About the Week
Inter Faith Week 2021 in England, Northern Ireland and Wales
WHEN?
Inter Faith Week 2021 will take place from Sunday 14 - Sunday 21 November.
Each year, Inter Faith Week begins on Remembrance Sunday, and runs until the following Sunday. It is hoped that the additional Sunday provides the opportunity for other weekend events to take place as well as those linked to Remembrance Sunday. Remembrance Sunday was chosen as a start day to encourage people to remember together the contributions of all faiths and none, and to consider how best to create a just, peaceful, and harmonious world.
Inter Faith Week also ends on Mitzvah Day, an annual day of faith-based social action: https://mitzvahday.org.uk/
WHAT?
Inter Faith Week:
- Highlights the good work done by local faith, inter faith and faith-based groups and organisations
- Draws new people into inter faith learning and cooperation
- Enables greater interaction between people of different backgrounds
- Helps develop integrated and neighbourly communities
- Celebrates diversity and commonality
- Opens new possibilities for partnership
WHY?
Building good relationships and working partnerships between people of different faiths and beliefs is part of the year-round work of many people and organisations across the UK.
Having a special Week provides a focal point, helping to open inter faith activity up to a wider audience so that more and more people are made aware of the importance of this vital work and are able to participate in it.
The three aims of the Week are:
- Strengthening good inter faith relations at all levels
- Increasing awareness of the different and distinct faith communities in the UK, in particular celebrating and building on the contribution which their members make to their neighbourhoods and to wider society
- Increasing understanding between people of religious and non-religious beliefs
HOW?
Anyone can take part in Inter Faith Week and hold Inter Faith Week events.
WHO?
Inter Faith Week is for everyone. Some of the many kinds of organisations who have participated in previous Weeks include:
- faith communities and their places of worship
- community and voluntary groups
- inter faith bodies
- youth groups
- schools and SACREs
- institutions of further and higher education
- local authorities and other public agencies
- sports organisations
- museums
- businesses and workplaces
- TV and radio stations
- and many others
WHERE?
ENGLAND, WALES, NORTHERN IRELAND
The Week in England is led by the Inter Faith Network for the UK, working with its member bodies. IFN works in consultation with the Northern Ireland Inter-Faith Forum and the Inter-faith Council for Wales/ Cyngor Rhyngffydd Cymru in relation to the Week in those nations.
SCOTLAND
Scottish Interfaith Week has been running with great success since 2004 and is led by Interfaith Scotland. Details about the Week this year can be found on the Scottish Interfaith Week website.
