Scottish Inter Faith Week 2013
Scottish Interfaith Week in 2013 will take place from 24th November - 1st December. Established
by Interfaith Scotland in 2004,
Scottish Interfaith Week provides an opportunity for individuals, local
inter faith groups and faith communities across the country to plan
events that bring local people together to promote dialogue, understanding and co-operation between Scotland's diverse religious communities. Click here for some ideas for activities that you could run in your local community.
Scottish Interfaith Week 2012
Scottish Interfaith Week in 2012 took place from 25th November - 2nd December. The theme for the week was ‘Celebration’. Click here for a programme of events that took place across Scotland to celebrate the week.
Interfaith Scotland hosted 'A Celebration of Scottish Interfaith Week' at the
Scottish Parliament on Thursday 29th November. The Waverley Care Voice of Hope
Choir opened the proceedings, delighting
guests with their African singing.
Sister Isabel Smyth, Chair of Interfaith
Scotland, formally welcomed those gathered and introduced Roseanna Cunningham,
Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs, who gave the keynote address.
Two members of Interfaith Scotland’s youth committee spoke about what
interfaith dialogue means to them in today’s Scotland. The formal proceedings were completed by a
speech from John Mason MSP who sponsored the event.
Scottish Interfaith Week 2011
Scottish Interfaith Week in 2011 took place from 27th November - 4th December. Click here for a programme of events that took place across Scotland. The theme of the week was 'Belief in Dialogue'. Earlier in the year, the Scottish Government produced the ‘Belief in Dialogue: Religion and Belief Relations in Scotland Good Practice Guide’, which provides guidance on building good relations among and between religious and belief communities and individuals.
The launch of Scottish Interfaith Week took place on Sunday 27th November at St Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art in Glasgow. Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon MSP and Humza Yousaf MSP gave key note addresses on the theme of week: 'Belief in Dialogue'.
There were readings and performances on the theme from all the major faith communities in Scotland, including the Tashi Lhunpo Tibetan Buddhist monks who had created an intricate sand mandala at the museum during the week (see picture above).
According to Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon MSP, "I am delighted to have been invited to attend the launch of Scottish Interfaith Week. Scotland is a modern multi-faith and multi-cultural country where all people can live together in harmony, and where people of all faiths and ethnic backgrounds can follow their religion or belief and achieve their potential. These events are tremendously important in bringing together different communities united in a common purpose. We all want to live in a Scotland where mutual trust, respect and understanding form the basis for our lives and our relationships with others. I know that these basic principles will underpin the various events being held up and down the country during inter faith week”.