INTER FAITH WEEK must continue in recognition of all that the diversity of faith and belief contributes to public life in the UK, but needs to move “beyond the bubble” of those already involved, a report says.
The Inter Faith Network (IFN) launched the week, held every November, in 2009, but was closed last spring after the last government withdrew its funding — a “matter of great regret”, the Archbishop of York said. The work of the IFN had “helped to bind diverse communities for many years”, he said at the time (News, 1 March 2024).
In November, a coalition of national interfaith organisations coordinated the week, supported by a grant from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, which commissioned research on the week.
The findings of the consultation, led by the Faith and Belief Forum, were published on Thursday of last week in the report Bursting the Bubble: Recommendations for enhancing Inter Faith Week in England. It calls on interfaith organisations to collaborate to expand their reach. It also recommends that the Government provide sustained funding and visible endorsement of interfaith work, and that more engagement happen with schools and universities.
Religious leaders should be offered training to help them to engage with Interfaith Week and speak about it in their communities, the report says.
The Minister for Faith, Communities and Resettlement, Lord Khan, said: “This rich report reflects the importance, creativity and commitment of the interfaith movement in the UK. It highlights the urgent need to involve more people from all walks of life and for Inter Faith Week to connect with an even wider audience.”
At the parliamentary launch of the report, he said that interfaith engagement was vital and that the annual week helped to strengthen community cohesion and deepen understanding.
The Bishop of Lichfield, Dr Michael Ipgrave, said that the report was clear that the week should remain in the calendar as a “viable and important focus for interfaith activity in the UK”.
The conflict in the Middle East and recent riots in UK cities presented huge challenges, but also showed how important the work was to the “well-being of society”, he said. “This work plays a key role in promoting social cohesion and belonging in the UK.”
