Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
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Building stronger communities through inter faith dialogue and interaction
Communities Secretary Hazel Blears is today launching a consultation into how Government can best support faith communities' engagement with one another and with their local communities.
There is a long history of people from different faith communities in this country working together to build understanding and provide vital services often to the most vulnerable. The consultation "Face-to-Face and Side-by-Side" looks at the work that is already underway and considers what support might be given to facilitate greater inter faith dialogue and inter faith activity in order that faith groups can continue to make a positive difference within the wider community.
Communities Secretary Hazel Blears and Cohesion Minister Parmjit Dhanda will be joined at the consultation launch by a wide range of faith group leaders including the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams.
Over two hundred representatives from faith communities, inter faith organisations, Chief Executives of local councils and other relevant organisations will be in attendance.
The government's vision for Britain is one of strong, confident communities where people of all different backgrounds get on well together.
In recent years there has been an increase in dialogue between different faith communities which has helped break down barriers, build understanding and strengthen relationships.
This has also led to the more faith groups working together for the benefit of the wider community in a variety of ways. This social action or 'active faith' has seen communities putting into practice their beliefs to enrich and benefit wider society whilst public authorities have increasingly recognised the role of faith communities and organisations in partnership working and policy delivery.
Positive examples such as the Building Bridges Pendle project, utilising innovative approaches to promoting integration and cohesion through inter faith education in primary and secondary schools, or the Fusion Youth Project in West Midlands, which enables young women of different faiths to access information and develop skills so that they are empowered to help themselves, demonstrate the very real, positive contribution such collaborative efforts can and do make.
The consultation is part of the Government's response to the independent Commission on Integration and Cohesion's report Our Shared Future which set out a number of practical recommendations on how to build cohesion and a shared sense of belonging including confirming the important role that inter faith activity has to play in building integration and cohesion, as well as the need for more constructive conversations between those of faith and those of none.
In response Hazel Blears set out a ten point action plan to promote cohesion and tackle community tensions including a commitment to develop a new inter faith strategy.
The consultation will look to discover what is needed to widen and deepen inter faith dialogue and social action. In particular it will seek to:
* Understand how to best build confidence in the benefits of partnership working and develop a greater understanding of the contribution that faith communities can make
* Discover to what extent local authorities and other public bodies are already working with faith communities
* Understand better the structures which facilitate interaction and social action and how can these be best developed
* Learn about some of the barriers to inter faith activity - especially in connection with the involvement of women and young people - and how we might best work together to overcome these
Communities Secretary Hazel Blears said:
"Faith groups are a key part of the way we respond to the challenges we face from building strong resilient communities to tackling anti-social behaviour.
"This consultation provides us with an opportunity to find out how Government can best support dialogue between faith groups and the circumstances in which inter faith activity is helping to make a positive difference to communities around the country.
"That includes looking at how we can build upon the good work already going in communities at local, regional and national level and develop a greater understanding of the contribution faith communities can make.
"By learning how we can all better work in partnership with each other to increase inter-faith dialogue and social action we can ensure that this activity results in tangible and positive change within local communities in terms of increased cohesion, greater community empowerment and resilience to extremism in all its forms."
Notes for Editors
"Face-to-Face and Side-by-Side" is be available at http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/communities/interfaithdialogue
The consultation will last for twelve weeks until 7th March 2008. Responses to it will be used to help develop the final strategy and to inform plans for implementation.
The final strategy and the summary of consultation responses will available in late Spring 2008.
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