England to have first-ever 'Inter FaithWeek'
(24 March 2009)

A football match involving people from different faiths is just one of the activities that could take place in England's first-ever 'Inter Faith Week', Communities and Local Government (CLG) Secretary Hazel Blears announced today. 'Inter Faith Week' will run from 15 to 21 November with a launch the preceding week. In July last year, CLG published a framework for partnership in our multi faith society. Among the support offered is a £4m small grants programme Faiths in Action to help local communities get inter faith projects off the ground.

Inter Faith Week's aims are:

* to strengthen good inter faith relations at all levels;

* to 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

* to increase understanding between people of religious and non-religious belief.

The Week is being facilitated by the Inter Faith Network for the UK and the Department for Communities and Local Government but will be community-led, with local people and groups of different backgrounds holding their own events and to highlight work going on to promote understanding between people of different faiths and beliefs.

Communities Secretary Hazel Blears said: "People from different faiths are working at the heart of their communities to help disadvantaged people, including those whose jobs, homes or businesses may be at risk during these challenging economic times. It's arguably more important than ever that people of different faiths and beliefs come together and are able to explore what they have in common. I hope that 'Inter Faith Week' will help to strengthen these relationships and build stronger bonds of understanding and cooperation.

"I'm encouraging faith groups and communities to reach out to each other during 'Inter Faith Week' and local authorities, schools, and others to host and encourage inter faith events. England's first-ever 'Inter Faith Week' can provide a wonderful focus for increasing understanding between people and help to shape the new economy that we build together."

Inter Faith Network for the UK Co-Chairs Rt Revd Tom Butler and Dr Nawal Prinja said: "We welcome this important opportunity to increase understanding about and between people of different faiths."

During 'Inter Faith Week' typical activities designed to encourage the development of new partnerships within local communities could include:

* a church and a mosque organising exchange visits for their congregations;

* a local inter faith group organising a 'faith trail' to different places of worship;

* a temple, synagogue or gurdwara arranging a special open day event;

* a school or college arranging an inter faith debate on the environment;

* a football match involving young people from different faith communities

The possibility of the Week being marked in Wales as well as in England is under consideration. An annual 'Inter Faith Week' already takes place in Scotland. The UN International Day of Tolerance (16 November) falls during the Week. The Week overlaps with the longstanding and widely marked Islam Awareness Week and the two weeks will be complementary in theme.

The Inter-Faith Network

The Inter Faith Network links national faith community representative bodies; national, regional and local inter faith bodies and educational and academic bodies with an interest in inter faith issues. The involvement of the Inter Faith Network springs from the aims, shared by over 160 member bodies - including national faith community representative bodies (Baha'i, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jain, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh and Zoroastrian); inter faith organisations and educational and academic bodies - of promoting greater understanding between people of different faiths in the UK.

Over 75% of people who answered a question about religion in the 2001 Census said they belonged to a particular religious tradition.

Visit www.interfaith.org.uk for further information