Inter Faith Week starts this Sunday, Remembrance Sunday

The tenth Inter Faith Week takes place from Sunday 11 to Sunday 18 November. It’s a week with a focus on faith and belief but it’s for everyone.

PRESS RELEASE

8 November 2018

The tenth Inter Faith Week takes place from Sunday 11 to Sunday 18 November. It’s a week with a focus on faith and belief but it’s for everyone.

Inter faith understanding and cooperation and religious literacy are of ever greater importance. In the course of this Week, hundreds of events will take place which will help to strengthen these and understanding between people of religious and non-religious beliefs.  These range from open door days at places of worship, to exhibitions, volunteering events to help local communities, sport, workplace awareness raising activities, plays and films, to quizzes and competitions. At www.interfaithweek.org is a map showing the activities taking place.  More continue to come in.

The Co-Chairs of the Inter Faith Network for the UK, which leads on the Week, say:

“Inter Faith Week is a tremendous opportunity to learn about the faith communities that make such an important contribution to our life in the UK.  This year, as we mark the centenary of the Armistice, this will include learning about the profoundly important service of soldiers and civilians of different faiths and beliefs from Britain and from the now Commonwealth, as well as reflection on work for peace.  

At a time when prejudice and hate is so often in the news, the Week is also a time for reaching out and making new connections with people of different faiths and beliefs -  it’s about how we can live well together, respecting difference but making common cause for the wellbeing of our local communities.”

Faith Minister, Lord Bourne, says:

"Over the past year I have travelled across the country meeting religious communities and groups, many of whom have established hugely impressive interfaith connections, where people come together to bridge divides and raise awareness of other faiths.  Inter Faith Week is an ideal time for more groups to get together and celebrate what we have in common rather than what divides us.

The Armistice Centenary presents another opportunity for everyone to recognise the sacrifices of people from all backgrounds who lived, fought and died in the Great War."

Inter Faith Week and Armistice 100

Inter Faith Week begins each year on Remembrance Sunday to provide an opportunity to remember together the service of soldiers and civilians of different faiths and beliefs. This year is the Centenary of the Armistice that signaled the end of World War I. Many events taking place for Inter Faith Week this year are also linked to #Armistice100, for example:  

• Solihull’s different faith communities will be coming together at Solihull Methodist Church to commemorate #Armistice 100 with an event entitled: “From Battles to Brotherhood: Commemorating Peace One Hundred Years On”
• Leeds Museums have worked with local inter faith and faith groups to create ‘Light for Leeds’ at Kirkstall Abbey, a multi faith event focusing on peace. This features artwork by BBC's Big Painting Challenge winner 2017, Suman Kaur. This commemorates the Armistice and is curated around the portraits of four key figures of the First World War representing different parts of the globe, each chosen by people of different faiths in the local community. 
• A largescale commemorative event will be taking place at the iconic Neasden Temple “honouring the contribution of India and the Commonwealth” during World War One

IFN’s resource for #Armistice100 also highlights multi faith involvement in remembrance services and other #Armistice100 activities such as bellringing.

A ‘taster’ of some of the events can be seen here and at the bottom of this page.

Scottish Interfaith Week, which has taken place since 2004, is taking place on the same dates as Inter Faith Week in England, Northern Ireland and Wales.

Notes for editors:

1. The Inter Faith Week website carries more information and resources: www.interfaithweek.org 
2. High resolution versions of the photographs can be found at the bottom of this page.
3. Interviews and other photographs available.  Contact the IFN office which can also  assist media with enquiries about the Week:  020 730 0410 and Ashley.beck@interfaith.org.uk or 07739 406546 out of office hours
4. Inter Faith Week is a programme of the Inter Faith Network for the UK, a charity which has been working since 1987 to promote mutual respect and understanding between the faith communities of the UK.  It works with the Northern Ireland Inter-Faith Forum and the Inter-faith Council for Wales/ Cyngor Rhyng-ffydd Cymru in relation to the Week in those nations. 
5. The aims of the Week are to strengthen good inter faith relations at all levels; increase awareness of the different and distinct faith communities in the UK, in particular celebrating and building on the contribution which their members make to their neighbourhoods and to wider society; and increase understanding between people of religious and non-religious beliefs.
6. The work of IFN is supported by faith communities, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Trusts and other donors.
7. Inter Faith Week has its own Twitter account www.twitter.com/IFWeek and Facebook page www.facebook.com/IFWeek and is on Instagram at www.instagram.com/IFWeek
8. Social media users are encouraged to use the hashtag #InterFaithWeek in tweets and posts about the Week, as well as to post photos, quotes and ideas linked to the Week. Users are also being encouraged to take part in this year’s Inter Faith Week social media campaign, details of which can be found at https://www.interfaithweek.org/resources/social-media.
9. Inter Faith Week was established in England and Wales in 2009, and in Northern Ireland in 2010.
10. Scottish Interfaith Week has taken place since 2004 and is led by Interfaith Scotland (www.interfaithscotland.org). It has its own dedicated website at www.scottishinterfaithweek.org. The dates of the Week are the same.
11. Sunday 18 November will be Mitzvah Day. Many events are being jointly held to mark both Inter Faith Week and Mitzvah Day.
12. The Near Neighbours programme of the Church of England, supported by MHCLG, is helping enable events in a number of areas.
13. British Future and the British Legion are also encouraging ‘Remembering Together’ as part of the Legion’s ‘Thank you’ campaign: https://www.britishlegion.org.uk/remembrance/ww1-centenary/thank-you/

High Resolution photo

High Resolution photo