Around this time last Friday, the festival of Holi concluded our events for One World Week (OWW). As popular as in previous years, the Festival of Colours attracted hundreds of students to Library square to celebrate the beginning of spring.
Just like Holi, all the events in One World Week invited students to learn and partake in each others' cultures and traditions. From the Sussex Africa Day organised by the African Students Society to the Langar hosted by the Sikh Society, Sussex students were able to experience some of the diverse make-up of our community.
Hargun, from the Sikh society, said: "Langar, once again was a success in our eyes. We were able to serve the community and bring people together to share a meal."
The Oxfam Sussex Society and Sussex STAR raised awareness of the refugee crisis and the conditions of those experiencing forced migration. In ‘A Dish is Worth a Thousand Words’, organised by Sussex STAR, students and staff were invited to share a potluck of homemade dishes and food from local migrant-owned restaurants while learning about the stories behind them. Oxfam Sussex's 'A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words' included animated short films on display (credits to PosNeg), a visual arts exhibit about refugees, and handmade jewellery in the colours of the Ukrainian flag.
Check the Oxfam Sussex Society and Sussex STAR pages on the Students' Union website and find out more about the important work they do and how you can contribute.
Another well-attended event was the Language Café special, which attracted around 110 participants and an additional 30 volunteer teachers. The event focused on learning about traditions from all over the world while having fun with activities such as poster making and a pub quiz using Kahoot!
Ella Moher, the Language Café supervisor, explained: "The Language Café has been so successful this past year. The OWW event was an opportunity to thank all of the participants and volunteers for continuously attending over the last 6-7 months."
Phoebe, one of the event leaders, added: "I enjoyed seeing everyone collaborating and sharing their cultural experiences to win prizes! It was a lot of fun setting it up! I really enjoyed working with the Volunteering and Activities team to put on my first big event! I can't wait to do more!"
One World Week will come back next year. Until then, enjoy our photo gallery!
