ICLS (West Yorkshire)

The Intercultural Communication and Leadership School (ICLS) is a programme of residential seminars for young adults (generally aged 20-30) from diverse cultures and backgrounds. In West Yorkshire it is run by the Active Faith Communities Programme (AFC) - an independent, multi-faith infrastructure support organisation with a specific focus on building the capacity of the faith sector to engage in social action and community cohesion.

Since 2002 AFC has organised 10 seminars with over 100 participants. Each seminar runs for five days and is held at Scargill House, near Kettlewell in the Yorkshire Dales. In the last two years seminars have also been held in other cities in the UK, including Leicester, Peterborough and the West Midlands.

The content of the seminar includes:

• Leadership skills
• Conflict resolution
• Working with the media
• Culture, beliefs and identity

Just as important as the programme content is that participants have a chance to learn about each other and from each other in a space where they are able to ask difficult questions and have honest discussions. After the seminar, all participants become members of a growing network of people who are active in their own communities and committed to developing healthy and positive relationships between com- munities. Many of the participants to date have demonstrated the effectiveness of the programme through community projects they have set up or engaged in, and by the life choices they have subse- quently made.

The ICLS in West Yorkshire is part of an international programme with links in Europe and Asia. Recently a UK-wide ICLS organisation has been formed and is currently seeking funding to develop the programme nationally.

www.activefaiths.org