---------------------------- Original Message ----------------------------
Subject: Inter Faith Network Circular 18/08 'Face to Face and Side by Side'
From: "IFNet" <IFNet@...>
Date: Tue, 22 July, 2008 7:23 pm
To: "IFNet" <IFNet@...>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Circular 18/08

22 July 2008



Dear Inter Faith Network contact,



'Face to Face and Side by Side: A Framework for Partnership in our Multi
Faith Society'



The Government published yesterday Face to Face and Side by Side: A
Framework for Partnership in our Multi Faith Society. The document was
launched at Methodist Central Hall, Westminster by Rt Hon Hazel Blears,
Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and covers a wide
range of issues. Attached to this email is a pdf of the short Executive
Summary from this. I was invited to offer some reflections on the
framework document at the launch and for your interest a copy of these is
also attached.



The aim of the framework is described as being "to create more local
opportunities both for face to face dialogue which supports a greater
understanding of shared values as well as an appreciation of
distinctiveness; and for side by side collaborative social action where
people come together and share their time, energy and skills to improve
their local neighbourhood."



The document acknowledges what has already been achieved in the inter
faith field and notes the desirability of national, regional and local
organisations working in complementary ways. It encourages further work to
increase inter faith understanding and social cooperation by faith
communities, inter faith bodies, local authorities, schools, colleges and
universities, and others. It groups potential work under the headings of
four building blocks:



* Developing the competence and skills to 'bridge' and 'link'

* Shared spaces for interaction

* Structures and processes which support dialogue and social action

* Opportunities for learning which build understanding.



The document announces a 'Faiths in Action Programme' of funding to
support local activities and initiatives that have a direct link to one or
more of these building blocks; and a three year programme of investment,
support and capacity building in regional faith forums in England which it
is planned will have a growing role in helping support local inter faith
and faith based social action work.



The £4m Faiths in Action grants programme will be open to national,
regional and local faith, inter faith, voluntary and community
organisations and groups in England from 1 August 2008. The press notice
on the document says that grants will be distributed in two rounds. Round
one will issue grants of up to £12,000 to be spent over two years. It is
hoped the grants will support a wide variety of local activities in a
range of community settings. The Faiths in Action programme will be
administered and managed by the Community Development Foundation on behalf
of the Department for Communities and Local Government. A further Network
Circular will report on this when the guidance on the Fund is published.



Face to Face and Side by Side: A Framework for Partnership in our Multi
Faith Society refers to the Government's support for the development of
regional Faith Links (regional hubs for local authority faith leads)
within each of the English regions by 2011 which will be coordinated by
Government Offices in the regions and will provide local authority faith
leads with guidance, support and networking opportunities. It also
announces that the Government will be working with the Local Government
Association, IdEA, the Inter Faith Network for the UK, the Faith Based
Regeneration Network UK and the Community Development Foundation to update
the existing guidance for local authorities contained in Faith and
Community which was published in 2002.



The document also announces that the Government will be working in
partnership with the Inter Faith Network for the UK to support an 'Inter
Faith Week'. This will encourage communities at national, regional and
local levels to hold events to celebrate and raise awareness of the
positive inter faith work that is being undertaken everywhere. This was a
suggestion which was made in the Inter Faith Network's submission at the
consultation stage which ran from December to March, drawing on experience
of a week of this kind in Scotland.



The document reflects responses to the consultation launched by the last
September (on which see Circulars 18/07 and 22/07) as well as input at
draft stage from members of the Government's Faith Communities
Consultative Council (on which the Inter Faith Network and the Faith Based
Regeneration Network are represented alongside national faith community
representative organisations).



The Government's press release gives more information
(http://www.communities.gov.uk
<http://www.communities.gov.uk/news/corporate/899026>
/news/corporate/899026).



The Department for Communities and Local Government has not been able to
make available sufficient hard copies of it in time to enable us to
enclose copies with this Circular, but, as noted above, the full text of
the document is available at http://
<http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/communities/facetofaceframework>
www.communities.gov.uk/publications/communities/facetofaceframework.

Individual hard copies can be obtained from Communities and Local
Government Publications, PO Box 236, Wetherby, West Yorkshire LS23 7NB tel
08701 226236.



Community Development Foundation Resources



The Community Development Foundation has published two booklets drawing on
the experience of the Faith Communities Capacity Building Fund which it
administered between 2006 and 2008. Faith Communities Pulling Together by
Irene Evison which includes accounts of successful faith projects that
work to improve life locally and Faith Groups and Government which
analyses the experiences, challenges and successes of faith based
organisations in building relationships with local and regional
government. Further information from www.cdf.org.uk
<http://www.cdf.org.uk/> tel 020 7833 1772.



Best wishes, Harriet Crabtree



Dr Harriet Crabtree
Director
The Inter Faith Network for the UK
8A Lower Grosvenor Place
London
SW1W 0EN

Tel: 020 7931 7766
Fax: 020 7931 7722

Email: ifnet@...
Web: www.interfaith.org.uk <http://www.interfaith.org.uk/>

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