WOMENS INTERFAITH EVENING - at Redbridge Faith Forum

The general aims of the workshops are:

• To create a process of dialogue with women, which will strengthen communication between faith communities and enable women from different faiths to have healthy discussions on a range of topics of mutual interest that will help overcome ignorance, prejudice and cross barriers.
• To create an ongoing interfaith women’s group, meeting in Redbridge during 2009 to 2010, which builds community across faith boundaries by bringing women together.
• To promote and strengthen interfaith collaboration, so leading to a collective voice, through action projects.

Discussion in this workshop will focus firstly on clarifying our understanding of what we mean by domestic violence and abuse. The second part of the workshop will look at domestic violence from a faith perspective. We know that domestic violence occurs in all faith communities as well as amongst those that hold no religious faith and it also involves all age groups. But what do the various Holy Writings and teachings say about family relationships? Is any form of abuse or violence in the home justifiable? Is faith sometimes used as an excuse for violence, or even as a reason for not admitting to being a victim? Are there facilities in our faith communities to help victims of domestic violence?  If not should there be? These are some of the challenging questions to be discussed. 

Due to the sensitive nature of the topic the group has decided not to have any particular faith presentation at this workshop, but we will continue with their usual “10 minute focus on a faith” at the next workshop.

As it has been so successful in previous workshops, they are continuing with a “cultural pot luck” refreshments. If you wish, therefore, to contribute a dish of food, (vegetarian only) this would be most welcomed. Please label the food clearly as this will assist in ensuring dietary requirements are met