During anti-bullying week, 17-24th November 2008,United Faiths was asked to lead interfaith workshops on the theme of ‘Being Different – Belonging Together’. Organised by Mary Paterson, Extended Schools Co-ordinator for North Yorkshire County Council, ‘Being Different – Belonging Together’ brought together Northallerton students from Years 4, 5 and 6. The event was a consequence of the previous work with Northallerton Sixth Form College where UF members led workshops about Islam, interfaith work and the work of United Faiths with Year 11 and Sixth Form students.
“The visit to Northallerton was amazing in that it went beyond fulfilling its purpose. We worked with ten primary
school groups each made up of a number of local schools to give them an introduction to our faiths; Christianity,
Islam and Sikhism. Each session was broken down into two parts; the first of which we used to introduce our faiths – discussing the basic principles and fundamental beliefs of each faith. The second part of the workshop was aimed at identifying, defining and addressing issues relating to ‘bullying due to belief’. This was done by facilitating an engaging
exercise for the children to take part in, which proved very successful.”
“One of the most rewarding aspects of our visit to Northallerton was knowing that such work helps break down barriers and stereotypes surrounding class, ethnicity and faith: admittedly, not just for the people we worked with but also ourselves. The affect that we had on the students, their teachers and, to some extent, the local community of Northallerton is invaluable. This, for me, epitomizes the whole purpose for ‘United Faiths’ and I hope that we can continue to do such essential work”.
Written by Akeel Hussain,
United Faiths Council Member
