Several Southsiders were among the seven teenagers from Glasgow who spent a week in a camp site in Italy attending an Anti-Racism Conference.
This was part of the Community Outreach Project's initiatve to create awareness among teenagers and to give them a platform to voice their opinions and concerns about racism.
Seminars, workshops, discussion groups and even theatre productions gave the group the opportunity to see how racism is tackled in a different country.

LEARNING
Nina Akhter, the Community Outreach Project co-ordinator, who accompanied the teenagers, along with Jatin Haria from Glasgow Anti-Racist Alliance (GARA) said; 'The kids have really learned from this experience. At the start they were practically at each other's throats, but after spending a week together, they have become the best of friends. They have also become aware of racism on an international scale, through meeting people from different countries and cultures and sharing their experiences.
Salma Iqbal,(17) from Mosspark and Faisal Khan, (17) from Shawlands are both on the advisory panel at the Community Outreach Project and attended the event.
Commented Salma, 'I am pleased I went. It has increased my confidence and my knowledge about racism.'

COUNSELLOR
Also there was 19-year-old Asma Khurshid who is a volunteer co-ordinator with the Youth Counselling Service in Pollokshields, where she deals with housing and employment and gives counselling to 16 to 25-year-olds.
Subsidised by GARA, the trip only cost each participant £60.
As Nina said 'This is insignificant compared to what these youngsters have achieved.'
Nina is considering organising another holiday conference, after seeing the success of this one.

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This report is taken from the article by Elyas Hussain
in the September 2000 Issue of the Free Local News for Southsiders.

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