FAN

It was around 6pm yesterday here, on the Corriere site, that I read of the imminent release of the 15 British sailors in Iran and let me say at the outset that, whatever the rights and wrongs of the situation on both sides, I am immensely relieved for them and their families. I must admit that I'd turned the TV news off earlier, as it seemed to me that the President was droning on, though it did occur to me that he was looking unusually dapper! What a piece of theatre! Pictures of some protesters in Britain holding up banners stating that the 15 "must die" were shown fleetingly on Sky and so I imagine that, now that they are home, their security will be a concern for a while.

At such a moment, when mistrust and misunderstanding between nations and cultures seems so great, I am going to mention on this blog an initiative which I have wanted to write about for some time, and that is the FAN [Friends and Neighbours] Groups in the UK. FAN is the idea of a dear friend in Cardiff and its genius lies, as genius often does, in its simplicity. My friend believes that if only "ordinary" people of all cultures could just get together and talk a little, on a day to day level, then maybe many crises in this world could be resolved because we would understand each other better. In the FAN mission statement words:

"We want FAN Groups in villages and towns of every country so that any stranger can find the nearest group and be sure of meeting a friendly face." - So simple yet so loving, isn't it?

I can personally vouch for the success of FAN for I have taught so many lonely women who have been helped by going along there, though I must emphasise that not all the groups are for women only. There were women who had had to flee their countries and leave all that they knew, including loved family members whose fate many, to this day, do not know; women who just needed a cup of tea to warm their bodies and their spirits and to see a smiling face; and , most importantly, people from the host communities who wanted to understand the "strangers" in their midst. At FAN all have found friendship, learnt about others, relaxed and blossomed. People so enjoy a FAN meeting for it is not a language lesson; it is not a discussion group; you don't even have to say anything if you don't want to. To date FAN meetings have welcomed people linked to 58 countries* and this is in Cardiff alone! FAN holds regular lunch or tea parties to which members bring along ethnic foods and members have also tried on each other's traditional garments and visited each other's homes.

My friend has often asked me if I would like to start a group here and I have considered it but, for various reasons, I don't think I am quite the right person to do it. But perhaps one of my readers in Italy would like to start a group? If so, you can contact me via the comments or FAN directly via the website. Se ci sono, per caso, dei lettori in Italia a cui piaccia l'idea del FAN, vi prego di contattare direttamente il FAN via il sito web o di contattarmi via i commenti. Grazie.

Another reason for posting this today is that it is Easter: what better time for posting about love?

*Countries of FAN Members

The FAN Groups have already welcomed people from 58 different countries. Here they are in alphabetical order:-

Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Armenia,
Bangladesh, Brazil, Burma,
Cameroon, Canada, China, Columbia, Congo, Cyprus, Czech Republic,
Egypt, England, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, France, Germany,
Hungary,
India, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy,
Japan,
Kazakhstan, Kenya,
Liberia, Lithuania, Libya,
Malawi, Malaysia, Malta,
Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria,
Pakistan, Palestine, Peru, Poland,
Russia,
Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Somalia, Somaliland, South Africa, Spain, Sudan,
Thailand,
Uganda, USA,
Wales,
Yemen,
Zimbabwe.