West Midlands Faiths Forum

Dates for Inter Faith Week 2011
At a recent meeting of IFN’s Faith Communities Forum national faith community bodies in membership of IFN reflected on this year’s Inter Faith Week in England (marked at the same time in Wales and, for the first time, in Northern Ireland) and gave preliminary consideration to next year’s Week – and in particular its dates.  I have also been in consultation through correspondence with IFN’s Executive Committee about this.

Inter Faith Week in 2011 will take place in England and Wales from Sunday 20 November until Saturday 26 November.  Its first day will again coincide with Mitzvah Day (whose organisers have already chosen 20 November for that Day).  The 2011 date for National Sewa Day, which last year was on the same day as Mitzvah Day, has not yet been advertised. It was noted by Faith Communities Forum and Executive Committee members that a resolution on an annual World Interfaith Harmony Week each February was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in October.  The resolution was put by Jordan and a website has been set up linked to this: www.worldinterfaithharmonyweek.org. There appears to have been limited prior consultation over this Jordanian initiative and, while it is clearly a worthwhile and positive one, it is not clear at this stage how widely the Week will in practice be observed in different countries.  The Department for Communities and Local Government has indicated that Government have no plans to mark the UN Week in February.

The branches in this country of international inter faith bodies organisations might well choose to play a special role in marking this important World Week in February and to focus on the vital issue of global inter-religious harmony.  It could be a very visible and positive opportunity for doing so.

There are some advantages to a February Week (for example, few clashes with religious festivals and a relatively quiet time of year) and faith communities are always mindful of the importance of global links. From a national and UK perspective, however, significant factors in opting to continue with a national Inter Faith Week in late autumn are:

•        Scottish Inter Faith Week has to date, since its outset, fallen at the turn of November and December because it is linked to St Andrew’s Day which is on 30 November.

•        Inter Faith Week in England and Wales is intentionally adjacent to the Week in Scotland.  There has been a good synergy between the two in the first two years that the newer Week has been running at the end of November in England and Wales (and marked this year also in Northern Ireland).

•        Among the key reasons that November was originally chosen for the Week in England (and adopted in Wales and this year marked with an event in Northern Ireland) was that as well being deemed a sensible time by the faith communities, it suited schools and universities as a time when they are in session and when there are not normally exams and when it is most likely to be possible to encourage the involvement of young people.  By contrast, the first week of February sees teachers in schools marking mock A levels Key stage 4 and above in England and S3 and above in Scotland, limiting the ability of schools and pupils to participate in a Week then, and for universities the beginning of February is the start of a term with a heavy workload which is likely to affect the willingness of students to get involved.  The National Union of Students has let IFN know that is already encouraging students’ unions to hold Inter Faith Week events in November again.

•        Moving a Week which has now become established in the diaries of faith communities, local authorities, universities and other bodies would be possible but potentially confusing.

•        Holocaust Memorial Day takes place across Europe on 27 January.  The World Interfaith Harmony Week falls immediately after this and there is - particularly in the current funding climate - a likelihood that organisations will try to merge events held for them or may choose to mark only HMD or only Inter Faith Week (were it to be moved to this time to fit in with the World Week).  The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust office has indicated to the IFN office that, while it would be content to work with a February Week, it has concerns about such timing for a Week and hopes that Inter Faith Week will remain in November.

•        As noted above, Mitzvah Day has already opted for Sunday 20 November for 2011.  (The date of the 2011 Sewa Day has not yet been advertised.)

•        Islam Awareness Week has just moved to March and is keen to see Inter Faith Week continue in November so they can encourage members to take part and start planning from March.

These are some of the factors underlying the choice of dates for the 2011 Week in England and Wales and Northern Ireland.  The dates for Scottish Inter Faith Week are due to be confirmed in the early new year.