Beyond Bath
The Many Shapes of Courage

When: 17 June at 6:30 PM

Where: Oasis Church Bath. Fountain Buildings. The Paragon Bath BA1 5DU

Free entry. Advance booking is required as spaces are limited. Book your place here.

Join Bath Welcomes Refugees for a special edition of Beyond Bath exploring this year's Refugee Week theme: Courage.

Inspired by the experiences of people seeking sanctuary, this conversation invites us to reflect on the many forms courage can take: leaving familiar places behind, navigating uncertainty, building new relationships, and creating a sense of home in unfamiliar places.

Through personal stories and reflections, we will explore what courage can look like in the context of migration, displacement, rebuilding a life, finding belonging, and everyday acts of connection and solidarity.

Together with our guest speakers, Farida Hamidi and Abdul Hafedh Alaswadi, we will explore: 

• What does courage mean in the context of migration and displacement?

• How do our roots shape the way we face challenges?

• How do we build communities where people feel both safe and able to participate?

• How can each of us contribute to more welcoming communities?

Meet our guest speakers

Hafedh Alaswadi is a Yemeni-Bathonian Muslim and an Interfaith Engagement Worker in Somerset. He is actively involved in a number of community organisations across Bath, helping to build understanding, connection, and dialogue between people of different backgrounds and faiths.

Farida Hamidi is originally from Afghanistan and has been living in the UK since 2025. She came to the UK through the Chevening Scholarship and is currently completing a Master's degree in International Development. Farida has worked with NGOs and organisations in Afghanistan, particularly in the fields of entrepreneurship and education. Since moving to the UK, she has become an active volunteer with Bath Welcomes Refugees' Advisory Group and Victory Afghanistan. She also facilitates workshops for refugee women in Bristol.