It is being led by the Sheffield Black and Ethnic Minority Environmental Network after taking part in an international programme by the British Council called InterAction: Trust the Difference.

SHEBEEN was one of 60 public and voluntary sector community organisations from the UK and 120 participants from Africa who got together to share experiences, exchange ideas and explore solutions with the aim of strengthening leadership in areas where difference leads to tensions and threatens peace.

Maxwell Ayamba, networking and advocacy officer for SHEBEEN, visited South Africa earlier this year and was asked to lead a field trip to a Soweto township, Cosmo City Extension 4.

"Cosmo City is a new development and very deprived and derelict with no trees in sight or green infrastructure to help reduce flooding or moderate temperature extremes in the face of climate change," he reports. "The landscape looked very desert like in appearance with very low power cables dangling from one house to the other."

The mission was to help plant 50 different species of trees as a sign of solidarity for efforts being undertaken to make the community habitable and sustainable.

Mr Ayamba says that the experience has broadened SHEBEEN's objectives.
"This places us in a better position to contribute to an agenda that creates an environment which respects not only the value of biodiversity, but also the diversity of individuals, where new possibilities for social positive actions could bring about the desired change."

SHEBEEN followed up the British Council programme by co-ordinating a meeting with South Yorkshire Police, the city council Children and Young People's Department and Losehill Hall Environmental Education Centre in the Peak District National Park.

The upshot is that a weekend residential will take place at Losehill Hall from June 26-28, providing the opportunity for 30 young people – 10 from a deprived white community and 20 others from diverse BME communities in Sheffield – to work together to resolve conflicts through peer- to-peer learning, networking and exchanging experiences using the environment as a medium.

Mr Ayamba said: "Inspector Paul McCurry, Youth Support and Tackling Gangs Project and Patrick Meleady the council's Aiming High Positive Activities Manager, are both of the view that the event will constitute a groundbreaking initiative where young people from diverse backgrounds and upbringing can come together put aside their differences and through peer experiential learning, overcome conflicts and differences and become peace ambassadors and positive role models in their communities."

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