Who is it for?
We hope to attract a regular core group of women from Bahai, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh, Zoroastrian and other faith backgrounds living in Redbridge that have, or would like to form strong links with their own cultural traditions and learn of the faiths and traditions of others interested in the aims of the project.
The Aims:
1. Create a process of dialogue with women, which will strengthen communication between faith communities.
2. Promote and strengthen interfaith collaboration, leading to a collective voice, through action projects.
3. Enable women from different faiths to have healthy discussions on a range of topics of mutual interest that will help overcome ignorance, prejudice and cross barriers.
The Objectives:
1. Organise workshops open to any woman in Redbridge from any age group and faith who is interested in exploring the aims.
2. Develop an ongoing women’s interfaith group, meeting in Redbridge during 2009 to 2010
3. Establish a core group of women from different faith backgrounds, which over a period of two years meet on a regular basis and run joint projects
4. Establish a self-directed and active ‘Redbridge Women of Faith Group’.
5. Bring women together across faith to gain the confidence and skills to bridge and link into different cultures.
Proposed Activities:
1. The sessions will be facilitated to enable everyone to share their experience and to listen to the experiences of others.
2. Through this process the women attending the workshops will agree the activities they wish to take part in and will make the decisions of the group.
3. At the end of each workshop, the focus for the next workshop will be agreed.
4. There will be a planning meeting to discuss the details for the next workshop, which will be open to all those interested in contributing.
5. There will be an evaluation of the session and minutes of same will be circulated to those attending (and reported to RFF Management Committee).
6. The workshop will be supported by: a RFF Project Development Worker; RFF's volunteers and any interested members of the RFF Management Committee.
Proposed Activities (What?) ~ to be agreed at the first workshop in July 2009
1. Redbridge Faith Forum (RFF) will facilitate 4 interfaith workshops, led by women in 2009/10.
2. The workshops will continue in 2010 to 2011
3. The programme will offer links into other aspects of RFF’s ongoing work programme, including tours to places of worship, ‘Make a Difference Week’, ‘Week of Peace’, ‘One World Week’, ‘Interfaith Week’, ‘Preventing Violent Extremism’ and Volunteering. It will be up to women how much or how little they wish to participate in, or contribute to these activities.
4. The group will plan the March 2010 ‘International Women’s Day’ Conference”.
Redbridge Women’s Inter Faith Workshops
A Project of Redbridge Faith Forum
What? How? Where? When?
What?
Some topics/themes have been suggested or may be of interest to the group:Parenting issues ~ in particular understanding and coping with teenagers
Training women ~ for interfaith dialogue (link with a Newham group)
Confidence Building ~
Sex Education for Children ~ when should it be taught and by whom?
A speaker could be invited to some of the meetings to start off discussions.
We hope that other topics or themes will be suggested by the women gathered at the workshops.
How?
See the section of page one ‘Agreeing and deciding on the Activities ~ a way forward’
The workshops will be hosted in the meeting spaces of different faith community buildings.
We will endeavor to build the trust needed to make these safe, shared spaces for women to meet together and discuss openly various topics. Are there any areas of concern about this?
When?
Some proposed dates:
15th July 2009 Mildmay House, 69 Albert Road, Ilford IG1 1HP
30th September 2009 Hindu Centre, 55 Albert Road, Ilford, IG1 1HN
17th November 2009 Sukkat Shalom Synagogue, Hermon Hill, E11 1UL
20th January 2010 Karamsar Punjabi School, 404 High Road, Ilford, IG1 1TW
9th March 2010 Womens Conference for International Womens day,
Ilford Central Library, Gloucester Room, Clements Rd, Ilford
7th July 2010 Ilford Islamic Centre, Albert Road, Ilford IG1 1HW
22nd Sept 2010 St Andrew Church, The Drive, Ilford IG1
3rd Nov 2010 Midmay Centre / Central Library (TBC)
Other dates linking with RFF events:
Week of Peace (20-27 September 2009)
One World Week (18th -25th October 2009)
Make a Difference Week (10 -17 October 2009)
Interfaith Week (November 2009)
Tours of Places of Worship (to be arranged)
Workshop Reports
Workshop 1 Report Click here
Workshop 1 Evaluation Click here
Workshop 2 Evaluation Click here
Topics for Future Workshops Click here
Workshop 3 Report Click here
Help Needed !
Who would like to help with the following?
. A note taker on flip chart
. Setting up /clearing up
. Refreshments
. Publicity
. Project volunteer
. Taking photographs
Supported by LBR & CDF
Redbridge Women’s Inter Faith Workshops
Agreeing and deciding on the Activities ~ a way forward
links with their own cultural traditions and learn of the faiths and traditions of others interested
in the aims of the project.