Network Digest

January 2010

Please read below for news from our network.

To include any items in next month’s digest, please email m.shaw (@gold.ac.uk).

News

New Years Honours: We are delighted to announce that Doreen Finneron, a Fellow of the Faiths & Civil Society Unit has been awarded an MBE in the New Years honours list for her services to interfaith relations.

Invitation for applications for Fellowship:
Applications are invited for for the Ariane de Rothschild Fellowship: Social Entrepreneurship and Cross Cultural Network.

The Ariane de Rothschild Fellowship seeks to develop a network of social entrepreneurs with a demonstrated interest in social change and cross cultural dialogue. The aim is to bring together a group of thirty social entrepreneurs mainly from Muslim and Jewish backgrounds from the United Kingdom, France and the United States with an interest in fostering a culture of mutual respect and cross-cultural dialogue among their communities. In a multi-layered approach, the programme blends three educational components: action-driven social entrepreneurship programme, exposure to state-of-the-art scholarship and cross-cultural dialogue.

National juries will select the Fellows based on their commitment and ability to generate sustainable social impact in their respective societies. They will all share a common aspiration to bring change in a variety of fields, ranging from education, environment, the arts and healthcare. Fellows are also required to demonstrate a shared purpose in using social entrepreneurship as a new bridge across the cultural divide.

This two-week programme will be conducted from July 4, 2010 - July 16, 2010 at Columbia Business School, New York City in partnership with the Centre for History and Economics, King's College, Cambridge. Professors from Columbia and Cambridge will deliver the academic and business content and design follow up workshops and facilitators will conduct seminars on various aspects of dialogue. Significant resources will be devoted to classroom lectures and individual projects. Each Fellow will receive individual coaching to interpret assessment results that will enable him/her to achieve personal and professional goals. Besides academic and business training, the programme will also include extracurricular cultural activities in New York City. Travel, accommodation and some meals will be covered by the Fellowship.

The application process for the next session is now started and the deadline for receipt of completed applications is 22 January 2010. For more information visit: www.adrfellowship.com

Events

Religious Literacy Leadership Programme Launch Event
The Religious Literacy Leadership project is being launched at the House of Lords on 26 January 2010 at 4.30pm. Lord Tyler, the Chair of the Faiths and Civil Society Unit will host the reception. Adam Dinham, Chair of this Programme will present an overview of the leadership programme. Lord Parekh will provide the address at a formal dinner

The programme is a collaborative partnership to equip universities to respond to the challenges of a multi-faith society. Working with Vice Chancellor ‘champions’, the programme will develop leadership and skills for religious literacy in higher education settings, helping them to shape a thriving environment for working and living together in society across differences – and similarities – of faith.

If you would like further information on the programme, please contact Adam Dinham; a.dinham (@gold.ac.uk). Or see http://religiousliteracyhe.org

Places for the launch are limited but if you would like to attend, please speak to Adam.

The first event of FaithXChange, our research network for young people, faith and civil society will be held on 28 January at Derby Multifaith Centre.

The network builds on an earlier ESRC network of academics, policy makers and practitioners and aims to consolidate and extend that network with a new focus on young people and faith. An emphasis will be on networking those doing research work with and about young people and to involve research-minded young people.

Speakers at the event include;
- Rebecca Catto of the AHRC/ERSC Religion & Society Research Programme
- Gary Manders, University of Birmingham - An exploration of young offenders’ religious discourses and the implications for professional practice.
- Phil Henry & Rebecca Barnes, University of Derby – Building and researching a youth interfaith forum for Derby: the journey so far.
- A panel discussion on young people, faith and higher education with Kat Luckock, NUS Interfaith Officer and Kristin Aune, Derby University

There are limited spaces available, so please contact Martha ( m.shaw (@gold.ac.uk)) ASAP if you wish to attend.

Celebrating Jesus: Together, A Muslim-Christian dialogue, 14 January 2010
Iqra Learning Centre, Coventry, 19.45 - 21.15, with Christian and Muslim speakers.
For more information, please see www.christianmuslimforum.org

Forthcoming Theos events
In 2010 the Theos events programme will include a parliamentary lecture on God and Government by Tom Wright, Bishop of Durham; a major debate on religious freedom, chaired by Joshua Rozenberg; a parliamentary breakfast on religion and identity; a conversation with (Lord) Richard Harries on his new book, Faith in Politics?; an event with John Micklethwait, author of God is Back, and the Theos Annual Lecture.
For more information see www.theosthinktank.co.uk