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21 / 10 / 20
The Faith & Belief Forum are hosting a series of roundtable discussions on the findings of a new report, ‘Cohesive Societies: Faith and Belief’ in November and December 2020.
The roundtables will bring together practitioners, local authorities, and faith and belief groups to explore the impact of the faith and belief sector on social cohesion at a local level. The roundtables will focus on those working in London and the South, the Midlands and the North. The roundtable will be of interest to faith and belief groups, faith forums, and staff who work on faith and belief in local authorities.
This series of roundtables will enhance collective understanding of the role played by faith and belief groups and interfaith programs in broader social cohesion processes and will inform F&BF’s forthcoming set of recommendations for local authorities, Faith Forums and local faith groups, setting a vision for how faith and belief communities can be supported, celebrated and connected to achieve social cohesion locally.
London and the South Focus –
The North Focus –
The Midlands Focus – date TBA
Each roundtable will begin with a short presentation from F&BF on the key findings of the report, followed by responses from local authority staff and community groups working on cohesion at the local level. A facilitated discussion will then take place in break out zooms for attendees to share their experiences and make recommendations for better practice and collaboration at the local level.
The Faith & Belief Forum (F&BF) has worked tirelessly for over 20 years to build good relations between people of all faiths and beliefs, and to create a society where difference is celebrated. We create spaces in schools, universities, workplaces and the wider community where people can engage with questions of belief and identity and meet people different from themselves. Enabling people to learn from each other in this way is often the most effective way to tackle ignorance and challenge stereotypes – and create understanding and trust between people. For more information, see https://faithbeliefforum.org/
F&BF, in collaboration with the British Academy, commissioned a study on the impact of the faith and belief sector upon social cohesion in the United Kingdom.
This study asks what a society would look like where faith and belief groups were engaged with as a resource, an asset, a transformative power, where faith groups’ capacity to build cohesion was scrutinised as thoroughly as their policies. It asks how and where faith and belief groups are leading cohesion work, and what agency faith and belief groups have when statutory bodies plan cohesion work. It also provides examples of places where positive work is already happening, including twelve case studies that illuminate how faith connects with social cohesion on the ground.
The report can be accessed here.
Please register to confirm your place at the London and South event here.
