| Opening words
Brian Pearce
Director, Inter Faith Network for the UK
I would like, on behalf of The Inter Faith Network, to
express our appreciation to our associates in this conference: the Inner
Cities Religious Council. We have received help from them in arranging
this, as we have from the Active Community Unit of the Home Office, and we
would like to acknowledge with gratitude both those sources of support.
The Inter Faith Network for the UK was founded in 1987
and it works with its member bodies to promote good inter faith relations
in this country. It has four categories of member bodies: representative
national bodies from all of the main faith communities in this county,
national inter faith organisations, educational and academic bodies and
also, very importantly, local inter faith groups, associations and
councils.
Throughout the life of the Network, we have seen the
development and strengthening of inter faith work at a local level as
absolutely crucial. The Network arranges regular meetings in different
parts of the UK. Representatives of different local inter faith groups are
invited to these to come together to share their experience and discuss
their challenges and concerns and their future plans. This conference
today also has those aims in view but focuses in particular on the very
important issue of the relationship between the development of local inter
faith structures, and the links which can be created and the co-operation
that can be established with local authorities and with other public
bodies in their area.
I think that there is a growing awareness now of the
significance of faith identity as a component within our community life
and also of the contribution which faith communities can make to civic
life in towns and cities around the UK.
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