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Tuesday, 26 July (4.45pm) – Sunday, 31 July (noon)
Learning to live in a multicultural world
Diaspora and peacemaking in Europe
Have a look at the programme – I spent a few days at Caux last year and loved it. Loads of people (including young interns) from all around Europe in a huge palace hotel just above Montreux on Lake Geneva.
Lectures, networking, panels, discussion groups, training – along with leisurely meals on the sunny terrace, challenging speakers and a spot of washing up duty to keep the costs down (92 Swiss francs per person per night, 55 for students).
I’m extra happy to be going with my 22 year old daughter this year – I can’t think of a better companion.
With the recent election result from Finland and the face-covering ban in France, I’m keen to meet other Europeans and look at migration, identity, religion and European history in all its complexity.
Anyone else coming?
Wow! Work has exploded this week. Everyone in London seems to be back at their desks, full of zest and ideas from their summer break – and writing me emails.
But last night I squeezed in a rendez-vous with Angela and Nina from Switzerland, who are over in London for few days and who put together the conference on multi-cultural Europe recently. We got together with a couple of other Londoners who had attended the CEJI training to combat religious discrimination in Brussels last year.
Minaret at Brick Lane Jamme Musjid. Photo from www.tiredoflondontiredoflife.com
We couldn’t resist taking our Swiss friends to see the *new* minaret in Brick Lane, which has been built next to the mosque – once a synagogue and before that a Huguenot chapel.
I now have a couple of leads on linking grassroots religious and multifaith groups across Europe – just to exchange experiences and ideas and to learn from each other. If you’re interested in how other European countries are getting on and would like to know more, just leave a comment.
This week I’m working with WCEN on a conference on Hinduism and mental wellbeing, with a particular focus on the Tamil community in London and the impact of the Sri Lankan conflict. I’m liaising with wonderful people and it will be great to bring community folk together with mental health professionals. The keynote speaker is an expert in collective trauma – whereas much of our mental health support in London is geared to individuals. We hope it will be an ideal opportunity for everyone to share experiences and explore different ways of supporting a community which has had a lot to deal with.
My son and I took part in the Shree Ghanapathy Temple’s Ther chariot festival recently – although he took part rather more actively than I did, helping to smash 1008 coconuts against the rocks at the start of the procession. Geetha Maheshwaran, Coordinator of the Temple (which is where the conference is taking place), contributes to the Pause for Thought slot in the middle of the night on Radio 2, and kindly mentioned him in her latest piece. It was totally unexpected – a gift, really, which he accepted very graciously.
Good to meet Michael Smith of the UK Initiatives of Change this evening at the Global Tolerance FaithClimateConnect virtual summit.
Hot on the heels of an email from Angela & Nina (IoC Switzerland) with more details of the “Learning to Live in a Multicultural World” conference in the Alps 2nd – 7th July this year.
Still wondering how Moral Rearmament got to be Initiatives of Change, but I’ll go with the (highly ambitious) kind of thing Angela & Nina are planning – and who can resist an international summer in the alps?
A ray of sunshine for anyone bothered about the Swiss referendum vote yesterday to ban the building of minarets: Initiatives of Change (Switzerland) is hosting a conference this summer (IoC was behind the film The Imam and the Pastor).
Learning to Live in a Multicultural World Fundamental rights and multiculturalism in Europe Friday 2 July – Wednesday 7 July 2010 at their conference centre in Caux, Switzerland. The cost is amazingly low and even cheaper for 16-23 year olds.
Angela and Nina, who were part of the CEJI course, are involved in organising the conference – so expect a lively and challenging weekend . .
