“Ma nishtanah halailah hazeh mikol haleilot?” - Why is this night different from all other nights?

This article was written in collaboration with Diverse Educators.

Dialogue is fundamental to building relationships and resolving differences. It is a crucial tool for addressing conflicts, yet when pain and injustice run deep, the idea of engaging in dialogue can feel futile - or even wrong.

There is a kind of work that often goes unseen. The kind of work young people do when they sit with complexity, when they speak gently in difficult conversations, when they refuse to let conflict harden them. It is the work of listening, and listening well. 

For many who have taken part in the Bridge Builders Programme, this will feel familiar. The habit of sitting with difficult truths, of questioning without hostility, and of holding more than one perspective at once is something that quietly stays with us long after we leave the room.
 

There is a kind of work that often goes unseen. The kind of work young people do when they sit with complexity, when they speak gently in difficult conversations, when they refuse to let conflict harden them. It is the work of listening, and listening well. 

For many who have taken part in the Bridge Builders Programme, this will feel familiar. The habit of sitting with difficult truths, of questioning without hostility, and of holding more than one perspective at once is something that quietly stays with us long after we leave the room.
 

Being a Muslim in Britain is far more challenging than many people realise. At various points throughout my life, I have felt abandoned by the state, politicians, and government. Three generations of my family – my parents, myself and my children – have faced prejudice, racism and Islamophobia.