Some of the Forum members at the first meeting, May 2010
The Community Faiths’ Forum in Northern Ireland met for the first time in May 2010 and is now meeting quarterly. This brings together twenty-five experienced individuals from Christian and other faiths to work together on poverty, community development, and related issues.
The Community Faiths’ Forum is designed to be a forum for discussion of social and community issues and not primarily a forum for inter-faith dialogue, though five individuals from faiths other than Christian are members of the Forum - from Baha’i, Jewish, Hindu, Muslim and Sikh traditions—and relevant discussion of faith matters may take place in this context. Social issues such as poverty, housing, Shared Future and volunteering, and community engagement will always be the primary items on the agenda for discussion and this will have relevance for the entire community and for all faith groups who seek to help disadvantaged, excluded or marginalised people in local communities.
The work of the Forum is still developing but includes a research element, the sharing of best practice, learning from each other’s work and projects, and discernment of the best role faith communities can play in society, particularly in the current era of recession. It is a pilot forum in that it will work in this phase until spring 2012 when a decision will be made whether to continue and extend the Forum’s work and remit.
Contact
Community Faiths' Forum
Rob Fairmichael, Coordinator
CCWA (NI)
218 York Street
BELFAST
BT15 1GY
Tel: 028 9074 0077
Mobile: 077 8922 4910
Email: rob.fairmichael@ccwa-ni.org.uk
Website: http://www.ccwa-ni.org.uk/cff/
News
The Community Faiths' Forum ran a very successful conference on 1st December 2011 with a hundred day participants and over forty more young people coming for programme later. This conference launched the report "Faith in Commmunity - a Long Term Investment: A report on research into faith-based engagement with community issues in Northern Ireland." The conference was opened by Nelson McCaulsand MLA, Minister for Social Development, and the keynote speakers were Tony Macaulay (who wrote the report launched on the day) and Doreen Finneron (until recently Director of the Faith-based Regeneration Network in Britain). The conference and research report publication were supported by CCWA/Churches' Community Work Alliance, the Department for Social Development (DSD), and a grant from Belfast City Council Good Relations. Read more »
The Community Faiths' Forum is organising a major conference "Faith to face....with community and social issues from a faith perspective" in Belfast on Thursday 1st December 2011. This will include a variety of elements in a day long programme including the launch of a research report by Tony Macaulay Associates on faith involvement in community work in Northern Ireland, a talk by Doreen Finneron, as well as specific young people's programme and stalls showcasing faith involvement in this area. This conference is open to all interested and fuller information is available on request to the Community Faiths' Forum, e-mail .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or phone 028 - 90740077 or 077 - 89224910. Read more »
DSD (Department for Social Development) Minister, Nelson McCausland, attended the May 2011 meeting of the Community Faiths' Forum taking place in Lurgan, just a fortnight into office, and was warmly welcomed by co-chairs Bill Shaw and Russell McCaughey. He spoke to the Forum and answered questions. Read more »
Notes for the record from Community Faiths' Forum meetings appear in the Archives section of the website, one meeting in arrears. While they are not formally minutes, the notes from a meeting are included on the website once the subsequent meeting had had the opportunity to make any changes considered necessary. Read more »
CFF's research project, on faith-based engagement with community issues, is underway Read more »