Review of equality and human rights law relating to religion or belief

Review of equality and human rights law relating to religion or belief

NEW PUBLICATION

Peter Edge and Lucy Vickers, Review of equality and human rights law relating to religion or belief (EHRC Research Report no. 97, 2015)

 

This EHRC report draws on a detailed analysis of primary and secondary sources of British law, wider research and policy literature, and four workshops of experts to explore the legal framework on religion or belief. It covers definitional issues, the legal protection for religion or belief, the balancing of rights, a duty of reasonable accommodation and the public sector equality duty. Key findings included that:

 

·        The current domestic law in this area is comparatively recent and addresses complex issues in a context where there is considerable difference of opinion as to how the law should be framed and applied. Given this, the law is generally clear and consistent.

·        The review indicates the definition of belief, particularly in equality legislation, merits further assessment. The broad definition currently being applied by the courts is unclear, which results in apparent inconsistencies between judgments, particularly at Employment Tribunal level.

·        The impact on domestic law of some specific issues which have been tested at European level remains unclear.

·        The primary focus of the case law to date has been on the relationship of the religious employee and their employer. However, the position of the religious employer and the religious service provider remains relatively unexplored.

·        The role of the public sector equality duty in integrating religion or belief equality into the day to day practice of public sector organisations remains largely untested.

·        The extent to which a duty to accommodate religion or belief (as practised in Canada or the USA) might be beneficial to employees and employers remains uncertain and different views are held about its perceived advantages and disadvantages.

 

The report is available at: http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/publication/research-report-97-review-equality-and-human-rights-law-relating-religion-or-belief

-- 
Namo Amida Bu

Acharya Modgala Louise Duguid

http://wellcomecollection.org/secrettemple

Tibet’s Secret Temple: Body, Mind and Meditation in Tantric Buddhism

Wellcome Collection, EXHIBITION

19 November 2015 - 28 February 2016

'Tibet’s Secret Temple’ explores Tibetan Buddhist yogic and meditational practice and their connections to physical and mental wellbeing.

Inspired by an exquisite series of 17th century murals from a private meditation chamber for Tibet’s Dalai Lamas in Lhasa’s Lukhang Temple, the exhibition features over 120 objects including scroll paintings, statues, manuscripts, archival and contemporary film, together with a wide range of ethnographic and ritual artefacts.

‘Tibet’s Secret Temple’ will uncover the stories behind the ancient, esoteric and once secret practices illustrated in the Lukhang murals and show their relevance to the expanding and wide-ranging contemporary interest in meditative wellbeing.

HH The Dalai Lama on Ahimsa, 20 sep 2015 at the Coliseum

HH The Dalai Lama on Ahimsa, 20 sep 2015 at the Coliseum

“India, despite its great diversity, maintains a peaceful and harmonious society.  Clearly the ancient Indian doctrine of Ahimsa, or nonviolence, has flourished and been adopted as a principle of peaceful coexistence by all faiths. This is a tremendous achievement, and one from which other countries can learn.”

His Holiness the Dalai Lama – BEYOND RELIGION

Tibet House is honoured to host a visit to the UK by His Holiness the Dalai Lama in September. His Holiness has a high respect for India as the quote above from His Holiness's book demonstrates. He acknowledges the central role played by Ahimsa in a peaceful and harmonious society, He is revered as one of the great spiritual leaders of our time, reaching out to people of all faiths.

We are taking this opportunity to organise a talk at the Coliseum Theatre in London on Sunday, 20 September 2015 from 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm.

We anticipate a significant demand for tickets for this event but we are giving priority to members of Indian faith organisations like yours for the booking of tickets before it goes on sale to the general public.  

I would be grateful if you could kindly circulate details of this event to all your members so that they can take advantage of the priority booking. Tickets can be booked online now from:    http://www.eno.org/whats-on/other/dalai-lama

Meanwhile, if you have any queries on this event, please do not hesitate to contact me.

          Dolma Pemba,  (Mrs)
          Events Officer
          Tibet House

          Office    020 7722 5378
          Mob:     07404 068494
http://www.dalailama2015.uk/tibet-house-trust.php

REC August 2015 Bulletin

http://us4.campaign-archive1.com/?u=a742773f8f89e11e47d388c29&id=3d5b8364a6&e=a0f1d3deed

REC August 2015 Bulletin

The Role of Faith in British Schools/Education

The Role of Faith in British Schools/Education

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

The Role of Faith in British Schools/Education

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

The Role of Faith in British Schools/Education

South East England Faiths Forum, in conjunction with the National Association of SACREs and the University of Winchester, is holding a day conference on Thursday 3 September on ‘The Role of Faith in British Schools/Education’.
The event will be held from 10am to 4pm at the Stripe Building, University of Winchester SO22 4NR. The keynote speaker will be Alan Brine, former RE lead at OFSTED and the day will end with the SEEFF AGM at 4pm. There is a charge to attend, which includes a vegetarian lunch.

For further information, contact elizabeth.jenkerson@btopenworld.com or visit http://se-faithforum.net/national-events/conference-2015
.

Religion and belief in school – a Westminster Faith Debates report

Religion and belief in school – a Westminster Faith Debates report 

http://faithdebates.org.uk/wpcontent/uploads/2015/06/A-New-Settlement-for-Religion-and-Belief-in-schools.pdf.

A Westminster Faith Debates report ‘A New Settlement: Religion and Belief in Schools’ by former Minister Charles Clarke and Professor Linda Woodhead was published in June.

18 policy recommendations are made by them, covering the act of collective worship, the content and formation of the legally required RE curriculum and the operation of faith schools.
Among these there are proposals that:

1. the requirement for schools to have an Act of Collective Worship should be abolished; 
2. consideration be given to using the phrase ‘Religious and Moral Education’ rather than ‘Religious Education’ in describing this part of the statutory curriculum; 
3. and the Religious Education syllabus in county and voluntary controlled schools should no longer be set by a system of locally agreed syllabuses, but be an agreed national syllabus which would have a similar legal status to the requirements of other subjects in the National Curriculum. 

The full report can be downloaded at: http://faithdebates.org.uk/wpcontent/uploads/2015/06/A-New-Settlement-for-Religion-and-Belief-in-schools.pdf.

Sky News: Schoolchildren To Get 'Mindfulness Training'

http://news.sky.com/story/1519722/schoolchildren-to-get-mindfulness-training

Schoolchildren To Get 'Mindfulness Training'

Thousands will be monitored to see if the practice can help cut the risk of depression and other mental health problems.

INFORM AUTUMN SEMINAR

INFORM AUTUMN SEMINAR
Children, Minority Religions, and the Law

Date - Saturday, 17 October 2015; 9.30am – 4.30pm
Location – Clement House, London School of Economics 

Registration is now open and can be done using a credit/debit card through PayPal or by posting a booking form and a cheque payable to 'Inform' to Inform, Houghton St., London WC2A 2AE. Tickets (including buffet lunch, coffee and tea) paid by 28 September 2015 are £38 each (£18 students/unwaged). Tickets booked after 28 September 2015 will cost £48 each (£28 students/unwaged). 

What is in the best interests of a child?

All states who are members of the UN (except the United States) have ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), which requires the State to act in the best interest of the child. Since ratification, there have been several occasions when States have intervened in what was perceived as infringement of the well-being and/or rights of children living in religious communities. But have these states (or their local authorities) acted in the best interest of the child?

While there are documented cases where children have been neglected and/or harmed when raised within religious communities (both new and old), some minority religions argue that what society proposes (in its culture, education, medical provisions) is not at all in the best interest of the child, and aim to protect their children from such negative influences. Who should decide on what is in a child’s best interest? In this seminar we will concentrate on legal issues surrounding children in minority religious communities, from a variety of perspectives.

Provisional Programme 

9.30 - 10.00         REGISTRATION

10.00 - 10.15       Eileen Barker (Founder and Honorary Research Fellow, Inform) Welcome and Housekeeping

10.15 - 10.40       Amanda van Eck (Deputy Director, Inform) Introduction

10.40 - 11.05       Heiner Bielefeldt (UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief)Religious Socialization in Light of Article 14 of the Conventions on the Rights of a Child

11.05 – 11.30      Alain Garay (Lawyer in Paris, France) Children, Minority Religions and the European Court of Human Rights Case Laws 

11.30 – 11.55      TEA/COFFEE

11.55 – 12.20      Jean Swantko Wiseman (Twelve Tribes lawyer since 1983, USA) Germany to Twelve Tribes Parents: You can Get Your Children Back if You Leave Twelve Tribes

12.20 – 12.45      Tony Brace (Legal Department, Watch Tower Society) Jehovah’s Witnesses: Children, Blood Transfusions and the Law (Who Holds the Key or Controls the ‘Flack Jacket’?)

12.45 - 13.45       LUNCH

13.45 - 14.10       Roger Kiska (Senior Counsel, Deputy Director, ADF International) Judicial Dogmatism: Home Education and the Rise of Humanist Statism in Europe

14.10 - 14.35       David Waldock Reflections on a Tennis Shoe

14.35 - 15.00       TEA/COFFEE

15.00 - 15.25       Anat Scolnicov (University of Winchester) Children, Family and Community - A Clash of Rights?

15.25 – 15.50      Lorraine Derocher  

15.50 – 16.30      GENERAL PANEL DISCUSSION   

Chaplaincy : Faith and Fire

http://faithandfire.co.uk

http://faithandfire.co.uk/bewes-buddhists-engaged-with-emergency-services/

Chaplaincy : Faith and Fire new Website

Faith and Fire is a partnership between the CFOA Chief Fire Officers Association, FRS Fire and Rescue Services and faith communities to develop mutual respect. It also increases the awareness of faiths to FRS staff and volunteers.

East Sussex Fire Services (ESFRS)

http://www.multifaiths.com/public-services/east-sussex-fire-service

http://multifaiths.com/public-services/east-sussex-fire-service

It is also still at the old link

http://www.multifaiths.com/public-services/east-sussex-fire-service

Mindfulness meditation – what’s all the fuss about?

http://home.bt.com/lifestyle/wellbeing/mindfulness-meditation-whats-all-the-fuss-about-11363959359180

Mindfulness meditation – what’s all the fuss about?

Celebs, wellbeing gurus and even MPs are catching the mindfulness bug. Reporter Abi Jackson heads to Westminster for the launch of the Mindful Nation UK interim report to find out more

APPG on Faith and Society to launch Covenant for Engagement – facilitating joint working between local authorities and faith groups

http://www.faithaction.net/2014/09/19/appg-on-faith-and-society-to-launch-covenant-for-engagement-facilitating-joint-working-between-local-authorities-and-faith-groups/

APPG on Faith and Society to launch Covenant for Engagement – facilitating joint working between local authorities and faith groups

Posted on September 19, 2014 in category in News and tagged APPG, Faith by author Chris Miller

RE: GCSE and AS: dates for Reformed Exams

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/timeline-of-changes-to-gcses-as-and-a-levels/changes-to-gcses-as-and-a-levels-that-will-affect-each-current-school-year-group

GCSE and AS: dates for Reformed Exams

Ofqual update today to confirm dates for reformed exams: Aut 16: First teaching of new GCSEs and ASs Sum 17 First AS exams Sum 18 First A level and GCSE exams

The Monk Who Gave Up Acting With Laurence Olivier To Lead Buddhism In British Prisons

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/11/24/religion-in-prisons-buddhism-monk-ajahn-khemadhammo_n_6212664.html

The Monk Who Gave Up Acting With Laurence Olivier To Lead Buddhism In British Prisons

Posted: 25/11/2014 11:50 GMT Updated: 25/11/2014 17:59 GMT  by Louise Ridley

Offering Incense in Eccleston Square since 1956: The Buddhist Society, London

http://buildingbuddhism.wordpress.com/2014/08/04/offering-incense-in-eccleston-square-since-1956-the-buddhist-society-london/

Offering Incense in Eccleston Square since 1956: The Buddhist Society, London

Posted on August 4, 2014 by buildingbuddhism

The Buddhist Society has always been a building that I enjoy visiting.  Situated in upmarket Eccleston Square in London (not far from Victoria Station), the Buddhist Society is one of the first lay Buddhist societies in Europe, according to their website.

BASR: Annual Conference 2014, Art,Religion,Performance

http://basr.ac.uk/conference-2014/

BASR: Annual Conference 2014, Art,Religion,Performance

BASR’s 2014 conference takes place on September 3-5th, at the Open University in Milton Keynes. This year’s conference has two themes: “religion, art and performance” and “the cutting edge”. Both can be interpreted broadly. Panels and papers are invited.