Promoting Peace and Spreading Hummus across Manchester!
After months of planning on 3rd of December we were delighted to host our Manchester University Students & Community event for the season of twinning at St Peter Chaplaincy.
Students and staff from the University of Manchester and the Manchester Metropolitan University alongside members of different faith communities took part in our event.
Eating & Spreading Hummus
Food was central to our twinning event. There was plenty to eat including warm samosas and hummus to spread! Jonny helped to provide all the kosher food. I topped it up with warm samosas.
Special Guests
We were delighted to have our Manchester Lord Mayor, Councillor Paul Murphy and Jim Battle, Deputy Police & Crime Commissioner as our chief guests. We were also delighted to welcome as our special guest from different communities for example Sajid Mehmood Qazi, Community Welfare Counsellor from Consulate General of Pakistan. Jenny Wang, Director of Manchester Chinese Center. Venerable Miao Duo and her chairman May Yau from Manchester Fo Guang Shan Temple representing the Buddhist community. Umer Khan, Chief Inspector for design for security & We Stand Together. Umer has provided excellent support with the twinning events including funding for food. It was a pleasure to welcome a team from he fire service of Manchester who also joined us for this wonderful event. It was lovely to have Councillor Rabnawaz Akbar and his daughter Asma with her friends to join us.
Our guests, students, faith leaders, teachers and other members enjoyed the opportunity to chat and eat together, make new friendships and of course posing for photos!
Networking
There was great opportunity to network for all, including for Leyla from Azerbaijan. I was delighted to meet and welcome my old friend and workmate Liz Shapiro. We used to work for Manchester Adult Education service. Liz was great in her work with women from around the world.
Host Speakers
Jonny Wineberg organised all the kosher food and also presided over the event as a Master of ceremonies. Bob Day as the Chair of Faith Network for Manchester welcomed the guests and talked about the season of twinning initiative. Andy Williams our Manchester Multi Faith Centre, Community Development Officer shared some of ‘Faith Network 4 Manchester’ activities. Qaisra as Vice-Chair thanked the guests & partners and choreographed the pictures of all the guests holding the banners with slogans ‘We Refused to be Enemies and Spread Hummus Not Hate’.
Special Guest Speakers
Lord Mayor, Jim Battle and Umer Khan representing Police.
Student Speakers
Students speakers representing different faiths included Carlo (Bahai), Catherine (Muslim), Dr Kirti (Jain), Anna (Catholic), Hani Singh (Sikh), Lawrence (Jewish) and Buddhist students Lixian Chew, Ziquan Beah, Zingharn Yeo, May Yau & Venerable Miao Duo.
Banner
We loved posing with the banners. I didn’t let anyone leave without having taken their photos with the banners. Unfortunately the Lord Mayor of Manchester Councillor Paul Murphy had to leave early.
#WeStandTogether, #SpreadHummusNotHate