sunday, I , and my friend and his family went. We went to a full house: ladies, mothers and fathers, children at different ages. I learnt that the Sudanese community has booked the whole place for weekly gatherings.

That Sunday was a farewell to a Sudanese family going back home. They are active in community and leading management committee members. Khalid and his Wife Nijood has arrived 3 years ago to Edinburgh. At that time the community was fragile. They felt the need to do something, so they took the task on. They took care of everything till community thrived again, Alhamdullah.

Today the community is biding farewell to them. Sense of loss and direction as they are gone. Also sense of achievement that the community is back on its feet. Many said to me they are afraid community might disperse after their departure. Others kept the faith and saw that a new dawn is being born here. I am with the those optimisms. I am with the new fresh bloods to re-create and positive outlook all the time. I think Edinburgh is an example for whole UK Sudanese communities to follow. Lets strengthen our communities. This is our own source of power and opportunity to prosper. Fundamentally to learn from each other too.

Being there I thought. How real is this? is it true that people here feel the pain of each other? how far this can go?. I know that a strong nation can't be built/prosper when the community is fragile or has no values as a reference. Then I realized that what Khalid and Nijood has build was themselves. The ability to be true human beings with positive outlook. What Islam message in early days was a lot of focus on community building. The only way for us to grow is to really understand that community is not just gathering and having a good time, we need to think beyond that. We need to celebrate values while celebrating people. To appreciate outcomes and safe-guard them while respecting those who took the initiative and the lead. To co-lead and understand that the core is what will remain.

I know that to rebuild our Sudan, we need to restore our true communities back. The communities that are founded on our Sudanese values and Islamic principles. Not following trends and imported habits. A community of our own, the way we all know what it should be - even without asking each other what is right and wrong. What is referred to as high context branch of culture - In the cross culture management field of science. see book [1]

26/01/2014

[1] Edward Twitchell Hall, Mildred Reed Hall,’Understanding Cultural Differences’,. Nicholas Brealey Publishing Limited, 1990 - Social Science