Interfaith Network : Jan 2016 Bulletin

http://www.interfaith.org.uk/publications/all-publications/e-bulletin/148-ifn-e-bulletin-december-2015-january-2016/file

Interfaith Network : Jan 2016 Bulletin

Items Faith and public life updates
Refugees and migrants - responses
Faith and inter faith response to terrorist attacks in Paris
Commission on Religion and Belief in British Public Life - report
Government review of the Muslim Brotherhood
Law Commission Review of marriage law
Consultation on cremation
National Faith Community Representative Bodies meet
Collective Worship and Religious Observance in Schools
RE for Real report
House of Commons Briefing Paper on RE
etc

IFN Interfaith Bulletin Oct-Nov 2015

http://www.interfaith.org.uk/publications/ifn-e-bulletin/146-ifn-e-bulletin-october-november-2015/file

IFN Interfaith Bulletin Oct-Nov 2015

The Role of Faith in British Schools/Education

The Role of Faith in British Schools/Education

http://se-faithforum.net/national-events/conference-2015

IFN -E-Bulletin May-June 2015

http://www.interfaith.org.uk/publications/ifn-e-bulletin/138-ifn-e-bulletin-may-june-2015/file

IFN -E-Bulletin May-June 2015

The e-bulletin can be read by scrolling through it. If you prefer to go directly to a particular section, click the relevant blue underlined title in the ‘Sections’ list immediately below. To go directly to particular individual items, click on the relevant blue underlined ‘Read more’ links in the list of these in the ‘Items’ list.

IFN (Interfaith Network) Jan-Feb 2015 E-Bulletin

http://www.interfaith.org.uk/publications/ifn-e-bulletin

IFN Jan-Feb 2015 E-Bulletin

CONTENTS

UK/National updates
• UK inter faith response to events in France and Germany
• EHRC to produce new legal guidance on freedom of expression
• Reconciliation and tolerance a theme in speeches from HM The Queen and HRH the Prince of Wales
• Charity Commission consults on new guidance for trustees
• Inter Faith Network meetings
• MPs express support for high quality Religious Education

International updates
• Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions

Projects
• Visit My Mosque – Sunday 1 February
• New Hindu temple inter faith reach out
• Sharing of expertise – pioneering new approaches
• Woolf Institute ‘Community Initiative and Austerity’ Facebook Group
• Kendal Peace Garden
• Equally Ours
• Big Lunch Extras
• Unity in motion

Training and resources
• Tackling domestic violence training
• Cambridge Inter-faith Programme Summer School
• Prevent training workshops
• Building Networks across Difference and Inter Faith and Networking
• Edinburgh Inter Faith Association video and publication
• Celebrating Faith video
• Interfaith Explorers website

Jobs, Internships and Volunteering
• 3FF – Director
• Cambridge Inter-Faith Programme – Research Associate

Funding opportunities
• Near Neighbours programme
• Funding Central website
• Comic Relief Stronger Communities grants
• Big Lottery Fund

Calls for information, Competitions and Tenders
• Strengthening Faith Institutions programme
• Inter Faith Week questionnaire – deadline extended
• Equality Act - 5 Years On: Call for Papers 

Special Weeks/Days
• World Interfaith Harmony Week
• Fairtrade Fortnight
• Islam Awareness Week

Diary Dates
• Information on some of the inter faith events taking place around the UK
 Bulletin:
http://www.interfaith.org.uk/publications/ifn-e-bulletin

IFN Circular 1/15 - Message from Co-Chairs and Vice-Chairs

	IFN Circular 1/15 - Message from Co-Chairs and Vice-Chairs
Date:	2015-01-08 14:40
From:	IFNet <IFNet@interfaith.org.uk>
To:	IFNet <IFNet@interfaith.org.uk>

 Circular 1/15, 8 January 2015

Dear Inter Faith Network contact,

The New Year brings fresh possibilities and opportunities.

It has also, this year, brought news of disturbing demonstrations in Germany and yesterday’s murders in France.

In the UK, we are fortunate to have a generally strong record of community relations and inter faith engagement but this can never be taken for granted and echoes – from near as well as far – of  destructive responses to dealing with difference are always of concern.

IFN’s vision is of a society where there is understanding of the diversity and richness of the faith communities in the UK and the contribution that they make; and where we live and work together with mutual respect and shared commitment to the common good.  With our member bodies, we work to that end, like many others here, elsewhere in Europe and around the world.

Some of you will have seen the Queen’s Speech on Christmas Day. This year it had reconciliation and understanding as its core theme. We were struck by the reference in this to the importance of respect for people of all faiths and none.  
We share it with you.

http://www.royal.gov.uk/ImagesandBroadcasts/TheQueensChristmasBroadcasts/ChristmasBroadcasts/ChristmasBroadcast2014.aspx

With every good wish for your own work in the coming year: both to foster understanding and cooperation and to dispel misunderstanding, combat prejudice and develop ways to work together to tackle areas of difference peaceably and effectively in ways which respect the integrity of our different faith traditions.

Best wishes,

Rt Revd Richard Atkinson OBE (Co-Chair)

Vivian Wineman (Co-Chair)

Dr Girdari L Bhan (Vice-Chair)

Mohinder Singh Chana (Vice-Chair)

Maulana M Shahid Raza OBE (Vice-Chair)

The Ven Bogoda Seelawimala (Vice-Chair)

Inter Faith Network for the UK

IFN: Interfaith Week

http://www.interfaithweek.org/   Inter Faith Week 2014 - 45 days to go!

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Put your event on the map! If you are planning to hold an event to mark Inter Faith Week 2014, please do take a moment to send us details about it via the website. Events will be displayed, as in previous years, on an interactive map. To register your event and put it on the map, please click here. Alternatively, if you would prefer to complete a PDF registration form, or to print off and post a hard-copy form, please use this link. Some reasons why listing your event can help you and others: Free publicity - the website is visited by thousands of people before and throughout Inter Faith Week who are looking for events to attend. It is also visited by others such as journalists and MPs. The bigger picture - it helps people to get a feel for just how big the Week is, and to bring home the significance of the contribution of faith communities to national and local life; the importance of inter faith understanding and cooperation; and also the need for greater understanding between those of religious and non-religious beliefs. Accessibility - the website allows people to search for events that are accessible to them. The more information you are able to give us, the more helpful your listing will be to those with specific needs. Encouragement and inspiration - After the Week, IFN draws together a list of all events known to it to have taken place to mark the Week. The list shows the incredible diversity of the Week and the wide range of ways people choose to mark it, and is often used as inspiration by event organisers in the future. Funding - Being able to give an accurate picture of the many different types of events which take place to mark the Week across England, Northern Ireland and Wales helps IFN to make the case to possible funders about why they should be supporting the groups looking to organise events to mark the Week and inter faith activity in general. Inter Faith Week - 45 days to go! www.interfaithweek.org Today marks 45 days until Inter Faith Week 2014 in England, Northern Ireland and Wales. Further information and a flyer about the Week is available at www.interfaithweek.org. Message from Trustees of the Inter Faith Network "Inter Faith Week is a time to highlight the contribution of faith communities to our shared lives, to increase understanding between and about faiths and also between those of religious and non-religious beliefs. It provides a tremendous platform ... to get more people involved, share good practice and look at both the opportunities and challenges of living well together in our diverse society". Trustees of IFN Message from the Prime Minister "Inter Faith Week is now a well regarded fixture in the faith calendar and I am delighted it is going from strength to strength. The Week plays an important role in bringing together people, and I would encourage everyone to get behind this year's activities. There is no better way of celebrating the richness and diversity of faith in our country." Rt Hon David Cameron MP, Prime Minister Message from the Deputy Prime Minister "Inter Faith Weeks have had a tremendous impact since they first started in 2009. They inspire people of all faiths, and of no faith, to come together and help create the fair and tolerant society we all want to be a part of. This is an aim that I am personally committed to, and hope to have helped support by bringing people together at recent events that I have hosted. The Week is a brilliant opportunity for people of different backgrounds to make new connections, find out more about each other and celebrate together the great multicultural society we have here in the UK. My best wishes to everyone involved in making Inter Faith Week what it is today. I hope many communities up and down the country will get involved to make this year another great success. Rt Hon Nick Clegg MP, Deputy Prime Minister Message from the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government "Inter Faith Week, and the wider work of the Inter Faith Network in the UK, showcases perfectly what can be achieved when those of faith and those of none work together using a combination of social action and practical activities. Hopefully this Week will inspire many more people to get involved." Rt Hon Eric Pickles MP, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Tips and ideas Inter Faith Week: Celebrating 2013 and planning for 2014 contains tips and ideas for event planners. It can be downloaded from the Inter Faith Week homepage. Twitter and Facebook We will be tweeting about Inter Faith Week via the @IFWeek account and using the #IFWeek hashtag. If you are tweeting about the Week, please either copy @IFWeek or use the hashtag (or both). The Inter Faith Week Facebook page is at www.facebook.com/ifweek. Scottish Interfaith Week Scottish Interfaith Week will take place from 23 - 30 November 2014. The theme for the week will be 'Journeys', looking at our journeys of faith, for example stories of pilgrimage or inner journeys. For further details, visit the Interfaith Scotland website at www.interfaithscotland.org/our-activities/scottish-interfaith-week/. http://www.interfaithweek.org/

IFN: INTER FAITH WEEK 2014

Press Release 25 June 2014

INTER FAITH WEEK

At their meeting on 25 June the Trustees of the Inter Faith Network for the UK launched Inter Faith Week: Celebrating 2013 and planning for 2014.

Inter Faith Week takes place in the third week of November and has now become a fixture in the local and national calendar with events to:

· strengthen good inter faith relations at all levels

· increase awareness of the different and distinct faith communities in the UK, celebrating and building on the contribution which their members make to their neighbourhoods and to wider society

· increase understanding between people of religious and non-religious beliefs

The Officers of the Inter Faith Network said: “This is a Week that is firing the imagination of more and more people of all ages each year. In the UK we live side by side as neighbours with people of many different backgrounds. This is a Week for celebrating the positive aspects of how we coexist and for strengthening our common bonds. It encourages new links and friendship. It enables people to learn more about their neighbours’ faiths and beliefs. It brings people together to volunteer in their local communities. It encourages discussion – including about areas of commonalities and shared values, areas of difference, and also about some of the more difficult questions that face us today.”

Inter Faith Week 2014

It is expected that this year many different kinds of organisation will be holding events to mark the Week: faith groups; inter faith organisations; non-religious belief bodies; businesses; sports organisations; local authorities; Police and Fire and Rescue Services; schools and Standing Advisory Councils on Religious Education (SACREs); universities and colleges; hospitals; businesses; voluntary organisations; chaplaincies; and others.

Inter Faith Week 2014 will have a special focus on events involving young people or with an intergenerational dimension, and some ideas for events are included in the short report.

Organisations in many areas are already planning their Inter Faith Week events for 2014. Just one local example is Dacorum Interfaith Network in Hertfordshire whose Co-Chairman David Lawson has said “The aim of ‘Interfaith 14’ in November is to bring all the different faiths in Dacorum together on one day, in one place, to share with others a little bit about their faith to help understand and accept each other and to help build friendships between communities.”

The 2013 Week saw thousands participate through over 400 events which took place in England, Wales and Northern Ireland to mark the Week – nearly 30% more than the previous year. The number of local faith communities involved with the Week more than doubled – as did local authorities and civic bodies. The spread of activities was wide: from faiths volunteering together on social action projects and fundraising together for charity, to faith trails and open door days at places of worship; from debates and dialogues to multi faith sports matches; from exhibitions and festivals to hands-on workshops to learn more about different faiths.

25 June 2014

Notes to Editors

1. Inter Faith Week: Celebrating 2013 and planning for 2014 accompanies this Release and can also be downloaded from www.interfaithweek.org
2. The production and publication of the report was supported by a project grant from the Department for Communities and Local Government.
3. For further information contact: Ashley Beck ashley.beck@interfaith.org.uk 020 7730 0410.
4. Inter Faith Week was established in England and Wales in 2009. Scottish Inter Faith Week has taken place with great success since 2004 and is led by Interfaith Scotland (www.interfaithscotland.org). This year it begins on Sunday 23 November.
5. The Inter Faith Network for the UK manages the Inter Faith Week website: www.interfaithweek.org and leads on the Week. Within Wales, the lead is taken by the Inter-faith Council for Wales (www.interfaithwales.org), and within Northern Ireland, the lead is taken by the Northern Ireland Inter-Faith Forum (http://niinterfaithforum.org).
6. The Inter Faith Network for the UK (www.interfaith.org.uk), was founded in 1987.
7. Sunday 16 November, the first day of Inter Faith Week, is also Mitzvah Day (www.mitzvahday.org.uk) - a Jewish-led day of social action involving people of all faiths and none working together in their local communities. Many events are being jointly held to mark both Inter Faith Week and Mitzvah Day, and will be branded ‘Inter Faith Mitzvah Day’ events.

The Inter Faith Network for the UK

2 Grosvenor Gardens

London

SW1W 0DH

Tel: 020 7730 0410

Fax: 020 7730 0414

Email: ifnet@interfaith.org.uk

Web: www.interfaith.org.uk

Registered charity no. 1068934. Company limited by guarantee no. 3443823 registered in England.

NASACRE: CHANGES IN THE INTER FAITH NETWORK’S MEMBERSHIP POLICY

IFN: CHANGES IN THE INTER FAITH NETWORK’S MEMBERSHIP POLICY When is a religion not a religion? Answer, when it is not recognised as such by the Inter Faith Network (IFN) – or at least that used to be the answer. Until this year, under its faith group category, the IFN’s constitution permitted IFN membership only to nine specific religious traditions, or to sub-groups within these*. In recent years, this arrangement had been coming under increasing questioning and challenge. The IFN took the opportunity provided by the occasion of its 25th anniversary to carry out a Strategic Review of the IFN’s whole operation, including a review of its criteria for membership of the different categories. The Review put forward a series of proposals, many of which were debated and passed at an Extraordinary General Meeting in May this year. Broadly speaking, the constraint of recognising just nine specific religions has been abandoned. This new openness is balanced by an element of “vetting” in the process by which a newly applying faith group can be granted membership, and by the introduction of a code of conduct to be adopted throughout the IFN. It is difficult to overestimate the radical implications of these changes, even if they will take some time to have a major impact. In effect, and in principle, anything goes. No longer will any faith group be able to keep another legitimate faith group from joining the IFN table. No longer will any faith group be able to set itself up as the norm against what it sees as deviant or heretical versions of its own tradition. All is now relative, and this will take many of us well out of our comfort zones and habitual perceptions. As it happens, SACREs are potentially ahead of the game here. Their statutory framework does in fact embody an element of flexibility and local variation, and this has enabled some SACREs to be inclusive in new ways. For example, some SACREs now have a Pagan representative in Group A, and one SACRE has a Chair who is a member of the (Mormon) Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. (It is worth recalling that it is the Local Authority that determines which faith groups should be represented on Group A, even if the LA is heavily advised and prompted by the SACRE!) However, inclusiveness may come at a price. The proliferation of recognised faith groups, and of distinct sub-groups, presents a much more disorganised picture than the earlier pattern of a finite set of normative faith traditions, while the loss of normative reference points could well lead to some mainstream groups feeling deeply unhappy and alienated at being required to work alongside and give respect to a faith community or sub-group which they have historically anathematised. Some SACREs at the leading edge are beginning to model ways of coping with these tensions. What is being learned here needs to be shared with other SACREs – and even maybe with the IFN! * The nine are: Baha’i, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Judaism, Sikhism, and Zoroastrianism.

ADVANCE NOTICE The next Inter Faith Week (November) is likely to have an emphasis on involving young people in the activities of that week. SACREs could contribute significantly to delivering this. Please highlight this with your SACRE now and look out for more detailed information and requests in the September edition of SACRE Briefing.

Huff: Schools and the Failure of Multiculturalism and Multifaithism

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/rumy-hasan/multiculturalism_b_5479818.html

Schools and the Failure of Multiculturalism and Multifaithism

 The spat between Michael Gove and Theresa May focuses on the failure to tackle Islamic extremism in Birmingham's schools. Whether such failure can be attributed to one party or the other is, in fact, a moot point. The real problem has deeper roots: it resides in the failure of multiculturalism and multifaithism.

Read full article

CBCEW Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales : invitation to the Buddhist Community

http://www.catholicnews.org.uk/vesakh-2014

Interfaith Explorers workshops

http://interfaithexplorers.com/

 

Interfaith Explorers workshops

 

Interfaith Explorers is a free UNESCO-supported online educational learning resource designed to add value to RE in ways that help young people respect religious and cultural diversity. Following the success last year’s Teacher Workshops, the Maimonides Interfaith Foundation is running a new series of free after school training workshops over the coming months in the following locations; Leeds, Manchester, Leicester, Birmingham and Coventry. They are aimed at primary school teachers who want to leverage quality online resources to aid religious education and PSHE teaching in the classroom.
You can find out about the workshops, or book yourself a place, by e-mailing interfaithexplorers@education.co.uk or by calling us on 01634 729806.

Former archbishop of Canterbury: We are a post-Christian nation

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/10790495/Former-archbishop-of-Canterbury-We-are-a-post-Christian-nation.html

Exclusive: Former archbishop of Canterbury says Britain is no longer a nation of believers, as Telegraph poll reveals Christians are reluctant to express their faith

Lisbeth Mikaelsson on Religion and Gender

http://www.religiousstudiesproject.com/podcast/podcast-lisbeth-mikaelsson-on-religion-and-gender/

Gender has always played a significant role in the everyday lives of people. This is no more true than in the case of religion and there is a burgeoning field in religious studies dedicated to the study of the role of gender within religions. From dress codes to notions of purity to questions of the legitimate of power the topic of gender is one few scholars can afford to ignore. With a whole range of issues to be investigated Lisbeth Mikaelsson gives us an introductory insight into the complex topic of religion and gender: the issues it raises, the way we go about it, who’s doing it and why.

GOV:Permanent Holocaust memorial ?

Subject: [NBO Information] Should Britain have a permanent Holocaust memorial?

For your information and possible interest:

The Prime Minister’s Commission on the Holocaust is a national, cross-party commission, established to investigate whether further measures should be taken to ensure Britain has a permanent and fitting Holocaust memorial and meaningful educational resources for generations to come.

Your views are sought in this online consultation:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/the-holocaust-commission-keeping-the-memory-alive

NBO: Buddhist Action Month (BAM) June 2014

After the success of BAM 2013 we are inviting you to take part in BAM 2014

 

BAM is the month when Buddhists across the UK take part in socially beneficial activities, locally, nationally or globally, inspired and motivated by 

Buddhist teachings and values. 

The suggested theme for BAM 2014 is the environment.

 

**You can take action on your own at home, with friends or in your local community. You can organise your own event or you can take part in activities organised by others**

 

To help you we have created a BAM Activity Pack that you can download from the NBO website. It contains ideas for activities, a list of organisations you can contact for advice and options for funding if your activity will need financial support.

 

BAM is coordinated through the Network of Buddhist Organisations (NBO). 

To find out more about BAM see the attached poster and download your free Activity Pack here http://www.nbo.org.uk/get-involved/projects-campaigns/buddhist-action-month/ 

 

 

Val Stephenson

Co-Chair and  Membership Secretary

Network of Buddhist Organisations UK

P.O Box 4147

Maidenhead

Berks

SL60 1DN

3FF launches workshops in primary schools

3FF launches workshops in primary schools

3FF are delighted to announce the launch of our flagship ‘Encountering Faiths and Beliefs’ workshop for years 4-6.  The sessions follow a similar format to our award-winning workshops for secondary schools: an expert 3FF facilitator invites three trained volunteer speakers from different backgrounds to share their personal stories on how their beliefs impact their daily life around a set of themes such as festivals or key practices.  As the recent RE APPG report made clear, encountering others from different backgrounds is an essential aspect of good RE.  Further details are available on the 3FF website.