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Anniversary Brochure for Leicester Council of Faiths th 20Anniversary Brochure for Leicester Council of Faiths LEICESTER COUNCIL OF FAITHS working for trust and understanding between the faith communities Souvenir Brochure 1986-2006 TWENTY YEARS OF FAITH COMMUNITIES WORKING TOGETHER Message from Resham Singh Sandhu MBE, FRSA, BA (Chair) This 20th Anniversary of It makes me both humble and proud to have had the honour of the Leicester Council of chairing such a body since 2000. I thank both my predecessors Faiths allows us all to and those who have shared with me in recent years the task of appreciate what is helping to bring to maturity the achievements recorded in this essentially a fairly recent brochure. There are many fine people who have shared their invention: practical co- wisdom and skills in a common purpose. But in truth we are only operation and dialogue just beginning. The tragic events of Bosnia, Serbia, Kosovo, between faith- Gujarat, Iraq, of the 9/11 attacks on America and the London communities. In the Underground bombing of 7/7 have made their impact even here, following pages you will and we have had to address local repercussions. Most of the be able to witness the time, because we have the infrastructure to respond to national sea-change which has and international events, and in collaboration with the Bishop of come over our City of Leicester’s Religious Leaders’ Group and the Police, any potential Leicester. We have tensions that might have arisen have been dissipated. moved away from old hostilities, I am very grateful for the interest and support shown by so competitiveness and suspicions which have spoiled relations many individuals and institutions in city and county. In today’s between the faith communities in the past. As communities of world, the work of learning to understand one another’s faiths spiritual understanding we are learning to embrace mutual must never cease. Let us hope that the work of the Leicester respect of one another and co-operation in service towards our Council of Faiths over these last twenty years bears more and city and its institutions. It is a change which has not only made more fruit in the future, and that we all – people of faith and Leicester a primary model for other British cities, but has also people of goodwill – can grow together in mutual respect and attracted interest in Europe and beyond. Members of the understanding for the benefit of the whole of our society. Council of Faiths have been invited to Germany, France, I greet you in the Sikh traditional way – Sat Sri Akal (Whoever Belgium, and Denmark and the good name of Leicester is also says it is blessed: God is Truth.) known as far afield as Indonesia, India, Africa and the U.S.A, as a result of the enterprise of our members. There is much of which we can be justly pleased as we carry the message of good interfaith relations, as these have developed in Leicester, around the world. Current Members of the Council Representative Members Dilwar Hussain, Muslim Janette MacDonald, Baha’i Manzoor Moghal, Muslim Patron: The Bishop of Leicester, Christian Dr. Stephen Vickers, Baha’i: Shaykh Ibrahim Mogra, Muslim Honorary Life Members: Vacancy, Buddhist Suleman Nagdi, Muslim S Faiyazuddin Ahmad, Muslim Sr. Sustama Kim, Buddhist Abdulkarim Gheewala, Muslim Nathubhai Jagjivan, Hindu David Mitchell, Christian Sewa Singh, Sikh Dr.Ataullah Siddiqui, Muslim Fr. John Lally, Christian Lukhvir Kaur, Sikh Thakersibhai Morjaria, Hindu Rory Samuel, (Black-led Churches) Christian Bhupinder Kaur, Sikh Chair: Resham Singh Sandhu, Sikh Revd Stuart Jennings, Christian Ramesh Mashru, Swaminarayan Vice Chair: Minou Cortazzi, Baha’i Ramanbhai Barber, Hindu Narendra Waghela, Swaminarayan Secretary: Dr Angela Jagger, Christian Rashmikant Joshi, Hindu Nominated Members (also a nominated member) Ramesh Majithia, Hindu Revd Dr. Prof. Richard Bonney Assistant Secretary: Ramesh Mehta, Jain Mrs Cynthia Bunten Revd Canon Dr Andrew Wingate, Christian Smita Shah, Jain Councillor Manjula Sood Elizabeth Wayne Treasurers: Revd Dr Alan Race, Rabbi Shmuel Pink, Jewish Steve White (also a nominated member) Christian Tony Nelson, Jewish Marcus Solanki Malcolm Veall (Welcome Centre), Christian Dr Alex Keller, Jewish M. Yaqub Khan 2 Contents Chair’s Message ..............................................................................2 Messages of Support ......................................................................4 The Changing Face of Faith - Paul Winstone ....................................8 A Short History - Various contributors ..............................................10 Dialogue Work - Andrew Wingate ....................................................15 Other Projects - Various contributors ..............................................17 The Faiths and Regeneration: Tony Nelson, Mel Parkin, Riaz Ravat ..................................................19 Why Religions must reach across divisions - Alan Race ................21 Two Reflections - Michael Ipgrave & David Silk ..............................22 Special Greetings from Chairs and Honorary Life Members ............23 1 Captions from front cover, clockwise. 1) Members and friends in the Lord Mayor’s Parlour front: Mary Draycott (Lord Mayor), Resham Singh Sandhu (Chair), Minou 2 Contazzi (Vice Chair); behind, left to right: T V Morjaria, David Jennings, Alan Race, Alex Keller, Rashmikant Joshi, Manzoor Moghal, Duncan Cambell, Marcus Solanki, 4 3 Andrew Wingate, Abdulkarim Gheewala, Mr Chohan, Mahesh Prasher, Roger Blackmore (Leader of the City Council). 2) Interfaith Banner from the Welcome Centre. 3) Volunter on Interfaith Gardening Work Camp. 4) Global Ethic Exhibition in the Shires. 3 Messages of Support The Prime Minister I send my warm congratulations to the Leicester Council of Faiths for 20 years of public service to the people of Leicester and Leicestershire. The work of building good relations between faith communities is vital if we are to promote a stable and cohesive society for all our citizens. With 20 years of experience, Leicester’s example shows what can be achieved by people of faith and goodwill in the promotion of mutual understanding and respect As the world grows closer together daily, the need to nurture common bonds and values, and better understanding, between cultures, ethnicities and religions cannot be underestimated. May the Leicester Council of Faiths continue to play its part in helping to shape a world where the values of trust, hope and reconciliation are central to this country’s vision for the future. Yours sincerely Archbishop of Canterbury It is with great delight that I send my greetings to the Leicester Council of Faiths on the occasion of their 20th anniversary celebrations. In a world that seems to struggle to create spaces where people of commitment can learn to respect their differences and work together on common problems without suspicion or fear of one another, it is commendable that so much has already being achieved. Over twenty years the Leicester Council of Faiths has been building trust and partnership between faith communities for the benefit not only of your own mutual learning but also in service of the wider community. I pray that your invaluable work may continue to grow and that the circle of influence you represent may widen so that we may build together a community of communities where real hope shapes the concrete possibilities for our shared future. The Most Reverend Dr. Rowan Williams 4 Patron and Bishop of Leicester As Patron of the Leicester Council of Faiths, it gives me great pleasure to commend its work to you. This brochure highlights the very important place of faith in our communities which is once again becoming recognised and valued at a local, regional and national level. People of faith are at the heart of the communities throughout our city and county, and we have found through our journeying together that when faith communities work together, then the whole of civil society is strengthened. I am grateful to all those who have worked hard over these past twenty years to build up the good relationships we now enjoy. I wish the Council and the faith communities it represents increased success in the future. Tim Stevens Director, Inter Faith Network for the UK Since 1986 when the Leicester Council of Faiths came into being the interfaith scene in this country has changed significantly. At local level there are now around 200 local inter faith organisations spread out across the UK. But Leicester Council of Faiths remains one of the most prominent and has played an invaluable role in sharing its experience and expertise in recent years with new interfaith initiatives as these develop in other parts of the country. It has therefore made a contribution of considerable significance, not only locally but nationally as well, and I have great pleasure in sending the congratulations of the Inter Faith Network for the UK on this notable anniversary. Brian Pearce First Chair, Leicester Council of Faiths It seems so long ago, and yet paradoxically but yesterday, that the Council of Faiths was founded. I find myself profoundly thankful to God for the opportunity to be in at the beginning to catch a vision for the possibilities of co-operation between faiths, and one which I was able to realise again as Bishop in Victoria in Australia. In this coming century the one great issue which people of all and every religious tradition and community must tackle is the relationship between the world faiths. So my hope and prayer for the Leicester Council of Faiths is that God will continue his blessings on you and your member communities, and that you will continue to serve the cause of that justice and peace which is the only true and lasting foundation of peoples and nations. Bishop David Silk 5 The 20th Anniversary celebration of the Leicester Council of Faiths is a suitable marker to highlight the richness of the many faith communities in our city, which touches the lives of more than three-quarters of the population. I am proud of the initiative of my predecessor Janet Setchfield in convening the leaders of the faith communities, which led to the establishment of The Council of Faiths.
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