England & Wales

GlobalNet 21 and LGiU seminar: Interfaith Dialogue and 21st Century Multiculturalism

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Event run in association with GlobalNet
Event run in association with GlobalNet

This seminar, run with GlobalNet21 is part of a series of seminars on engagement in the digital age. It will look at how interfaith and community cohesion work has helped with the development of multiculturalism and the building of bridges across communities. We will to look at the issues involved including to what extent this work has enabled community development or hindered it and study good practice. We will look at how local authorities can help as enablers and catalysts both online and off in achieving inter-communal dialogue.

The aim of this seminar will be to look at good practice and then to disseminate this amongst local authorities attending this seminar and beyond though social network platforms and the new media.

We hope to build up a community of local authorities and other organisations interested in sharing good practice and discussing models of replication.

Programme*

12:30 Registration and refreshment

13:00 Introduction

13:10 The problem: two short presentations that highlight the problem and the need for creating public space for dialogue. Two case studies will focus on the issues of trust and engagement

  • Raheed Salem is a youth worker and is also responsible for developing inter faith dialogue in Enfield, North London. In his youth work he has experienced the problem facing communities when there is a lack of dialogue.
  • Abu Nasir is the Chair of the County FA Race Equality Board and Managing Director of Global Sporting Ventures. He is also Economic Development, Skills & Funding Manager at Luton Council. Abu has been a strong advocate of integration through sport as sport involves communities of all faiths and none.

13:40 Discussion and Questions

14:00 Multiculturalism and Community Cohesion – success and failures in building bridges

  • David Goodhart is the director of Demos. He is the founder and former editor of Prospect magazine, which he set up in 1995. David has recently published a book, The British Dream, about postwar multiculturalism, national identity and immigration.

14:15 The role of interfaith work in building bridges

  • Dr Harriet Crabtree Dr Harriet Crabtree OBE is the Director of the Inter Faith Network for the UK, for which she has worked since 1990.  IFN works with its member bodies to promote good inter faith relations.  It links in membership faith community representative bodies; national, regional, local and other inter faith bodies; and educational and academic bodies with an interest in inter faith relations.

14:30 Questions

14:45 Coffee

15:00 The role of the local authority

15:15 Case study of interfaith and local authority working as enablers

15:35 Questions and Discussion

15:50 Building Bridges In The Digital Age. How does the digital age impact on both faith and community? How can it help to build bridges and also make diversity more complex?

  • Fiyaz Mughal OBE FCMI is on the board of directors of Faith Matters. His has more than 15 years experience in the community and voluntary sector in positions that have included social policy lobbying, project and general management, conflict resolution work and leading organisations as the chief operating officer.

16:10 Case study of engagement across bridges using social networking and the new media

16:15 Questions and Discussion

16:35 Feedback on day

16:45 Close

*This programme is correct at the time of publication but may be altered to reflect speaker changes that are beyond our control.

Other seminars in this series

Neighbourhood agreements and stakeholder engagement

Local authorities and the changing shape of Police Commissioners: one year on

Listening in the digital age, 15 October

Engaging across generations

Speakers:
  • Raheed Salem
  • Abu Nasir
  • David Goodhart
  • Dr Harriet Crabtree
  • Fiyaz Mughal OBE FCMI
Who should attend?
  • Councillors and officers whose roles encompass community engagement and/or inter-faith working.
  • Councillors and officers who have an interest in community engagement through social media.



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