Faiths Together Conference

SEEFF Conference 2008

It is hoped that the South East England Faiths Forum (SEEFF) Conference held on 7 April at the University of Surrey, Guildford has proved to be the a catalyst to re-launch SEEFF with renewed energy, vision and enabled resources to be identified to deliver on these opportunities. Around 180 delegates attended this major event from the faiths and government, public and the third sector. Prior to the Conference funding from the Department of Communities and Local Government had funded DSR (the Department for Social Responsibility, Diocese of Guildford) to employ staff to carry our research and set up a database of around 1,200 organisational contacts and develop this website to enable networking and put together the Conference programme. A fuller account of the Conference can be found below.

Subsequently the Conference steering group hosted by DSR (made up of representatives of Faiths, the Government Office for the South East (GOSE) and the South East Development Agency (SEEDA) and the existing SEEFF Executive met to develop an interim programme to develop SEEFF.

Working through the SEEFF links on the RAISE (Regional Action and Involvement SE ~ the Third Sector representative body in the SE Region) Board ~ Chris Rich and David Wrighton ~ close working with a new post of SEEFF Coordinator for the next three years will be established[1]. It is anticipated that this post will move to a Faith organisation by the end of the three years. The Coordinator will also facilitate the development of a governance structure for the Region (an interim group comprising the existing SEEFF executive and the Conference steering group will facilitate work for a time-limited period until that governance structure is in place).

There is a need to develop work at sub-Regional levels[2]. This will probably be for three or four areas. It is hoped to set up a scoping exercise to ascertain the most appropriate areas. I am currently engaged in conversations with the Faiths Unit at the Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG), Government Office SE (GOSE) and the SE England Development Agency (SEEDA) in order to fund this development of activity. Advice is being sought from the Inter-Faith Network (IFN) and Faith based Regeneration Network (FbRN) in advance of developing work intended to include an impact assessment of activity by people of faith in the Region (and sub-Regional areas).

The Conference also considered changing the name of the Regional Faith Forum. Work was undertaken before the Conference and three alternatives were put before those who attended. The outcome on the day was inconclusive but further sounding have been taken. Based upon these soundings the interim group have confirmed that the name chosen is:

South East England Faiths Forum

Speeches

Conference Leaflet

Speeches

Powerpoint Presentations

Workshop Feedback

Photographs

Conference Report

PDF format

WORD format

Workshop Titles

1) How we can deliver strong and prosperous communities through Interfaith action.

Faith communities are seen now more than ever as a key deliverer of social cohesion and community engagement. The workshop will seek to identify common local priorities and will discuss the potential to create mechanisms to work collaboratively and share best practice. The workshop will ask three key questions:

What can local faith communities offer to create strong and prosperous communities (resources, capacity expertise)?
What could a regional interfaith partnership add to local delivery?

What is needed to make interfaith collaboration possible? ( resource, time, cultural awareness etc?)

2) How a general Network like SEEFF can contribute to policy development.

One of the key aims of SEEFF is to give a stronger voice for the faith sector in regional, national and local government. The workshop will discuss members policy priorities and will discuss the most effective mechansims for influencing policy at these levels. The outcome of the workshop will be to identify both policy priorities and opportunities over the next two years and to identify how best to influence policy makers at the three spatial levels.

3) How a regional body like SEEFF can assist with the bringing together and
co-ordinating of local Interfaith Networks.

The development of interfaith dialogue one of SEEFFs core objectives. The workshop will look at the role that SEEFF could have in supporting interfaith dialogue at the national, regional and local level. It will discuss the benefits and challenges of interfaith working and will identify core principles of how SEEFF will support interfaith dialogue across the region.

Programme

9.30am	Arrival, registration and refreshments - Lower Concourse
10.00am	Conference commences - Griffiths Lecture Theatre Welcome address by Rt Revd Christopher Hill - Bishop of Guildford
10.15am-11.15am	Key speakers John Scott, Regional Director - Government of the South East Harriet Crabtree, Director - Interfaith Network John Devine - NW Churches Officer for the Region
11.20am-12.20pm	Workshop/Plenary sessions - Dedicated breakout rooms Light refreshments will be served in the rooms
12.25pm	Buffet Lunch, Networking and Stands - Lower Concourse
1.25pm	Conference commences - Large Lecture Theatre
1.25pm-2.20pm	Key speakers Canon Guy Wilkinson - Archbishop of Canterbury's Interfaith Advisor Imam Dr Abdul Jalil Sajid - Muslim Council for Religious & Racial Harmony UK Nitin Metha MBE – Croydon Indian Cultural Centre Alex Goldberg - Jewish Chaplain, University of Surrey
2.20pm-2.50pm	Question & Answer session including all key speakers
2.50-3.20pm	Afternoon tea/coffee & Networking opportunity - Lower Concourse
3.20-3.40pm	Feedback from morning workshops – Griffiths Theatre
3.40pm	Key speaker – Anna Cummins – Head of Faith Communities Engagement Team
3.55pm	Closing comments
4.00pm	Conference closes

Conference Leaflet

Download Conference Leaflet

[1] This post is subject to funding through the Capacity Builders programme to be announced during May 2008

[2] Funding to develop this work is currently being sought from the Faiths Unit at the Department for Communities and Local Government