Women’s Photography Workshop participants walk prayerfully to build up sensitivity
with their bodies and deepen relationships with each other.
"It is surprising and fulfilling to know that my traumatic experience can be transformed into something meaningful for others," said a project participant.
Refugees and asylum seekers often face severe trauma. It can embed deep into their bodies. In 2022-2024, PCD supported more than ten refugees and asylum seekers to join The Peacemaking Body, a weekly workshop led by the International School of Somatic Education (ISSE) over a six-month period. Through the facilitator's attentive listening and patience, and through hearing their fellow participants' accounts, they began to become attuned to their bodies' responses and needs. Week by week, they gradually opened up and articulated their experiences.
Our body expresses the inner self, believes Mayson Fung, the workshop facilitator and ISSE founder. Our body carries our memories, our experiences. Through somatic education, participants learned to recognise signals of pain, discomfort or imbalance. They listened to and connected with their body and mind more closely. They shared their life stories at the innovative Human Library, and through this equal platform, their bodies came to hold new experiences. More confidence. More selfesteem. A greater sense of wellbeing.
Participants said that the day of the workshop was the most anticipated day of the week. A time and place to truly relax, connect with Mayson and meet friends. A safe, trusted space where their minds could rest. The sense of routine and stability was reassuring in their lives where many things were beyond their control. A few said they had lost hope due to horrific past experiences, and that the workshop helped them rebuild trust in people, and in themselves. They've come to see themselves as belonging to this small community. They're making a new identity in this new place, this new culture.
Mayson embraced everyone as individuals. One participant said, "I can choose to remain silent" or "I can choose to just lie down and not to follow the facilitator's instructions because I'm too tired, or because the rain dampens my mood." The flexibility and openness allowed them the freedom to refuse. They felt respected, and accepted.
The Tree that Swallowed a Woman, 2025, Hong Kong —
Portraits of a workshop participant by Finnish photographer Meeri Koutaniemi
who led a 5-day, 16-hour workshop with women.They explored connections with their bodies and with nature.
They were no longer bound by roles and responsibilities. No longer mothers, fathers, husbands or wives. Just themselves. One woman exclaimed, "My back pain was relieved. I've become aware of the unhealthy habits in my daily life and have ideas about how to improve my health and life. I now teach mindfulness to my family too." Another participant said that the workshop drew her attention to the importance of listening. She now listens more closely to her children, for instance, and says relationships have improved.
Sharing life stories in public was a big step out of their comfort zones, but the experience turned out to be empowering. Mayson had gently prepared the participants for the Human Library activity at the True Light School of Hong Kong. Through taking 'the stage' and verbalising their suffering, refugees began to reassess their stories. They came to see themselves less as people in need and more as active, confident and valuable facilitators. Teachers added that the students, many of a middle-class background, also benefited. They learned what refugees face, and they demonstrated empathy.
Community resilience is about building connections, acceptance and understanding. It is learning to live harmoniously with one another. We hope to bring this learning opportunity to other marginalised groups, such as multi-cultural and multi-ethnic communities. As individuals become more connected with themselves, they are also more able to connect with others. The unity lends to healing and transformation, in communities, in society.