IFN National Meeting 2022: Working in Partnership for the Common Good
This page contains video presentations from the 2022 National Meeting of the Inter Faith Network for the UK, held on 22 March. The theme of the day was Working in Partnership for the Common Good.
Each of the presentations below was given as part of the IFN 2022 National Meeting. Recordings are included here with permission of the speakers.
A full report on the day can be downloaded from the Publications section.
National organisations and faith communities working together for the common good
The Royal British Legion
Catherine Davies, Head of Remembrance and Emma Vernalls, Remembrance Officer, Royal British Legion, give an insight into how one major national organisation has worked with faith communities to develop a key strand of its work.
Response: Mr Nitin Palan MBE, BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha offers a response from the perspective of a faith community body which has engaged with the RBL and others in highlighting and remembering the service of those fo different faiths and beliefs.
Faith-based charities working with secular agencies
Fadi Itani OBE, Chief Executive Officer, Muslim Charities Forum and writer on voluntary sector issues, offers reflections on effective partnership working from a faith-based charity perspective, drawing on examples from some of its members.
Multi-faith social action for the well being of refugees
Grace Buckley, Scottish Faiths Action Together on Refugees (SFAR), Secretary, Archdiocese of Glasgow Justice and Peace Commission and member of the Scottish Bishops’ national Justice and Peace Commission, talks about how, through SFAR, Scottish faith communities have come together for advocacy and action on behalf of refugees, working in partnership, where appropriate, with secular bodies assisting refugees.
Partnerships at the heart of local civic life – the Coventry experience
Manjit Kaur, educationalist, member of the Coventry Sacred Space Project and Coventry Multi Faith Forum and of Coventry and Warwickshire SACREs gives an illustrated presentation about how in Coventry faith communities have worked with a range of secular partners, including local government and arts and heritage bodies, to develop a special ‘Sacred Space Project’ and also to ensure that Coventry City of Culture 2021 had a strong and vibrant faith dimension.
Partnerships at challenging times
The National Emergencies Trust
Vijay Jassal, Assistant Director, Policy & Strategic Partnerships, National Emergencies Trust (NET) and Thelma Stober (NET Trustee), talk about the importance of partnership (in the small 'p' sense and, occasionally, formal structured partnership) involving faith communities in the context of the NET’s work.
Partnership for the common good
Rt Hon Stephen Timms MP, Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Faith and Society and long term advocate of partnership working for the common good, reflects on the importance of partnerships involving faith and inter faith bodies and public agencies such as local authorities.
Responses
- Rabbi Mordechai Wollenberg, Senior Rabbi of Woodford Forest United Synagogue in London, under the Chief Rabbi’s auspices, and Vice-Moderator of IFN Faith Communities Forum offers some reflections from a faith community perspective.
- Roz Miller BEM, Director, Islington Faiths Forum, which has worked closely over many years with its local council and other cross-sector statutory agencies.
