The Lord Mayor of Dublin Brendan Carr, launched on Tuesday, 20th December 2016, The Dublin City Interfaith Charter.

Speaking about the event the Lord Mayor said “It is my pleasure to welcome representatives from the various religious bodies involved through the Dublin City Interfaith Forum with the creation of this farseeing Charter. Dublin has always enjoyed a very open attitude to different communities and cultures and this charter further reaffirms our commitment to this at a time when intolerance would appear to be more widespread among different nations.”

Faith In The City – Overview

Faith in the City is a flagship programme and has become now a regular activity within Dublin City Interfaith Forum (DCIF) annual work programme. These visits to places of worship organised by DCIF members take place across the city and give people the opportunity to experience a place of worship at first hand, and learn about its spiritual significance and meaning. DCIF continues to invite community groups, professionals, teachers and other local groups to participate in the programme, ask questions and engage in discussions encouraged and welcomed. Faith centres include Baha’i, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and Sikh places of worship, in various locations in North and South Dublin City.

These sessions provide the opportunity to ask questions about the role of women within different faith traditions, to learn about specific rituals within each of the faith groups visited and also to learn how people use their resources and cope with different challenges. At such events often it was commended and admired the versatility of some places of worship and their use for multiple purposes, also it was agreed that there is great purpose in faith communities working together and these visits may be the start of various interfaith initiatives in the city.

Faith in The City – Evaluation

Faith in the City programme is discussed on a regular basis and options to improve these sessions are explored. The programme is always seeking different ways of engaging with the host community and encourages the mixing between the different groups. Pattern is important, working with host communities in terms of outreach, as it breaks down barriers. DCC is supporting this programme event along with other experiential activities such as music, dance etc. It is important to continue to deliver Faith In The City events on a scheduled basis, as communities are in a state of flux with new members joining in. Sometimes it may be useful to use different themes at different times in order to make it interesting for broader community to attend.

Themes such as discrimination and intolerance are important to discuss and look at solutions in order to create a sense of solidarity and unity. In many instances the close proximity between places of worship is a strong incentive for new relationships and new friendships to emerge. There is overall agreement that these events are very enjoyable and informative, a wonderful and non-threatening experience to be shared by the DCIF members with their own communities. The hosts also enjoy the rather new experience of welcoming a religiously diverse group such as DCIF and compared it to an interfaith experience within their own homes.

Faith In The City – Demand and Applications

There is now increasing demand for Faith In The City sessions from statutory agencies such as: Tusla, HSE, and schools and colleges who expressed a keen interest in being kept informed of Faith In The City schedules as they are keen on frontline staff and students attending.