IRD Activities

• Cohesive Communities - Bridging Divides Between Muslim and Sikh communities

  Faith Matters explored local issues of tensions amongst young male Sikhs and Muslims which threatened to create local and national hotspots of tension. The project culminated in the Cohesive Communities report which can be used by communities as a resource to develop cohesion and to look at divergent dialogues between Sikh and Muslim communities

• Resisting Through Resilience Programme

  This programme provided young people with the opportunity to discuss matters around identity, faith and local issues that may be impacting on them. Faith Matters worked with young Bangladeshi and young Somali groups in the London Borough of Enfield to look at these issues within a safe and secure environment

• Bridging Beliefs Forum

  In a unique demonstration of togetherness, survivors of the Holocaust and the genocide of Bosnian Muslims came together to share the stage and their experiences to group of students around the UK. This was a novel project that helped to break down barriers and generate materials that supported Holocaust and genocide education in this country

• One Town, One Community

  Faith Matters co-ordinated the event with the aim of developing good interfaith relationships and preventing the spread of violent and extremist messages. Survivors of Rwanda, Bosnia and the Holocaust hosted workshops about how communities can prevent the spread of violent and extremist messages

• Youth Faith Champion

  Faith Matters organized a Youth Champion's Interfaith Panel that helped to develop projects and the young people involved participated in exciting projects at national and international levels as well as engaged in international youth exchanges and met other young people from all over the world

• Integration

  Faith Matters has worked on numerous additional integration and interreligious dialogue projects ranging from bringing out the shared values amongst different faith groups to identifying and working with groups so that they can play a constructive and positive role in their local communities and within our country

• Musawaat

  Faith Matters launched the Musawaat (Equality) project to protect and promote equality in Pakistan and imbed a sense of shared values leading to the protection of minority faiths. The project has supported significant grassroots level interfaith dialogue and understanding between Christian and Muslim communities in Pakistan and developed facilitated mechanisms which will support interfaith dialogue and social action

• International Study Visits and Youth Exchanges

  Faith Matters has organised many international study visits and youth exchanges for women, faith leaders, youth and civil society representatives from and to countries including the UK, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Palestine, India, Italy, France, Norway and Lithuania to advance both interreligious as well as intercultural dialogue and to support international connections

• Connecting Communities

  The Connecting Communities project is based on the ideas of enhancing, focussing and activating the power of communities who are of Pakistani heritage, and who are citizens and permanent residents of the United Kingdom

• MURAL

  Mutual Understanding, Respect and Learning is an international project that brings together six partners from across the EU – Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal and the United Kingdom. It is led by the British Council, with participating organisations selected based on their commitment to supporting dialogue and exchange of best practice to foster tolerance and mutual respect. Some of the MURAL social action projects led by Faith Matters’ participants were around improving critical thinking and social media literacy skills that can help counter extremist, hateful, and racist narratives online, assist in identifying bots and cyborgs, and provide practical ways to resist and counter extremist narratives

• “My Story” project

  My Story is a new project launched by Faith Matters, which brings forward the untold stories of faith and spirituality within local, national, and international contexts. If the stories are separated by distance, they are bound by a unifying aim: to promote change and to promote tolerance and understanding in their communities, and in communities abroad. Through My Story, Faith Matters hopes to empower young activists and bring their unique voices forward and support them in reaching a wider audience. The main aim of My Story is to challenge those who seek to divide communities by offering a different story, an individual, personal, and honest story

• The New DEBATE

  This is a programme of Faith Maters, has been put together to offer a new approach to debating. The New DEBATE offers a social and educational experience, a safe space where young people can learn more about debating, civic engagement and dialogue. Using expert education methods, the programme invites young participants to take part in several sessions that shape their communications skills. Participants will also reflect on their own behavioral patterns, interactions with others, and reactions to different opinions. The programme aims to widen young people’s perceptions on their lives, offering them a set of foundational communication tools to be influential in and within their communities.

Main Focus Countries of Activities

UK - London, UK - UK - Rotherham, UK - London, UK - UK - Pakistan - Northern Africa - South-Western Asia - Northern Europe - Southern Europe - Western Europe - Eastern Europe - Pakistan - UK - Pakistan - n - a - - n - a - - n - a -