International Partnerships: Connecting with the Global Community
On Wednesday 28th October 2015, the UK Projects team were honoured to host a delegation of influential members of the Thai °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÍøÕ¾ community at the MH London office.
The group of 16, led by Professor Kasem Benchawong, Director Raja Park Institute and Doctor Muhammad Asamee Arbubaka, President of the Islamic Schools Network; had travelled all the way from Yala Province in Thailand to explore how °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÍøÕ¾ minorities had integrated into UK society and to learn from the experience of °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÍøÕ¾ communities in the UK.
The delegation, which represented a variety of °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÍøÕ¾ organisations including those from the charity sector, arrived at the London office at 3.30pm and were greeted with teas, coffees and refreshments before being briefed on the work of °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÍøÕ¾ Hands by Director of Community Development, Maqsood Ahmed OBE.
Ìý
As well as presenting °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÍøÕ¾ Hands’ international work, the UK Projects team also gave a presentation on MH activities within the UK which includes women’s empowerment programmes, helping °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÍøÕ¾ and BME students to achieve academic success, prisoner rehabilitation, and supporting poverty-relief projects like soup kitchens and food banks.
Commenting on the success of the visit, Maqsood Ahmed told us, ‘It is wonderful to establish links with grassroots leaders of the Thai °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÍøÕ¾ community. It was truly an honour to be chosen by the delegation to provide an insight into the UK °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÍøÕ¾ community and °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÍøÕ¾ Hands looks forward to future projects and partnership with Dr Kasem and his team’.