Interfaith Network - April News Bulletin
IFN e-bulletin
April 2011
CONTENTS
UK/national updates
Projects
Resources and Training
Funding
Calls for information, competitions and tenders
Jobs and volunteering opportunities
Special Weeks/Days
Diary Dates
UK/national updates
· English Regional Faith Forums Read more...
· Localism Bill – Consultation on ‘community rights’ Read more...
· New Public Sector Equality Duty Read more...
· Equality Act codes of practice Read more…
· Future of EHRC’s ‘good relations’ role Read more...
· Red tape’ challenge Read more…
· Ofqual single equality scheme Read more…
· Strategic partnerships announced by Office for Civil Society Read more...
· Charity Commission updates Read more…
Projects
· ‘Sister Cities’ exchange programme Read more...
· Women of Faith Network Read more…
Resources and Training
· Shaping our Shared Society: The Key Role of Local Inter Faith Organisations Read more...
· Young people and inter faith engagement e-resource Read more…
· NUS Inter Faith Toolkit Read more…
· Calendar of Religious Festivals – email version Read more…
· Young people’s DVD – It Matters to Me! Read more…
· Global Community Links Project Read more…
· Belief in Dialogue: Religion and Belief Relations in Scotland: Good Practice Guide Read more...
· Foreign and Commonwealth Office report Read more…
· Free BT community website Read more…
· Inter religious relations courses Read more…
Funding
· Church Urban Fund Mustard Seed programme Read more…
Calls for information, competitions and tenders
· Inter faith activity and sport Read more…
· Inter faith activity and young people Read more...
Jobs and volunteering opportunities
· Near Neighbours – Director Read more…
· Three Faiths Forum – Mentoring Programme Manager Read more…
· Tony Blair Faith Foundation – Faiths Act Trainer Read more…
· Culham Educational Foundation – Director Read more…
· Ofqual Advisory Group members Read more…
Special Weeks/Days
· National Family Week 30 May - 5 June Read more …
· The Big Lunch 5 June Read more.....
· European Days of Jewish Culture and Heritage 4 – 11 September Read more…
· Sewa Day 25 September Read more…
· One World Week 23 – 30 October Read more…
· Mitzvah Day 20 November Read more…
· Inter Faith Week 20 – 26 November Read more…
· Scottish Inter Faith Week 27 November – 4 December Read more...
· Holocaust Memorial Day – 27 January 2012 Read more...
Diary dates
· Information on some of the inter faith events taking place around the country. Read more …
If you have items which you would like considered for inclusion in the next e-bulletin please email these to ifnet@interfaith.org.uk by 17 May 2011 with ‘e-bulletin’ in the subject line. The e-bulletin is designed primarily to flag up new developments and future projects and events and so items are likely to be about:
· forthcoming inter faith events likely to be of interest to people across the UK
· inter faith and multi faith projects where you are seeking input
· resources which you have recently developed which you think may be helpful to those working in the inter faith field
· brief information about any jobs you are advertising within inter faith organisations or for inter faith posts (eg local inter faith development worker; national faith community inter faith officer)
Disclaimer: Information in this bulletin has been sourced and compiled with care. IFN does not take responsibility for accuracy of information supplied by external organisations and inclusion of items within this e-bulletin does not imply endorsement or validation by IFN of the events, publications or the bodies which have produced these.
UK/NATIONAL UPDATES
English Regional Faith Forums
Across the last three years a funding and capacity building programme linked to the previous Government’s Face to Face and Side by Side framework has helped English Regional Faith Forums (RFFs) carry out very valuable work to promote engagement of faith groups in public policy and social action within their regions and to support and stimulate local inter faith work. This funding came to an end on 31 March and, while Government has indicated its continuing appreciation for the Forums’ work, central Government support for them in the coming period is no longer available. Forums are evaluating the position and responding in a range of ways.
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Localism Bill – Consultation on ‘community rights’
The Government’s Localism Bill completed its Committee stage in the House of Commons on 10 March. The Community Right to Challenge and the Community Right to Buy are two key elements of it. A consultation on these two ‘Community Rights’ is running until 3 May. They were described in the February e-bulletin which also gave details of the consultation documents and response forms to be found on the DCLG website at:
www.communities.gov.uk/publications/localgovernment/righttobuyconsultation www.communities.gov.uk/publications/localgovernment/righttochallengeconsultation
Under the Community Right to Buy, local groups will have a legal right to nominate any vital community asset – including local shops, pubs, libraries and leisure centres – to be assessed for recording on a ‘most wanted’ list by the local council. The asset could then be listed for five years. In that time, the owner of a listed asset will have to tell the council if they intend to sell, which will trigger a window of opportunity or ‘community countdown’, giving people time to prepare their business plan and raise the funds they need to make a credible bid before it goes on the open market.
The Community Right to Challenge will give community or voluntary sector groups, as well as parish councils and council employees, new powers to challenge and take over a local service. This could include running children’s centres, social care services and even improving local transport links. Under the new law, councils must respond to this challenge and consider the positive impact the proposal could have on the community. If the proposal is turned down the council must publish the reasons for this. It is believed that this new right will put voluntary and charity groups on the front foot when it comes to running public services and has the potential to open up new revenue for them.
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New Public Sector Equality Duty
The new integrated Public Sector Equality Duty contained in Section 149 of the Equality Act 2010 and covering the protected characteristics (including religion and belief) came into force on 6 April. It requires all public bodies – including central government departments, local authorities, key health, education, transport and criminal justice system bodies and any other body (for example, third-sector organisations) if it is carrying out public functions - to have ‘due regard’ to the need to: eliminate discrimination, harassment and victimisation; advance equality of opportunity; and foster good relations between different groups.
This general duty is to be supplemented by specific duties to be contained in secondary legislation which will made under the 2010 Act. As noted in the March e-bulletin, the Government has been consulting on the content of these regulations.
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Equality Act codes of practice
The Equality and Human Rights Commission’s new codes of practice on employment, services and equal pay, reflecting the Equality Act 2010, as commenced on 1 October 2010, came into force on 6 April 2011. The codes are admissible in evidence in civil proceedings. Failure to comply with a code must be taken into account by a court or tribunal, where relevant.
Printed copies of the Codes can be purchased from The Stationery Office at www.tsoshop.co.uk/bookstore.asp. Free pdf copies can be downloaded from the EHRC website at www.equalityhumanrights.com/legal-and-policy/equality-act/equality-act-codes-of-practice.
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Future of EHRC’s ‘good relations’ role
As noted briefly in the March e-bulletin as this went to print, the Government is consulting on the future of the Equality and Human Rights Commission. Fuller details follow here.
The EHRC was envisaged at the time of its establishment as having a specific role in the promotion of ‘Good Relations’, alongside its work in the fields of equality and human rights, and this is currently part of its statutory remit. However, the future of the EHRC is being considered as part of the Government’s broader review of ‘quangos’. The Government has drawn up proposals on the basis that it sees a clear legal need for an independent equality regulator and National Human Rights Institution, but that it believes that overall the EHRC’s performance to date has been ‘weak’ and that it has not been able to demonstrate that it is delivering value for taxpayers’ money. Its consultative document on the future of the EHRC, published last month, seeks views, inter alia, on whether a separate ‘good relations’ remit is still necessary or appropriate (see:
www.homeoffice.gov.uk/media-centre/news/ehrc-reform.)
The document proposes a number of changes to the EHRC’s statutory framework contained in the Equality Act 2006 in order to set out more clearly its core functions. The Government also proposes to repeal the General Duty in Section 3 of the 2006 Act, which sets out the characteristics the development of which in British society EHRC should encourage and support. The Government believes that this creates unrealistic expectations about what the EHRC can achieve.
The Government also intends to stop non-core activities of EHRC and where appropriate make alternative provision for them. It is seeking views on whether the EHRC’s power to make provision for conciliation services should be repealed. The Government has decided to stop funding EHRC’s advice helpline and its grants programmes from 31 March 2012. In terms of information and advice for citizens the Government plans to commission a new service from the private sector or civil society. It intends to establish an alternative funding stream better to support the voluntary and community sector in a way that fits with the Government’s wider support of the sector and its promotion of social action to build a more inclusive and cohesive society. The consultation document also sets out a number of proposals intended to clarify EHRC’s relationship with Government and strengthen further its governance and systems with the aim of providing greater transparency, accountability and value for money.
At paragraph 9, the consultation document says: “…[W]e are seeking views on whether a separate ‘good relations’ remit is still necessary or appropriate in the light of the Commission’s activities in the last three years and the strengthened requirements on public bodies to promote good relations, which EHRC will be subject to and have responsibility for regulating.”
The consultation document can be found at:
www.equalities.gov.uk/what_we_do/ehrc_reform.aspx. The consultation closes on 15 June.
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‘Red Tape’ challenge
In pursuit of the Government’s aim “to leave office having reduced the overall burden of regulation”, the Cabinet Office has launched a ‘Red Tape’ challenge website which is inviting comments on legislation affecting different sectors of industrial and commercial activity and inviting respondents to identify “which regulations are working and which are not; what should be scrapped, what should be saved and what should be simplified”.
The website covers general legislation and regulations which respondents might wish to argue should be dropped or modified. In addition to all legislation on health and safety, environmental protection, pensions, company law and employment, this part of the website covers equalities, including the Equality Act 2010. More details can be found at www.redtapechallenge.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/home/index.
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Ofqual single equality scheme
The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulations (Ofqual) is currently consulting on the draft of its single equality scheme. The scheme sets out Ofqual’s commitment to promote equality and diversity in all that it does and the actions it intends to take to achieve this. The single equality scheme will provide a framework within which it will monitor and report on its success in promoting equality in its work.
The draft is currently open for public consultation and the scheme will be revised in the light of feedback received. Information on how to respond to the consultation can be found online at http://comment.ofqual.gov.uk/single-equality-scheme.
Comments can be submitted by email, post or using the online form. The deadline for receipt of responses is 5pm on 9 May 2011.
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Strategic partnerships announced by Office for Civil Society
The Office for Civil Society announced on 22 March that it had chosen nine organisations to see out its strategic partner programme over the next three years. The Strategic Partners will receive a total of £8.2m across the three years.
The OCS Strategic Partners are:
· ACEVO in partnership with Euclid Network and New Philanthropy Capital
· Community Foundation Network in partnership with Association of Charitable Foundations
· Institute of Fundraising
· Locality (new name from April 2011 resulting from DTA and Bassac merger)
· NAVCA
· NCVO
· Social Entrepreneurship Partnership (School for Social Entrepreneurs, UnLtd, CAN, Plunkett Foundation and Social Firms UK)
· Social Enterprise Coalition in partnership with Cooperatives UK
· Volunteering England
The Minister for Civil Society, Mr Nick Hurd, said “We have had to reduce the number of strategic partners, not least to focus resources on front line services. However this is a good mix of partners who will represent the sector well. I look forward to working with them to help the sector manage change and maximise the opportunities that will flow from the Big Society agenda.”
Some other Government Departments continue to fund strategic partner programmes to support specific policy objectives which complement this programme.
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Charity Commission updates
A Charities Bill 2011 was introduced to the House of Lords on 3 March. The Bill does not (and cannot) introduce or change policy but consolidates and simplifies existing legislation and was prepared by the Law Commission. A copy of the full Bill can be found at www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201011/ldbills/050/11050.i-v.html.
The Charity Commission is currently preparing a new corporate structure designed specifically for charities: the Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO). It is planned that this will be introduced in late Spring. However, the regulations which complete the legal framework for CIOs have not yet been debated by Parliament, so the Commission does not know when the CIO will be available for charities to use. The Commission will soon be publishing detailed guidance for trustees that will explain how to set up a new CIO, how charitable companies or charitable industrial and provident societies can convert to CIOs and what unincorporated charities need to do to become CIOs. The introduction of the new model will be phased in to manage what the Commission expects will be high demand from charities. More details can be found online at www.charitycommission.gov.uk/Start_up_a_charity/Do_I_need_to_register/CIOs/default.aspx.
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PROJECTS
‘Sister Cities’ exchange programme
From 17 - 26 September, the Scottish Inter Faith Council will be hosting 16 delegates from the Interfaith centre of New York (ICNY) and the UNESCO Centre of Catalonia's Department for Interreligious Dialogue in Barcelona. The delegates will visit a number of voluntary and statutory agencies and places of worship across Scotland.
The ambitious three year 'Sister Cities' exchange programme was launched by the Interfaith Centre of New York in 2009. Glasgow was chosen from a number of European cities to participate in this programme in recognition of the extensive inter faith work being undertaken there. Glasgow delegates attended a programme in New York in 2009 and in Barcelona in 2010 and look forward to hosting delegates in September 2011. Further information is available from the Scottish Inter Faith Council at www.scottishinterfaithcouncil.org or by emailing chenderson@scottishinterfaithcouncil.org
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Women of Faith Network
A second consultative meeting was held in Birmingham on 30 March by Religions for Peace (Europe) to explore the development of a UK Women of Faith Network. This followed an initial meeting which took place in London last year to discuss the formation of such a network when those present, although very supportive of the idea, felt that a larger consultation meeting was required with more women from faith based and inter faith women’s organisations being invited. There was also the launch of a new exhibition 'Words of Wisdom on Women' to celebrate the Centenary of International Women's Day. Further information about the development of the UK Women of Faith Network is available from Ravinder Kaur Nijjar at rknijjar@hotmail.com
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RESOURCES
Shaping our Shared Society: The Key Role of Local Inter Faith Organisations
The report on IFN’s 2010 National Meeting, Shaping our Shared Society: The Key Role of Local Inter Faith Organisations, is available to download from: www.interfaith.org.uk/publications/index.htm.
Hard copies can be purchased from the IFN office for £6.95 plus £2.50 postage and packing.
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Young people and inter faith engagement e-resource
For the 2010 Inter Faith Week reception held by the Department for Communities and Local Government, the Inter Faith Network office created a number of boards highlighting the range of work engaging young people in inter faith activity. A short e-resource has been developed from this. It can be downloaded from www.interfaith.org.uk/publications/index.htm.
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NUS Inter Faith Toolkit
As part of its Interfaith Project, funded by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, the National Union of Students has produced a toolkit to help students’ unions consider their role in building good relations on campus; assess the state of existing inter faith relations and resources; develop a plan for supporting good inter faith relations; and help them to organise student-led inter faith activities. The IFN office assisted on a number of aspects of this and IFN’s Director, Harriet Crabtree, who is a member of the Advisory Group of the NUS Interfaith Project, spoke at its launch at King’s College London on 30 March.
Good Inter Faith Relations on Campus: A Toolkit provides a series of case studies and activities to illustrate effective models of engagement and inspire students’ unions to develop their own projects. Staff in supporting roles in a college or university may also find the toolkit helps them to support students and consider issues in a wider context. A copy of the press release, including a link to download the toolkit, is online at www.nusconnect.org.uk/news/article/faith/1834.
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Calendar of Religious Festivals – email version
The Calendar of Religious Festivals produced by the Shap Working Party on World Religions in Education is switching to an email version. From this year printed copies will no longer be available.
The email version will provide: 3 A4 sheets which can be printed and laminated; a brief description of each religious festival; an overview of 18 months from July of one year to December of the next; details on 12 different faiths from Baha'i to Zoroastrian and including Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Judaism and Sikhism; and 12 beautiful images from David Rose for you to print.
The cost of the email version, along with the booklet and 12 photos from David Rose will be £3.50. This will be available in July this year. To subscribe to the new email version you can either send a subscription request to calendar@shapworkingparty.org.uk or sign up online at www.shapworkingparty.org.uk/calendar.html.
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Young people’s DVD – ‘It Matters to Me!’
The Devon Faith and Belief Forum have now completed and launched a DVD made by young people of eight different faiths and beliefs. The Forum are now hoping to develop a permanent Youth Forum across faiths and beliefs.
Copies of the DVD are available at £5.00 each (including postage and packing). Please contact Martyn Goss on martyn.goss@exeter.anglican.org or telephone 01392 294924.
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Global Community Links project
The Global Community Links project is shortly to launch two new resources to help community groups to strengthen their links with groups abroad. The resources are on Gender Equality and Sustainable Linking. The project has already produced two other resources, the Global Learning Activities Guide and “Are we making a difference?” Further details at:
http://www.dfid.gov.uk/Get-Involved/How-you-can-help/DFID-Community-Linking-Programme/Resources/?tab=0
Global Community Links is organising two workshops on Exploring Gender Equality in Linking. These will be in Manchester on Saturday 4 June 2011 and Saturday 25 June 2011 in Cardiff. To register go to: http://www.dfid.gov.uk/Get-Involved/How-you-can-help/DFID-Community-Linking-Programme/Getting-started/
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Belief in Dialogue: Religion and Belief Relations in Scotland: Good Practice Guide
The Scottish Working Group on Religion and Belief Relations has produced a guide for individuals, faith communities, belief groups, inter-faith groups, local authority equality officers as well as for statutory and voluntary organisations: Belief in Dialogue: Religion and Belief Relations in Scotland: Good Practice Guide. For details see www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2011/03/22143221/0 and www.scottishinterfaithcouncil.org/resources/Belief+in+Dialogue.pdf.
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Foreign and Commonwealth Office report on Human Rights and Democracy
On 31 March the Foreign and Commonwealth Office published its 2010 global report on Human Rights and Democracy. It has separate sections on Promoting British Values; Human Rights in Safeguarding Britain’s National Security; Human Rights in Promoting Britain’s Prosperity; Human Rights for British Nationals Overseas; Working Through a Rules-based International System; Promoting Human Rights in the Overseas Territories; and on Human Rights in Countries of Concern (covering 28 countries). A copy of the report can be found online at http://fcohrdreport.readandcomment.com.
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Free BT community website
BT is offering charities and not-for-profit community organisations access to a free web-hosting and design service. The ‘Community Web Kit’ provides free website hosting, a free web address, a choice of layouts and designs and a step-by-step guide to building your site.
The service is part of BT’s ‘Get It Together’ campaign to encourage as many people as possible to get online. Further details can be found online at www.btck.co.uk/Main/About.aspx.
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Inter Religious Relations courses
The St Philip’s Centre in Leicester is currently accepting applications for the Certificate, Diploma and MA courses in Inter Religious Relations, run in conjunction with De Montfort University in Leicester, which begin in September 2011.
The courses are intended for: members of faith communities who have a practical or theoretical interest in relations with people of different faiths; those working for secular or religious agencies, private or public, where faith issues are significant; specialist ministers in inter faith relations; and anyone interested in extending their grasp of a lively field of enquiry.
All modules will be taught in Leicester. Full details of tuition fees and entry requirements can be found online at http://stphilipscentre.dioceseofleicester.com/?page_id=29. For further information and applications, please contact the Dean of Studies or the
Administrator/Registrar, Maureen Hebblewhite, at admin@stphilipscentre.co.uk or on 0116 273 3459.
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FUNDING
Church Urban Fund Mustard Seed Programme
The Church Urban Fund’s Mustard Seed Programme provides grants of up to £5,000 to enable churches and faith-based organisations working in very deprived communities to engage in social action.
All applications need to be made via the network of local Diocesan Link Officers. This is a rolling programme and there are no deadline dates. For more information visit www.cuf.org.uk/about/contact/regional-contacts.
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CALLS FOR INFORMATION, COMPETITIONS AND TENDERS
Inter faith activity and sport
The Inter Faith Network for the UK is currently updating its information on programmes linking sport and inter faith activities. If you are currently working on any sport related projects, we would be grateful to have a brief update.
In the context of Inter Faith Week 2011 it would also be useful to know if you are planning to hold any inter faith activities which have a sporting dimension.
Please send any information on past or planned inter faith sport projects to Paresh Solanki at paresh.solanki@interfaith.org.uk.
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Inter faith activity and young people
The Inter Faith Network is currently updating its information on inter faith projects of and for young people. This is part of developing new web-based resources highlighting this vital area of work and also working towards a new edition of the widely used youth inter faith action guide, Connect: Different Faiths, Shared Values. If your organisation is carrying out work to increase the involvement of young people in inter faith interaction, learning and cooperation, Augustine Booth-Clibborn would be very pleased to receive information about this at augustine.booth-clibborn@interfaith.org.uk.
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JOBS AND VOLUNTEERING OPPORTUNITIES
Near Neighbours – Director
Near Neighbours is a £5m programme, funded by the Department for Communities and Local Government, that aims to bring people together in diverse communities, helping them build relationships and collaborate to improve the local community they live in. The programme is a collaboration between the Church Urban Fund and the Church of England. This is a new role with the responsibility for the overall delivery of the programme under the direction of the Board of Directors of the Near Neighbours charity with day to day supervision though a member of the senior management team of the Church Urban Fund.
The project is seeking an outstanding manager with an understanding of the Not for Profit sector. Experience of inter faith engagement is essential, as is an ability to work flexibly, independently and proactively in a complex environment. Up to £50k plus benefits. An application pack can be downloaded from www.cuf.org.uk/near-neighbours. The closing date for applications is 5pm on 26 April and interviews will be held on 9 May in central Birmingham.
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Three Faiths Forum – Mentoring Programme Manager (maternity cover)
The Three Faiths Forum is looking for an experienced individual to manage the Undergraduate ParliaMentors programme, which equips upcoming leaders of different faiths and beliefs with the skills, experiences and networks they need to advance their leadership careers. The successful candidate will have experience of working with parliamentarians and of managing projects that work with students or young leaders, as well as knowledge of issues relating to faith communities in the UK.
This is a full time 10 month contract beginning in mid-June. The salary is £26,000 to £28,000 depending on experience. Submissions are only being accepted via application form. For further information and an application form, call 020 7482 9549, email info@threefaithsforum.org.uk or go to http://www.threefaithsforum.org.uk/jobs/mentoring-programme-manager/ The deadline for applications is 10am on Friday 6 May.
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Tony Blair Faith Foundation – Faiths Act Trainer (maternity cover)
The Tony Blair Faith Foundation is looking for an exceptional individual to develop the training syllabus for its global multi-faith volunteer programme, Faiths Act. The post holder will design, deliver and co-ordinate training for Faiths Act, which has volunteers in over 100 countries. They will create syllabi with associated training materials and resources; design and implement a distance learning package including the use of interactive and online technologies; and design and deliver a train-the-trainer package. The post holder will also create and selectively deliver intensive training workshops and courses suitable for British and international audiences.
The ideal candidate will have training experience relevant to the role; experience of community mobilising or grassroots campaigns, ideally in a multi-faith, multi-cultural or international context; a background in interfaith or intercultural dialogue, conflict resolution, international development or related field; and experience of working with young adults. The post-holder will be extremely busy, will work hard and be expected to perform duties to the highest possible standard in what is a very responsible role.
This is a 6 month maternity cover post. The salary range is available on application. Please contact Catalina Gutierrez catalina.gutierrez@tonyblairfaithfoundation.org, for a complete job description and an application form if you are interested. Closing date for applications is 2 May. Interviews will be held during the week commencing 9 May in London.
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Culham Educational Foundation - Director
Since the charity’s foundation in 1980, the Culham Educational Foundation has supported training and development in Religious Education in England, developed a suite of websites including the very successful REOnline for teachers, and provided grants to many individuals both at home and abroad. A proposed merger with the St Gabriel’s Trust to form Culham St Gabriel’s will make the new charity a very significant contributor to the further development of Religious Education in England. The work of the Director in implementing the Trustees’ policy for supporting and developing Religious Education nationally will be crucial to the formation and success of the new charity. The post of Director is currently based at Culham's offices in the Department of Education at the University of Oxford, and will carry remuneration commensurate with experience, from £60,000 per annum, plus an appropriate pension contribution. For further information and details on how to apply, please visit www.culham.ac.uk/newdirector.
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Ofqual advisory group members
Ofqual regulates qualifications, (other than degrees), in England and vocational qualifications in Ireland. Ofqual has extended its deadline to recruit members to an advisory group on promoting equality and inclusion in qualifications and assessments through regulations.
They are particularly interested to recruit people with relevant knowledge of the protected characteristic of ‘religion and belief’. The position is voluntary and will require attendance at meetings 3 times per year for about 2-3 hours.
The group will be invited to comment and advise on:
· the potential impact of Ofqual’s proposed and existing regulatory policies and practices on people who have one or more of the protected characteristics
· research and other relevant ways of working from which Ofqual could learn
· Ofqual’s progress in embedding equality and inclusion in its approach to regulation
· Ofqual’s approach to equality and diversity impact assessment
· progress being made by Ofqual to fulfil the commitments set out in its Single
Equality Scheme for England.
Full details on the role and how to apply can be found online at www.ofqual.gov.uk/news-and-announcements/83/540 or by emailing Shakina.Chinedu@Ofqual.gov.uk
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SPECIAL WEEKS/DAYS
National Family Week 30 May to 5 June
National Family Week aims to highlight the importance of families spending quality time together and aims to promote the benefits of a healthy, active lifestyle. Over the last two years, the Week has involved families in thousands of events, competitions, offers and promotions. Next year the Week will take place from Monday 30 May to Sunday 5 June and the organisers are keen to encourage faith-based and inter faith groups to get involved by:
· promoting the Week (free posters, balloons, stickers etc. are available)
· holding community events and registering these on line through the National Family Week Event finder
· having a special family focus during the week, eg at meetings, worship, youth activities
For further information visit www.nationalfamilyweek.co.uk or contact bee@nationalfamilyweek.co.uk.
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The Big Lunch: Sunday 5 June
This year’s Big Lunch takes place on Sunday 5 June. The Big Lunch is a programme of the Eden Project. Its aim is to get as many people as possible across the UK to have a community lunch once a year. The project was launched in 2009 and since its inception thousands of lunches have taken place across a wide range of communities. In 2009 and 2010 almost 1 million people (each year) took part in Big Lunches – ranging from a few neighbours meeting in a garden to large scale street parties with decorations and entertainment.
The Big Lunch organisers have been in discussion with the IFN office about the significance of faith communities in bringing people together for ‘Big Lunch’ events. Such events could be hosted by, for example, local inter faith organisations or local places of worship for people in their neighbourhoods. The event is an ideal opportunity for people of different faiths to come together in their local communities, meet each other and have conversations over food.
If you are interested in planning a faith based or inter faith Big Lunch, you can request a free Big Lunch Starter Pack by registering the planned event online at www.thebiglunch.com or by calling the Big Lunch on 0845 850 8181. The pack contains a step-by-step guide for running an event, publicity materials, 'crowd cooking' recipe ideas, stickers and much more.
The Big Lunch would like to let even more organisations and individuals know about the project. If you can help publicise the Big Lunch to your contacts and networks Kate Groves would be very pleased to hear from you: Tel 020 7255 6455 or kate.groves@thebiglunch.com
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European Days of Jewish Culture and Heritage
This year’s EDJCH runs from Sunday 4 to Sunday 11 September. The theme will be ‘Facing the Future’, which looks at the new era of communication that has opened up possibilities for presenting and highlighting Jewish culture and heritage. The National Heritage Open Days will also coincide with EDJCH, running from Thursday 8 September to Sunday 11 September. Events must be registered by Friday 1 April. For an official registration form, contact bbukjewishheritage@gmail.com.
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Sewa Day
Sewa Day will this year take place on Sunday 25 September. The Sanskrit word ‘Sewa’ means ‘selfless service’. The aim of Sewa Day is to provide people a chance to give back to the local community through volunteering on a single day to make a difference. Each event organised is based on at least one of the following guiding principles: to relieve hardship and poverty; to bring a little joy where none exists; to help the environment. For more information, or to get involved, please visit www.nationalsewaday.org. The report on the 2010 Sewa Day can be downloaded at www.nationalsewaday.org/images/nsd_annual_report_A4_lr.pdf.
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One World Week
This year’s One World Week takes place from 23 to 30 October. The focus is on ‘Living for One World’, which incorporates: Living for the Planet (valuing the environment and developing lifestyles and attitudes which work in co-operation with nature); Living for its People (sharing resources and respecting people everywhere, recognising that we are all linked); and Living and Acting for Change (to use collective power to influence change towards a fairer and more sustainable world).
A handbook explaining One World Week and exploring some of the concepts brought up by the Ubuntu project was launched on 7 April. For further information, visit www.oneworldweek.org. The guide can be downloaded from www.oneworldweek.org/v2/uploads/One%20World%20Week%20Handbook.pdf and is also available in hard copy.
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Mitzvah Day 20 November
Mitzvah Day takes place this year on Sunday 20 November. It is a Jewish led day of social action – around the world thousands of people take part in hands on projects to support existing charities and to build stronger communities. The goal is to reduce hardship and poverty and to help the environment and “to bring a little joy - hands on – no fundraising”. People are encouraged to volunteer for projects in their communities and anyone can take part regardless of their background. Last year a number of projects had a multi faith dimension. See www.mitzvahday.org.uk for further information and to register an event.
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Inter Faith Week 20 – 26 November
Inter Faith Week 2011 www.interfaithweek.org.uk will take place this year in England, Wales and Northern Ireland from Sunday 20 November until Saturday 26 November.
The Week aims to: strengthen good inter faith relations at all levels in our increasingly diverse society; encourage local faith groups and communities to reach out to each other and build stronger bonds of understanding and co-operation; increase awareness of the different and distinct faith communities in the UK, with a particular focus on the contribution which their members make to their neighbourhoods and to wider society; gain positive profile for inter faith initiatives, locally, regionally and nationally, as well as for the overall work of building good inter faith relations; increase understanding between people of religious and non-religious beliefs; and encourage the development of new partnerships within local communities and by faith communities with statutory and third sector partners.
If you would like to discuss your plans for the Week or to suggest additional resources which might be helpful to add to the Inter Faith Week website, Ashley Beck, Project Officer at IFN. will be glad to hear from you on 020 7931 7766 or at ashley.beck@interfaith.org.uk.
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Scottish Inter Faith Week 27 November – 4 December
Scottish Inter Faith Week will take place from Sunday 27 November to Saturday 4 December. For further information please contact Frances Hume at the Scottish Inter Faith Council at fhume@scottishinterfaithcouncil.org.
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Holocaust Memorial Day – 27 January 2012
The theme for next year’s Holocaust Memorial day is: Speak Up, Speak Out. The theme will challenge everyone to speak up and speak out so that the lessons of the past are learned and there can be a safer, better future. More information, including a downloadable campaign pack, can be found at www.hmd.org.uk.
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DIARY DATES
The Contextual Theology Centre, the Cambridge Interfaith Programme and Citizens UK have a limited number of tickets available for their joint Scriptural Reasoning event on Monday 2 May. 150 Christians, Jews and Muslims will be reflecting on Biblical and Qu’ranic texts on ‘Money, Debt and Justice’, prior to an assembly to celebrate ten years of the Living Wage Campaign. The Scriptural Reasoning event is at 11am for 11.30am at Methodist Central Hall, London. To book a place, email Angus Ritchie at director@theology-centre.org.
Stafford and District Friends of Faith, the Church of England and Staffordshire University are hosting an event on Tuesday 3 May entitled ‘Children of Abraham – Common Beliefs Common Values’. This is a Christian, Jewish, Muslim dialogue addressing the common ancestry of the three Abrahamic faiths and how they uphold their own traditions and beliefs whilst valuing and respecting those of others. The event is being held from 7.00pm to 9.15pm at St Mary’s Church, 3 St Mary’s Place, Stafford ST16 2AR. Everyone is welcome and refreshments will be provided. For more information contact 07825 400099 or 01785 258511.
The Cambridge Interfaith Programme is holding an Open Scriptural Reasoning workshop on Wednesday, 4 May from 7.30pm – 9.30pm. The workshop, which will be held at The Pitt Building, Trumpington Street, Cambridge, is free of charge and offers an opportunity for participants to read and debate sacred texts from Jewish, Muslim and Christian sources and grow in understanding of each other’s traditions and beliefs. Spaces are limited. If you would like to attend, please RSVP to cip@divinity.cam.ac.uk by 27 April.
The Centre for Christianity and Interreligious Dialogue and the Aquinas Institute, University of Oxford are holding a seminar on Thursday, 5 May from 2.00pm – 5.00pm looking at the influence of Islamic thought on the theology of Thomas Aquinas and Christian knowledge of the Qur’an. The event takes place in the Marie Eugenie Room, Heythrop College, University of London, Kensington Square, London W8 5HQ and is open to all, without charge. To book a place or find out further details please email Dr Martin Ganeri, Director of CCID, at m.ganeri@heythrop.ac.uk.
The National Spirituality and Mental Health Forum is holding its annual conference on Friday 6 May in Derby. The conference, entitled ‘Wanted! Spirituality in Your Trust’, will take place from 9.00am until 4.00pm at the Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust Education Centre, Ashbourne Centre, Kingsway site, Derby DE22 3LZ. There is a fee of £35 to attend. For further information and to receive a booking form, please contact Vicky Nicholls at info@mhspirituality.org.uk. Booking closes on 15 April.
Peterborough Inter Faith Council will be holding its annual Festival of Faiths and Foods from 12.30pm on Sunday 8 May. The theme of this year’s event, which will be held at Peterborough Town Hall, is ‘The Heart of My Faith’. The event begins with an inter faith lunch and there will be speakers from each of the main faiths, led by the Bishop of Peterborough, The Rt Revd Donald Allister. There is no charge to attend and all are welcome. For further information, pleas contact the Secretary, Brian Keegan on 01733 265769 or at brian@briankeegan.demon.co.uk.
The British Chapter of the International Association for Religious Freedom will be holding its Annual Meeting on Thursday, 12 May, from 1.30 pm - 4.00 pm at Dr Williams Library, 14 Gordon Square, London. The speaker will be the Rev Chris Hudson MBS, Minister of All Souls Belfast, and Chair of the Northern Ireland Chapter of IARF. There will be a bring and share lunch. (Tea, coffee and juice will be provided.) For further information, please see www.iarf.net/britishchapternotices.htm.
The Christian Interfaith Practitioners’ Association will be holding their Annual Consultation 2011 from 17 to 19 May at Luther King House, Brighton Grove, Manchester M14 5JP. This year’s theme is ‘Reflective approaches to dialogue’ and the speaker will be Dermot Killingley, a former lecturer of the Department of Religious Studies at Newcastle University. There is a charge to attend. Details can be found online at www.cipa-uk.com. For more information please contact Any Lie on 07720 118603 or at asj_lie@hotmail.com.
Religions for Peace (UK) are holding a discussion meeting on 26 May from 10.00am to 4.30pm to further explore the role of faith in public life. Subjects under discussion will include the boundaries between faith and public life; whether it is ever legitimate for believers to engage in efforts to change laws so as to reflect their own fundamental beliefs an morals, or to try to change the morals of a state; how should the belief that there should be no coercion in religion be reflected in the political/social activities of believers, and is witness a more powerful tool than the use of law? The event will take place at St Ethelburga’s Centre, 78 Bishopsgate, London EC2N 4AG. For further information please email jehangirsarosh@btconnect.com.
The World Congress of Faiths 75th Anniversary Meeting will be held on Wednesday, 1 June at 5.00pm at the London Interfaith Centre, 125 Salusbury Road, London NW6 6RG. This will be followed by a workshop in three parts from 6.45pm – 8.00pm entitled ‘The Golden Rule? Compassion?’ For further information, please contact enquiries@worldfaiths.org.
Central Scotland Police has teamed up with a variety of organisations including the Scottish Inter Faith Council to run a one-day youth inter faith conference for young people aged 16 - 26 on 21 June at Strathclyde Police Training Centre, Jackton, East Kilbride. Further information is available at http://www.scottishinterfaithcouncil.org/resources/Covering+Letter.doc For an application form please contact Anton Stephenson at Central Scotland Police on 01768 456 993 or email: anton.stephenson@centralscotland.pnn.police.uk.
The Alister Hardy Society and the World Congress of Faiths are hosting a joint conference on Saturday 11 June entitled ‘Spirituality: how might spiritual/religious experience help towards understanding and compassion?’. The conference will run from 10.00am to 4.30pm at the Essex Unitarian Church, 112 Palace Gardens Terrace, Kensington, London W8. The speakers are the Revd Dr Marcus Braybooke, Dr Gregory Barker and Eley McAinsh. To book or for further details please contact johnfranklin35@hotmail.com.
The London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London and the University of Amsterdam are jointly convening an academic symposium entitled ‘Mediating Modesty: Fashioning Faithful Bodies’ on Wednesday 15 June. The event takes place from 9.30am until 5.30pm at Rootstein Hopkins East Space, London College of Fashion, 20 John Princes Street, London, W1G 0BJ. The symposium will bring together speakers from cultural studies, anthropology, fashion studies and religious studies to think about women’s modest self presentation in the context of new forms of commerce, commentary, and community and explore how and to what extent women of different backgrounds are engaging in shared discourses about modest dressing and body management within and across faiths. Tickets cost £25 (£15 concessions). Further details and booking information can be found at: http://newsevents.arts.ac.uk/event/mediating-modesty.
The International Council of Christians and Jews is holding its annual conference from 3 to 6 July in Cracow, Poland. This year’s conference is being co-hosted with the Jagiellonian University of Cracow. The conference is part of an ongoing ICCJ project dealing with interreligious dialogue in Central and Eastern Europe and the theme will be ‘Religions and Ideologies, Polish perspectives and beyond’. Cracow was chosen because of its historical associations for Christians and Jews and for the central role is has played in Polish history. The conference will include a trip to the memorial site of Auschwitz/Birkenau and visits to sites of historical and religious interest in Cracow. Further information can be found at www.iccj.org.
The World Congress of Faiths will be holding a special informal service at 6.30pm on Sunday 24 July at St Martin-in-the-Field to mark its 75th anniversary. It was at St Martin’s in 1942 that the memorial service was held for Sir Francis Younghusband, the explorer and mystic and founder of the World Congress of Faiths. The theme of the service will be ‘Compassion’ with readings and music from many faith traditions. Rabbi Jackie Tabick, Chair of WCF, will give the address. All are welcome. For further information, please contact Tony Reese at enquiries@worldfaiths.org.
The Kirby Laing Institute for Christian Ethics is hosting a conference in Cambridge from 26 to 28 September on ‘Sustainability in Crisis’. This builds on the conference and book on ‘Creation in Crisis’ which was part of the ‘Hope for Creation’ project run jointly with the Faraday Institute. The event will involve both secular and faith perspectives in the same conversation to encourage both sides to see how religions have a vital contribution to make in motivating their adherents to take action, both as individuals and communities. Further details and booking information can be found at www.sustainability-in-crisis.org or by emailing Colin Bell at crb11@cam.ac.uk.
Parliament of the World’s Religions in 2014
Brussels has been chosen as the host city of the Parliament of the World’s Religions in 2014. The selection of Brussels was made by the Board of Trustees of the governing organisation at its March 13 meeting in Chicago. More than 10,000 people from diverse religious, spiritual and convictional traditions are expected to participate in the Parliament, which will last for 7 days and will comprise more than 500 programs, workshops and dialogues, alongside music, dance, artistic exhibitions and related events hosted by religious communities and cultural institutions. Note: Since the historic 1893 World’s Parliament of Religions was held in Chicago, modern Parliaments have been held in Chicago (1993), Cape Town (1999), Barcelona (2004) and Melbourne (2009). These periodic Parliament events are the world’s oldest and largest interreligious gatherings.
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For detailed information on events and projects in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales see:
Northern Ireland Inter Faith Forum: www.niinterfaithforum.org
Scottish Inter Faith Council: www.scottishinterfaithcouncil.org
Inter-Faith Council for Wales: www.interfaithwales.org
For detailed information on events and projects in a number of the English regions see:
East of England: www.eefaithscouncil.org.uk
London: www.faithsforum4london.com
North East: www.nerfn.org
North West: www.faithnorthwest.org.uk
South East: www.se-faithforum.net
South West: www.faithnetsouthwest.org.uk
West Midlands: www.wmfaithsforum.org.uk
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If you have items which you would like considered for inclusion in the next e-bulletin please email these to ifnet@interfaith.org.uk by 17 May 2011 with ‘e-bulletin’ in the subject line.
Disclaimer:
Information in this bulletin has been sourced and compiled with care. IFN does not take responsibility for accuracy of information supplied by external organisations and inclusion of items within this e-bulletin does not imply endorsement or validation by IFN of the events, publications or the bodies which have produced these.
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