20.09.2017
From Tolerance to Inclusion – Interfaith Conference Highlights Role of Faith Communities
Archbishop Michael Jackson was one of the contributors to a Dublin interfaith conference highlighting the contribution of faith to civil society yesterday (Tuesday September 19). Dublin City Interfaith Forum (DCIF) brought together government officials, local authority delegates, politicians, faith community leaders and NGOs active in the area of integration and diversity for the Culture, Faith, Cohesion: Moving from Tolerance to Inclusion conference which took place at Richmond Barracks, Inchicore.
Their goal was to explore meaningful and effective engagement and interaction with a view to creating trust, building connections and challenging prejudice and intolerance. The conference was organised in collaboration with Dublin City Council.
DCIF Executive Officer, Adrian Cristea, said the event raised awareness of growing religious diversity in Irish cities, highlighted the important contributions faith communities make and engaged international and Irish stakeholders in discussion on the added value of an interfaith approach in responding creatively to discrimination and prejudice in Ireland.
“Dublin City is, for some time now, a place of diversity, a place where religions, cultures and people meet and interact. This constitutes our new identity. Properly managed, this diversity gives us great strength. Mismanaged, it risks weakening us greatly. Information and education alone is not enough. People need to meet face to face, experience diversity and discuss issues with people who differ. Communities need to reach out to each other. Dialogue and exchange between people of different views, cultures and faiths is the glue that will hold us together and enrich us all,” he said.
In his paper Archbishop Jackson gave an example of how the Dublin City Interfaith Charter, which was launched by the Lord Mayor and DCIF last December, is being worked out in the United Dioceses of Dublin and Glendalough. He commended the charter which was the first of its kind in a contemporary European city and which was taken up by the European Council.
The charter encourages people to commit to their own religious beliefs and accept the freedom of others to do the same; dedicate themselves to the value of each human being; promote dialogue between different communities of belief; share their experiences, encourage dialogue in all spheres of life to eradicate misunderstanding, intolerance and exclusion; focus on encouraging the young towards acceptance of religious diversity; develop an appreciation of religious diversity and focus on similarities; and create social conditions that will allow all to share peace, joy and hope.
“The genius of this Charter, promulgated in a highly secularised society that takes to itself more often than not the moral high ground of a value–free pluralism, is that it does not shirk the imperative of a modern democracy that it actively safeguard the beliefs, customs and practices associated with religious beliefs (rather than perhaps religious culture) and that it connect forecfully the dignity and value of each human being with the different communities of belief. This document does not seek to strip out the religiously motivated altruism inspired by belief in God as if it is a product or a commodity and make it serve a materialism that prefers to go it alone without reference to origins, derivations and inspirations. It actively suggests from within The Public Square – Is there a square more public than The Mansion House? – that there are communities of belief that can contribute to a better society, city and country. We do not hear this language emanating from enough politicians or from enough church and Faith leaders, for whatever reasons,” the Archbishop stated.
Outlining the emerging ‘Five Marks of Interfaith Understanding’ which is developing in Dublin & Glendalough, he said the initiative was designed to be attainable and was an invitation to the people of the diocese to express their faith in simple engagement with others “who are Other from us and from whom we in turn are Other”.
“It is based in the assertion in Genesis 1.27 that we are, like others, made in the image and likeness of God. The Five Marks initiative is designed to introduce and to engage people in understanding, leading towards advocacy; in moving from fear of change to celebration of diversity. Acceptance is the first step in each of these. Parishes, schools and colleges are actively encouraged to participate,” he explained.
The five steps include: reading passages from the Old and New Testaments on loving God and your neighbour to show willingness to respect and understand World Faiths; intercessions which include prayers for peace and understanding across cultures and faith traditions; seeking to meet those of other World Faiths to learn what it is to create and share civic space as people of faith together; organising a social event with people of other World Faiths; inviting a group from another World Faith to visit our place of worship and seek to visit theirs.
You can read Archbishop Jackson’s paper here.
Dublin City Interfaith Forum draws its members from the Baha’i, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and Sikh communities. DCIF works with interested members of faith communities to deliver interfaith gatherings and activities in Dublin City. Recognising the diverse nature of the backgrounds of the residents of Dublin, DCIF seeks to provide the space and opportunity for Faith Communities to build relationships with and between Dublin City communities, statutory and voluntary organisations and the residents of Dublin City. www.dublincityinterfaithforum.org