One Family The Newsletter of the World Congress of Faiths October, 2004 Website: www.worldfaiths.org Charity Number:244096
Faith Meeting Faith: a rich resource for life The World Congress of Faiths seeks to bridge the almost unbridgeable: to make bonds of friendship based on knowledge and understanding and to celebrate the differences between different religions. While accepting the differences of history and belief between faith communities, we affirm and support each of the faith groups represented at our gatherings. We seek to bring together those who are firm adherents of their own faiths, and who wish to learn from others in a non-judgemental and supportive fashion. In this way, hopefully, we work towards ending the destructive enmity that so tragically dogs the relationships between so many people of faith.
New World Congress of Faiths initiative If you are a member of the World Congress of Faiths you can take part in a new initiative. For a trial period of six months, the World Congress of Faiths is launching an internet discussion group on interfaith issues. Whether you want to publicise an interfaith event, express an opinion about an interfaith issue, or find out what's going on and what other people think, this is for you. Tony Reese, the WCF administrator, explains how to gain access to the discussion group. Please log on to the discussion group and tell others about it. As more and more people communicate on line, we think that the discussion group could become another important aspect of the work of WCF. Tony writes: To join the new World Congress of Faiths discussion group you need a Yahoo identity. If you haven't got one, go to: http://www.groups.yahoo.com and register, following the instructions on the website. Having got a yahoo identity, search for the Worldfaiths group, or go directly to groups.yahoo.com/groups/worldfaiths. If you have difficulty, send an e-mail to tony@worldfaiths.org who will be able to give you further guidance. If you know of someone who would be interested in joining the discussion group they can do so if they join WCF; a bargain at £30 per year for membership of WCF, and to receive One Family and Interreligious Insight four times a year.
Congratulations, Marcus Rabbi Jackie Tabick presents Marcus and his wife Mary with a congratulatory cake during the WCF Fintry conference. Marcus Braybrooke, the President of World Congress of Faiths, has been awarded a Lambeth DD by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, for his contribution to interfaith relations. A copy of the citation will appear in the next edition of One Family.		WCF Post Parliament of World Religions Conference A group of WCF members met together at Fintry House to consider the discussions at the Parliament of World Religions in Barcelona. Those of us present were delighted to be joined by Huston Smith and his wife Kendra. It was a great privilege to listen to Huston and hear of the way in which he immersed himself in different religions he studied. Huston and Kendra Smith at the WCF Fintry Conference
Parliament of World Religions, Barcelona Mary Braybrooke writes: Near the glorious beaches of Barcelona there are many new buildings, built to celebrate the Cultures of the World during three months. We attended the week long Parliament of the World’s Religions and prior to that the Assembly held in the mountains of Montserrat by the famous monastery. Everyone has different experiences when there are as many as between 5000 and 8000 participants and an enormous number of talks, seminars and plenaries to choose from. I found the gathering a bit overwhelming but exciting and rewarding in that we met up with many old friends and became aware of many situations all over the world The main themes of the conference were Religious Violence, Refugees, International debt and Water. I chose to attend the refugee group. The number of unaccompanied children arriving in Great Britain is cause for concern. I also attended the symposium on Aids, which was taking place at the same time that the Aids conference in Bangkok. Aids is still increasing alarmingly and the number of orphaned children growing. I chaired a lively and well attended session arranged by the WCF on “Can we pray together”. Spanish participants said that after the tragic bombs in Madrid it was natural to hold hands and pray together, and many others witnessed that in the face of violence or natural disasters they too had joined in prayer with people of other faiths. Indeed it is often tragedy that brings people of faith together and this was demonstrated when two women, one an Israeli and the other a Palestinian, both of whom had lost family members in the violence, embraced and wept together. Barcelona, which looks across the Mediterranean to the Arab world of North Africa, has many Muslim immigrants and it was an appropriate venue to build bridges of understanding between Islam and Christianity. The Muslims who attended were keen to dissociate their religion from violence and terrorism. We attended a wonderful concert at the Sagrada Familia Cathedral in the centre of Barcelona on the Saturday evening to which many local residents came and which portrayed music from many religions. During the Parliament the Sikh community generously provided a traditional langar or free kitchen to all the participants. Some from the developing countries were helped to come to the Parliament by generous sponsors but most of us paid for ourselves. It was a sad reminder that only those with adequate incomes were able to be present. We were asked to take home to our communities simple and profound acts so let us hope that these acts will have ripple effects upon our needy world.
Sikh Celebrations of the Adi Granth Marcus Braybrooke writes: Thousands of pilgrims, religious leaders, scholars and politicians crowded into the Sikh holy city of Amritsar recently to celebrate the 400^th anniversary of the Adi Granth, the first authorised collection of the Holy Book. Similar celebrations are being held at Gurdwaras around the world. Four hundred years ago the Adi Granth, compiled by Guru Arjan Dev Ji, was carried from Gurdwara Ramsar to the Golden Temple and this momentous event was re-enacted on September 1^stthis year. Enormous crowds prostrated themselves before to the Guru Granth Sahib. At the same time, a vast crowd attended a day-long gathering in New Amritsar to listen to religious and political leaders, including the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The day before, the President of India, Dr Abdul Kalam, presided at a seminar at the Guru Nanak Dev University. I was asked to speak at the conference, together with Dr Harbans Lal, Founder President of the Academy of Guru Granth Studies and Professor Shireen Moosvi of Aligarh Muslim University. Many speakers stressed the relevance to our troubled times of the Guru Granth Sahib’s message of the Oneness of God and the unity of the human family. Guru Arjan Dev Ji, by including the writings of Muslim and Hindu holy men in the Adi Granth, showed that we can learn from the spiritual writings of many faith traditions. The Sikh Holy Book also stresses that true devotion to God is expressed both through worship and also through service to those in need. The World Congress of Faiths has benefited from the active support of many Sikhs. We send the Sikh community our good wishes. I hope that this anniversary will not only rekindle their enthusiasm but also make the message of the Guru Granth Sahib more widely known throughout the world.

Ivy Gutridge, MBE It was with deepest sadness that members of the interfaith world learned of the death of Ivy Gutridge. To members of the World Congress of Faiths she was both a Vice President and a friend. Whoever met Ivy was enriched by the experience. I had the privilege of meeting her several times, and on each occasion her warm personality and humility shone through. She was one of the pioneers of interfaith and, when she withdrew from active participation due to ill health, her absence was greatly felt. When compiling this insert, everyone approached to write a tribute to Ivy readily did so; the most frequent description of her being 'what a lovely person'. Ivy was a member of the Methodist Church, and Inderjit Bhogal, a Methodist Minister who was President of the Methodist Conference from 2001-2002, has written the following tribute. Inderjit Bhogal writes: Ivy Gutridge came to Wolverhampton from her home town of Swindon with her husband Ken. A committed Methodist all her life, Ivy was a member at St John's Methodist Church in Wolverhampton. After a member of family who was seriously ill and cared for by Ivy had died, Ivy reluctantly took on the role of Note Taker at meetings of the newly formed Wolverhampton Inter-Faith Group (WIFG). She became Honorary Secretary of the WIFG from 1974 to 1998, initially using her own home as the Office. Ivy's infinite capacity to devote herself to people was focussed on the work of the Wolverhampton Inter-Faith Group. Ivy died in June 2004 after suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease for a number of years. Ivy moved on from her nervous beginnings, including theological reservations, to becoming the driving inspiration of the Wolverhampton Inter Faith Group. Ivy's energy, courtesy and organisational ability brought credibility to the group. Ivy's genius was that she realised how important it was to promote interfaith dialogue when it was not fashionable. Her vision and foresight has meant that the seeds she began to sow thirty years ago will continue to bear fruit well after her life. In Wolverhampton Ivy worked behind the scenes to resolve conflicts, heal divisions and build relationships of mutual trust and respect. Ivy also travelled to other UK towns and cities to help develop interfaith groups. In 1983 Ivy was appointed to the Methodist Committee for Relationships With People Of Other Faiths. She did much work from her own home towards the book 'God Of All Faith' put together by that Committee. Ivy was active in the founding of the national lnterfaith Network (UK) and was elected its first woman Vice-Chair in 1992. Ivy never sought any limelight or recognition, but was honoured for her Interfaith work when she was awarded the MBE in 1994. Ivy Gutridge with Vasdev Singh Bhamrah [extreme right] at a special dinner of Wolverhampton Interfaith Group to celebrate the award of the MBE to Ivy. Ivy regarded interfaith dialogue as her life's work. She conducted it with humility, and was an inspiration to others. She was known in Wolverhampton as 'Queen Of Interfaith'. Ivy's interest in Interfaith dialogue was not academic but arose out of an intense desire to find out about, and honour, other people's faith at a person to person level. She believed in people's freedom and right to hold their own religious beliefs. A Muslim leader gave the address at a service of remembrance and thanksgiving for her, concluding with the words "As a Muslim, I would recommend her for Sainthood." A fitting tribute to one who is among the pioneers of the Interfaith movement in the UK. Tributes to Ivy Gutridge (continued) Marcus Braybrooke, President of World Congress of Faiths, writes: It was in the late sixties that I got to know Ivy Gutridge and her husband. Enoch Powell, then MP for Wolverhampton, was issuing his dire warnings about the effect of immigration. Ivy, a Methodist, had already begun to build up friendly relations with members of other faith communities and her efforts resulted in the formation of the Wolverhampton Inter-Faith Group, of which she was secretary for twenty years.  From its early days, WCF had established some local groups, but they mainly consisted of 'interfaith enthusiasts'. Ivy managed to involve the leadership of faith communities so that the Wolverhampton Group became firmly established and was one of the first local groups to have an office. Its work did much to redress the influence of Enoch Powell and to ensure good interfaith relations in Wolverhampton. Others soon wanted to learn from Ivy's wisdom and she became a member of various national groups, served on the Inter Faith Network Executive Committee and attended an international meeting of the World Conference on Religion and Peace. To all these activities, Ivy brought her special gift of friendliness. Books are now being written about friendship as a 'theological virtue'. Ivy embodied it and we shall treasure her memory. Published tributes include: Wolverhampton Ad News: 'Ivy was a delightful woman who was able always to see the good in others. Across the Wolverhampton Inter-Faith Group, Ivy was simply called "The Queen of InterFaith", a title that made her blush furiously amid her chuckles Sedhev Bismal, chairman of Wolverhampton Inter-Faith Group: 'Ivy's commitment to the WIFG was key in combating the ignorance and prejudices which inevitably arise if communities remain isolated, leading to parallel lives. She made a significant contribution to ensuring that positive relationships in the city were not jeopardised at times of national and international communal and religious crises. Harun Rashid, vice president of Wolverhampton Inter-Faith Group: 'Ivy became the life force of the Inter-Faith organisation and took on the responsibility of building bridges as a divine command and reflected the teaching 'love thy neighbour' in her day to day life. She did all her community work with charity and humility, avoiding all limelight, and totally committed to the celebration of diversity'. The final word should be that of Ivy herself. In the 1994 Wolverhampton Inter Faith Group handbook, Ivy wrote: 'I have a strong conviction which has stood the test of time that it is a call from God. I have no academic qualifications, religious or otherwise, but I do have a strong Christian faith which led me, at a time of change in my life, to make an open-ended commitment at a "New Year Covenant Service" in my home church. "I am no longer my own but yours". Put me to what you will, rank me with whom you will..I am completely and entirely at your disposal... "No-one was more surprised than me when, as a result of that commitment, I was asked to be Secretary of Wolverhampton Inter-Faith Group, which was already in existence, pioneered by others responding to what it means to "love your neighbour" when your neighbours belong to a variety of faith traditions..... If the honour awarded to me encourages others to take seriously the joy and challenge of becoming part of the inter-faith family, realising its vital importance, then I will be more able to rejoice with those locally and nationally who have supported the award. How badly our world needs inter-faith people.' I am indebted to Vasdev Singh Bhamrah, the Committee and members of the Wolverhampton Inter-Faith Group for their support compiling this tribute: Editor. Rabbi Albert Friedlander z’’l (May his memory be a blessing) The Interfaith world has lost a great friend with the recent death of Rabbi Albert Friedlander. Rabbi Jackie Tabick, chair of WCF, writes Born in Germany and witnessing the destruction of Kristalnacht Rabbi Friedlander devoted much of his time and energy to building bridges between faiths, especially between Christianity and Judaism. A clear thinker with a compassionate heart and a wonderful sense of humour, he was a prolific writer and a popular speaker at Inter Faith events. He was also a wonderful pastoral rabbi, who cared for the needs of the individuals he served, and Dean of the Leo Beck College where European Progressive rabbis received their training. He had a profound influence on us all and encouraged us to take an interest in the creation of contacts with other faiths. Despite his bad eye-sight, he was also a wonder when it came to playing table tennis! Maybe that talent can be seen as a metaphor for his life, he could see where others did not and react quickly and positively to the challenges that life brings. He will be sorely missed and we offer our condolences to his wife Evelyn and his children.
World Congress of Faiths Art and Spirituality Course with Adam Boulter Those WCF members who attended the first Art and Spiritually course with Adam Boulter had an inspiring time. We had different levels of artistic ability but from the beginning were told by Adam to let our hands choose the materials that we would use for our collage from a table of various kinds of paper and card that were available. Adam first read a familiar poem by John Donne, then told us to take whatever materials our hands selected and to make our collage. For about an hour there was the sound of tearing and gluing paper, and conversation. When everyone felt that their collages were completed, Adam invited each of us to explain how our collage related to Donne's poem. It was a fascinating afternoon which gave each of us the opportunity to explore our spirituality. WCF is planning further Art and Spirituality courses with Adam; if you get the chance do come to any of them they are highly recommended
World Congress of Faiths and the International Association for Religious Freedom present: Fideology 2004 on 13 November, 2004 at Croydon Unitarian Church: 9.30 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. Cost: £5.00 and bring a packed lunch Speakers include: Dr Harriet Crabtree: Deputy Director, Interfaith Network for the UK Dr John Taylor: IARF Representative, United Nations, Geneva. Others taking part include: Imam Abduljalil Sajid, Dr Roohi Majid, and Rev Alan Race. For further details contact Anne McCleland, e-mail: AnneMcClel@aol.com, telephone: 020 8679 2626		World Congress of Faiths and Westminster Interfaith present: Violence: an Interfaith Perspective on Sunday 21 November at The Faulkner Hall, 23 Kensington Square, London W8 5HN: 4.00 p.m. to 7.00 p.m. Speakers include: Imam Dr Abduljalil Sajid Sr Chandasiri from Amaravati Buddhist Monastery Rev. Fergus Capie, Director, London Interfaith Centre Speakers will reflect on a text on the subject of Violence: an Interfaith Perspective from their respective Holy Books and participants are invited to engage the speakers and bring their own viewpoints.
If you want your local interfaith event to be included in the next edition of One Family, send your newsletter, magazine or details to: Dr Joy Barrow, 34 Shorediche Close, Ickenham, UB10 8EB or e-mail: JoyBarrow@aol.com Deadline for inclusion in the next edition of One Family: 1 December, 2004
Other Interfaith Events: Alister Hardy Society: October 29-31: 'Spirituality and the Creative Arts' at University of Wales, Lampeter. Further details: Anne V Watkins, Dept of Theology and RS, University of Wales, Lampeter, Ceredigion, SA48 7ED or e-mail: a.watkins@lamp.ac.uk Art and Spirituality Network: October 30: Wisdom from the Wilderness. 10.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. at St John's Church, Waterloo Road, Manchester. Further details from: Adam Boulter, Flat 3 Marwell Court, 42 Oakcroft Road, London SE13 7EE; e-mail adam.boulter@virgin.net Bristol Interfaith Group: October 14, 21, 28: Three historical lectures. Further details: Bristol Record Office, Smeaton Road, Bristol. November 8: The Black Experience of Christianity and the Bristol Churches'. Speaker: Edson Burton. 7.45 p.m. at Parkway Methodist Church Hall, December 6: BIFG's Midwinter Circle. 7.30 p.m. at Unitarian Bristol Meeting, Surrey Lodge, Brunswick Square, Bristol. Further details: 0117 9020037; 01454 313042. Cheltenham Inter Faith 9 November: Christian -Muslim Dialogue, a conference arranged by the University of Gloucester School of Humanities. Further details: Mrs P Downes, 01242 532747 Christians Aware: January 17-30, 2005: Visit to Eastern India. March 8-28, 2005: Visit to South India. Further details: telephone: 0116 254 0770; e-mail: barbara.butler@christiansaware.co.uk	Faith Awareness November 20: Faith in Islam, a day of dialogue with Muslims. 10.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. at 6 Osterley Park Road, Southall, Middlesex. Speakers include Marcus Braybrooke and Fatma Amer. Further details: e-mail: JoyBarrow@aol.com Horsham Interfaith Group: October 30: 'Self Healing and Meditation' led by Carol Chambers; 1.00 p.m. at the Unitarian Hall. Further details: Richard Boeke at r.boeke@virgin.net; telephone 01403-257801. Interreligious and International Federation for World Peace October 23: The Triumph of Human Harmony – Healing the Hurt of History. 9.00 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. at Friends Meeting House, Euston Road, London. Further details: telephone 020 7262 0985 Merseyside Council of Faiths and Inter-Faith Group October 20: 'Creation and the Environment from a Geographers Perspective. 8.00 p.m. at Hope University College. November 12: Celebration of Divali Festival. 8.00 p.m. at the Hindu Centre and Temple, Edge Lane. November 25: 'God's Purpose in Creation - a Jewish Perspective'. 8.00 p.m. at Allerton Synagogue, Booker Avenue. January 13: An evening with Focolare friends. 8.00 p.m. at the Focolare Centre, 9 Lance Lane, Wavertree. United Religions Initiative UK 13 November: URI Annual Gathering in Birmingham. 1 December: URI Annual General Meeting. Speaker: John Battle MP. 12 noon at St Stephen's Church Wallbrook. February 24 to 6 March, 2005: Festival of Middle Eastern Spirituality and Peace in Edinburgh as part of the Edinburgh festival. Further details: e-mail info@uri.org.uk; telephone: 01768 777671
Request for support Ruth Scott, an Anglican priest, is undertaking a three week charity cycle ride from Rome to Jerusalem in February 2005 and is seeking sponsorship. All money raised will go to the Centre for Jewish-Christian Relations in Cambridge, which is organising the event. If anyone wishes to have further details, or to sponsor Ruth, she can be contacted at r.scott@blueyonder.co.uk or 164 Sheen Road, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 1XD . Cheques (made payable to the Centre for Jewish-Christian Relations) can be sent to her at the same address.