Interfaith week is almost upon us.
Inter Faith Week 2023 will take place from Sunday 12 – Sunday 19 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/
Even in todays world, after decades of work by organisations such as the Pagan Federation, Pagan traditions are still not particularly well known about by wider society. The same can be said for a great many other faith traditions, and as with other faith traditions, what wider society might think it knows about Pagan traditions is often mistaken, possibly even considered scary or dangerous. What interfaith activity does is provide opportunities for others to get to know people from different religion and belief communities, and in doing so, provides a platform for correcting misunderstandings and reducing fear of the unknown by making it known. Interfaith week is an annual opportunity for people across the country to get involved with activities arranged by Interfaith groups, by places of work, by sports groups, education settings and many other bodies to meet people from different religion and belief communities and join in with them in a shared activity.
It’s incredibly worthwhile, and very often, quite fun to get involved.
You can find out about some of the things going on in your area here:
https://www.interfaithweek.org/events/about
Mike Stygal
Pagan Federation Interfaith Manager