Scottish Interfaith Week took place last month, and saw a variety of connected events across the country, including dialogue, death cafes, climate events, open doors, exhibitions, interfaith services and vigils, and walks to local faith spaces. Such a walk in Glasgow culminated in lunch at the Hindu Mandir, connected with Interfaith Glasgow, who also held their annual Family Fun Day and a Crafting Collective afternoon. Some of its board and staff were welcomed along with other representatives from all Glasgow's faith and belief communities at the Provost's Interfaith Civic Reception in the beautiful City Chambers. We were welcomed and appreciated, along with our communities, for our contribution to the civic life of the city.
On the 12th I attended the 20th annual Scottish Interfaith Conference, organised by Interfaith Scotland, held this year in Dundee. It was a rich day of connection, talks and sharing, with attendees from all the Scottish regional interfaith forums - I discovered Satyavani from Broughty Ferry representing the Dundee & Tayside Faith and Belief Forum, for many years evidently! It was lovely to be reunited, and a delight to know other Triratna people currently active in interfaith in Scotland. One of the sessions was the unveiling of a new Interfaith Tapestry, 'Discovery' - a piece made of squares embroidered by 70 women from the Dundee area, including Satyavani herself. We were also introduced to the pioneering Faith Covenant, setting out commitments around engagement between Dundee City Council and local faith organisations, produced by these organisations and leads of Council departments, police etc.
The interesting keynote lecture on 'The Power of Serving Others' was inspiringly delivered by Charandeep Singh BEM, a notable member of the Scottish Sikh and business communities. Quoting Guru Nanak, he said, "You are the light - recognise your potential and opportunity" - something here for me of recognising and fully honouring good conditions in our lives when we have them. He described Sikh "seva" or service as a means of uplifting humanity, a moral and spiritual obligation, and a practical tool for peace-building. Calls to Action included: a) engaging in collaborative initiatives in the face of world difficulties, and b) educating and empowering future generations as to the power of interfaith service. The key takeaway was that "Service rooted in faith transcends religious life/lines to become kindness and generosity". It was joyful and gratifying to hear such commonality with our own teachings.
After a vegetarian lunch we heard from a cross-generational project bringing people together to work for community cohesion, and then participated in workshops covering engaging young people, supporting faith communities, or tackling hate crime. The young people workshop conversations were interesting, with several impressive young people there to share their own thoughts on engagement. Awesome, inspiring and very useful. We ended a powerful day with anniversary cake to celebrate an amazing 20 years of Scottish Interfaith Week. Thanks to Maureen Sier and all at Interfaith Scotland.
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