Interfaith Focus Session

Models of Inter-Religious Cooperation for Community Peace-Building

You are cordially invited to review some existing models of interfaith collaboration that go beyond dialogue in order to create peace in our world.

Interfaith dialogue is a key tool through which peace can be built in society. Religions have been blamed as a source of conflict; they can also be seen as the solution to resolving conflict. Many organised forums for dialogue already exist that bring together representatives of religious communities. These have become the arenas for developing understanding, for friendship and for reconciliation. The value of these enterprises should not be understated.

However, in a climate where actions speak louder than words, it is important that the peace developed between religious individuals can be shared, contributing to peace-building initiatives in the wider community.

During the London event celebrating the Global Peace Festival on 22nd November 2008, a variety of conferences will be hosted, one of which highlighting the importance of interfaith in action. This focus session will showcase initiatives that build peace in the community, from the local to the international level. These groups will present a promising variety of models from which best practices can be learned. It is hoped that this conference will empower you in your peace-building efforts.

Draft Programme

 
13:45 – 14.15Registration
 
14.15 – 14.20Greetings by the Chairman
 
14.20 – 14:35Mrs. Anjum Anwar
 
14:35 – 14:50Mr. Zishan Jiwa
 
14:50 – 15:05
Dr Pieter Beelaerts 
15:05 – 15:20 Yebuny Chandler 
15.20 – 15:50
Good Practice Workshops 
15.50 – 16:00Summary and close
 
  

Curriculum Vitae of Speakers

 

Mrs. Anjum Anwar

Unfortunately has had to cancel due to family bereavement.

 

Zishan Jiwa

Zishan is a final year medical student based at Addenbrookes Hospital. He has a keen interest in inter-faith dialogue and was one of the founding members of the Cambridge University Faiths Forum, a campus based inter-faith initiative which attempts to cater for students, staff and the Cambridge community. He has been involved in a variety of grass-roots inter-faith as well as intra-faith initiatives within the Muslim community. In 2008, he was awarded a special prize from the Cambridge University Students Union in recognition of work done to tackle racism and promote diversity on campus. Zishan comes from the Muslim faith tradition.

 
Dr. Pieter Beelaerts

Born in 1932, Jhr. drs. Pieter Adriaan Cornelis Beelaerts van Blokland is a former member of the CDA (Christian Democratic Appeal) political party, member of Parliament and government minister, Queen’s Commissioner for the province of Utrecht (1985-1998) and city mayor. As an Ambassador for Peace, as well as co-chair of UPF-NL, Dr. Beelaerts has spoken at a number of conferences and symposia in the Netherlands. He is still very active in public life, serving (often as chairman) on numerous committees covering religion, health, culture & the arts, including being President of the National Committee, "Thank you Canada & Allied forces", as well as having his own charitable foundation. He is a lifelong advocate and worker for ecumenism and, now, interreligious cooperation. Educated and witty, he is very respectful of other religions, cultures and people.
 

 Yebuny Chandler

For the past three years Yebuny has participated in numerous 'Religious Youth Service' (RYS) projects in Guatemala, Ghana and The Netherlands, which were unique programmes that brought youth from different cultures and faiths together to engage in community service work. Since September 2006, she became an active member of another international youth programme called 'Youth Service Initiative' (YSI) in which she worked together with RYS to create similar projects in The Netherlands. Inspired by her experiences with interfaith, she is now in her first year reading Religious Studies with Education Studies at Cambridge University. She still enjoys organising local community initiatives and supporting both YSI and RYS and is looking forward to support setting up the first ever RYS project in London next summer.

The following persons on the conference organising committee are available to answer any further questions:

Matthew Huish
(Chair Interfaith Focus Session)
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