Interfaith RE: Why and How? (Webinar Preview)

Interfaith RE: Why and How? 
Kate McColgan

This Interfaith Week, along with NASACRE and a collaborative of brilliant RE partners, the Faith & Belief forum is leading on the new initiative: Interfaith Week for Schools. We have pulled together a number of interfaith education resources, and worked with partners to run events, which encourage schools to celebrate Interfaith Week with their students and local community. Check out our new website: ifw4schools.co.uk  

Today we are launching the first in our series of events, in partnership with the National Association for Teachers of RE, called INTERFAITH RE: Why and How? NATRE’s Katie Freeman and Angela Hill are in conversation with special guests engaged with interfaith work in their communities. The discussion explores the place and importance of interfaith RE. There are practical ideas for RE teachers, and our guests talk about interfaith projects and initiatives currently happening in England and Wales. 

Kate McColgan is Chair of Interfaith Council for Wales. She was unable to join the call, but has kindly written her responses to the questions, and reflections for the IFW for Schools Initiative:  

“I became interested when I saw first hand the outcome of religious differences in Northern Ireland where my husband is from. Whilst I think most of the troubles were politically motivated rather than religious, there was still the religious aspect to this. I felt that there had to be a better way. 

I was fortunate to be asked to deal with some outreach work within my church (the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) and in consequence, wanted to visit as many places of worship as possible and become involved in different festivals etc. Somehow, I found myself on the activities committee and then chair of the Council. It has totally enriched my life and given me so many new friends.  

It is my belief that if we can educate our children young to understand that difference is actually a positive thing – bringing richness to the world and not something to be feared and that at the base of all religions are some fundamental core values and principles which have the capacity to heal the world – then we have a chance at making the world a better more harmonious place. This is never more important than now, in our fractured world.  

I am concerned that the provision of religious education has been diluted over the years and that too little time is devoted to this fundamental societal need. I think it would be helpful to have a mandatory % time allocated to religion and ethics and to have clearer guidance for the teachers. It would be useful for schools to have the contact details of local places of worship and people that would be willing to come into schools and provide information about their particular faith. I also have some concern that some humanities teachers such as those trained in history/geography are being asked to teach about religion and ethics when this is not their speciality. This rather misses the point. I am aware that there have been a number of highly successful school visits either to places of worship or people coming to the schools to teach on their faith.  

Unless we learn about each other and what makes us tick, then we have no chance in actually getting to a state of understanding and mutual cooperation with each other. Spirituality is something fundamental to a person of faith, a part of their inner being and character and therefore, has to be understood and respected in order to avoid conflict. If only more people would sit down together to understand the point of view of the other in conflict areas, we might have a chance for peace and if we do not educate our young people then there is a risk that they will become fixed in their opinions and possibly prejudiced. It is so important that our children realise that we might look different but everyone actually inside is the same.” 

Watch the full discussion on this very special Interfaith Week 2024 Webinar

About the Speakers

Kate McColgan | Chair/ Cadair 

Interfaith Council for Wales/ Cyngor Rhyngfydd Cymru 

Katie is married with 6 children and 6 grandchildren. She is the Head of the Family Team in Berry Smith solicitors. She has been the Chair of the Interfaith Council for 5 years and is passionate about the work. Whilst she is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (commonly known as Mormons) she is firm in her opinion that being involved in interfaith work does not require you to abandon what you believe but to create a beautiful society where all are free to believe what they believe.  

Find out more about our other panelists: 

Amy Ark, Programme Lead of the Education & Learning Team at The Faith & Belief Forum 

Amy has over 20 years of experience of working with children, young people, parents and professionals in both formal and informal education settings. She started her career as a learning mentor and youth worker, completing her Post Graduate Certificate in Youth & Community Work. She then spent 15 years working at Save the Children in education and children’s rights focused roles and has also completed her CIPD qualification in Learning Development & a master’s level course on Children’s Learning & development. Amy joined The Faith & Belief Forum in 2020 and is now leading the Education & Learning team at the forum, supporting their development of the inter-faith education approach in schools and sixth forms. Amy herself is Sikh and is guided by the values of Sikhi in her daily life. 

Chris Abbas, Baha’i Reporesentative for Interfaith Council for Wales 

Chris served on Blaenau Gwent SACRE and the Interfaith Council for Wales for over 20 years, and when her children were in school she served as a parent governor for several years. 

Chris has written two books on the Founders of the Bahá’í Faith for schools (Key Stage 1, as was) and collaborated, with a second Bahá’í, on the sections on the Bahá’í Faith in Lesley Parry and Jan Hayes book, Religion, Values and Ethics for 11 – 14 years. 

Her granddaughter, Nia, also featured in one of Gill Vaisey’s books in her Belonging and Believing series. 

Somewhere, back in the 90’s, as a Welsh learner Chris took part in a series called Crefydd y Cymru on S4C which followed several families from different faiths. She learned her lines ‘parrot fashion’ or had them written out and stuck on the wall behind the interviewer. Fortunately she found them some fluent Welsh speakers to participate as well! 

Jonathan Marshall MBE, Founder of the Plymouth Centre for Faiths and Cultural Diversity  

Jonathan Marshall came into teaching in his thirties, after gaining a B.Ed (Hons) degree. He previously worked as a Social Worker and Counsellor. He went on to become the Religious Education Adviser for Plymouth schools and Director of the Plymouth Centre for Faiths and Cultural Diversity, a charity he helped found, twenty-five years ago. 

He was honoured with an MBE in 2009, for services to the Plymouth Community. And, although now retired, he still works through the Centre, to deliver a range of presentations and workshops, particularly around Buddhism and Diversity, Unity and Wisdom. For many years Jonathan worked with the late Solly Irving, a Jewish holocaust survivor. Jonathan continues to tell Solly’s story, “Destined to Survive”, and its vital importance for today. 

Jonathan has been a Buddhist for over fifty years.