Interfaith Scotland
Aim
Provide a forum for different religions to dialogue with one another on matters of religious, national and civic importance; support a wider interfaith dialogue with other religion and belief groups; support educational activities in connection with interfaith dialogue; encourage civic engagement by religious communities in Scotland and to support religious equality.
IRD Activities
- Scottish Interfaith Week
Scottish Interfaith Week was established by Interfaith Scotland in 2004. Scottish Interfaith Week is one of organisation's main projects. Every year a new theme is chosen for the week, organisation provides resources for communities, hosts the national launch of the week, promotes the week widely and funds local community dialogue events
- Holocaust Memorial Day
Remembering the Holocaust and subsequent genocides is vitally important and Interfaith Scotland is honoured to host the National Holocaust Memorial Event for Scotland and to engage in additional supporting events during the week of Holocaust Memorial in January every year
- Members dialogue events
Organisation is supported by faith community member organisations across Scotland and every year Interfaith Scotland hosts a number of dialogue events of civic importance to provide its members, associate members and friends with opportunities to engage in the important discourses of society
- Interfaith School Workshops and Resources
Interfaith Scotland offers interfaith workshops for primary and secondary school pupils across Scotland. These workshops look at interfaith dialogue and why it is important. Organisation also has volunteers from different faiths whom it has trained to come and speak to pupils about their faith and beliefs, either in class or as part of an ‘interfaith day’ in the school
- Youth conferences
Interfaith Scotland has run several national and local youth conferences with help and support from its volunteers. The volunteers have been fully involved in choosing a theme for each conference, assisting in creating a programme and in the delivery of the event. Previous themes they have chosen include ‘Service above Self’ and ‘From Conflict to Co-operation’
- Resedentials and Away Days
Interfaith Scotland organises youth residentials and away days. Previous visits include an interfaith week on Iona staying with the Iona Community and a weekend to Holy Isle by Arran at the Centre for World Peace and Health
- Development of Interfaith Youth Network
Organisation is currently working with young people in Scotland to develop and sustain a national interfaith youth network
- Holocaust Memorial and Youth
Every January organisation works in schools in Scotland to educate young people in Holocaust and genocide awareness
- National Interfaith Youth Conference
Organisation hosts a national Interfaith Youth Conference on an annual basis with the Co-Existence Initiative, a student group at the University of St Andrews
- Support for local interfaith groups
Grassroots interfaith engagement is vital to promoting good relations. Organization supports the diverse local groups across Scotland by providing appropriate resources, speaks at local events, manages capacity building and training, and hosting local interfaith group networking seminars
- Supporting women on faith
Organization hosts regional women's dialogue events across Scotland. These events offer women of faith a safe space to explore the issues that impact on their lives. Organization also supports the growing number of women's interfaith groups in Scotland and offer them an annual networking seminar
- Parliamentary engagement
In parliamentary and government engagement organisation works hard to keep faith communities informed of parliamentary business that may impact on them. Organisation also supports the Scottish Government with the religion and belief aspect of their equality work
- Religious leaders Forum
Since 2002 the Religious Leaders of Scotland have met twice a year to build good relations and set an outstanding example of interfaith friendship building to their respective communities
- Erasmus project
"Outside In" is an Erasmus-funded project to provide training to youth workers on tackling hate speech in youth work. Organisation has arranged a set of five public training dates over the coming months and hopes to attract a wide range of delegates - with priority to those who work regularly with young people
- Religious and belief training
The Religion and Belief Training Programme effectively trains organisations from the statutory, voluntary and public sector to develop their understanding of the diversity of faiths in Scotland, conform to the Religion and Belief Equality legislation, and to be sensitive to the needs of the religion and belief communities they serve
- Scotland Abroad Faith Exchange
Organisation is committed to sharing its interfaith expertise internationally and to learning from innovative interfaith dialogue programmes from around the world. Organisations is currently engaging with organisations in Ukraine, Finland, Ireland, Slovenia, France, Germany, Rwanda and New Zealand
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Art Competition: Scottish Interfaith Week Art Competition runs once a year to celebrate Scottish Interfaith Week.
Main Focus Countries of Activities
Glasgow,UK - Glasgow, UK - n - i - , UK - n - i - , UK - n - i - , UK - n - i - , UK - n - i - , UK - UK - St Andrews, UK - n - i - , UK - n - i - , UK - Glasgow, UK - Glasgow - UK - Glasgow, UK - n - i - , UK - Ukraine - Finland - Ireland - Slovenia - France - Germany - Rwanda - New Zealand -