| Workshops
The following summaries of discussion in the conference
workshops draw on the formal reports back to the plenary and on the notes
of key points kept by minuters at the workshops.
1: Working Towards and
Maintaining a ‘Representative’ Council
Facilitator: Brian Pearce
Reporter back: Jan Mughrabi
Minuter: Dr Elizabeth Harris
Opening contributions: TV Morjaria and Minou
Cortazzi of the Leicester Council of Faiths described the development of
inter work faith work in Leicester, including the ways in which the
Council of Faiths had tried to ensure that it could claim to be
representative of the local faith communities. They explored some of the
pitfalls and difficulties. Idrees Khan spoke about the work of the Cardiff
Interfaith Association and touched on steps which had been taken towards
setting up an Inter Faith Council for Wales. In the course of these
presentations and in the following discussion, the following key points
emerged:
- The issue of ‘representation’ is increasingly important in inter
faith initiatives at a local, as well as national, level.
- Forming a representative council can be quite difficult, especially
over a large geographical area, but it is worth aiming for this
because of the need for a "faith" voice in numerous areas of
public life.
- When setting up a council it is vital to take time in the
preliminary preparation to establish a clear vision and purposes and a
sense of ownership on the part of all faiths involved.
- It is important to write, to make personal contacts, to network, to
visit the different faith communities - as the work of a council of
faiths develops, links with the outside authorities will come
gradually. Faith communities should be asked to nominate
representatives.
- It is important to affirm the original "enthusiasts" who
may have brought a group into being.
- Gender and age should be taken into account in the pattern of
membership and guidelines about this could be suggested to the
communities to be kept in mind when making nominations.
- Some faith groups may not necessarily be keen to be involved.
- It is important to be aware of any intra-religious tensions between
different sections of a faith community.
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