Faith Matters
“Facilitating Faith Communities to Reduce Conflict”
Faith Matters was formed in early 2006 as a vehicle to facilitate faith communities to reduce conflict within local areas. The Organisation came about partly due to ongoing issues between faith communities that were affecting community cohesion and partly due to a desire to bring faith communities together to understand commonalities, historical and religious similarities and the need to develop a bedrock of mutual support and assistance to combat xenophobia, intolerance, distrust and ignorance. Faith Matters was incorporated as a not for profit Community Interest Company in February 2007 and has subsequently undertaken a range of activities that are outlined within the Director’s report which is enclosed. The Organisation has a Board of Directors which meets regularly and which provides the strategic steer and governance. Also, each project undertaken has an Advisory Committee that advises on the operational elements on the programmes and that provides other useful community links for partnerships and promotional activities for these programmes.
The organisation has a number of work strands and objectives that are listed below. Faith Matters therefore works to provide:
- Social programmes based on the themes of interfaith, conflict resolution, the protection of human rights and preventing violent extremism. Within these themes, we will work with any faith community though Faith Matters has built up a specialism in working with Jewish and Muslim faith groups. We also work within areas of geopolitical significance like the Middle East and we are currently working to set up programmes within Israel and the West Bank of Palestine.
- Platforms where historical similarities are used as the glue to try to get faith communities to try to understand each others perspectives. The common theme here has been ‘Looking Back to Look Forward.’
- A bridge between secular and faith communities.
- Advice, support and consultancy to statutory, private and community / voluntary groups, in relation to faith groups. The advice and consultancy also relates to work around preventing violent extremism.
- Faith Matters uses innovation and Information Technology techniques within the heart of the social programmes that we initiate and implement and we work with project partners with the same vision.