Believing Women for a Culture of Peace in collaboration with Centre for Interfaith & Cultural Dialogue, Griffith University will offer two sessions of a three-day interactive training program: Engaging with Religious & Cultural Diversity.
BACKGROUND TO THE PROGRAM
Issues related to religious and cultural diversity have become increasingly important in societies worldwide. Not only have societies become more religiously and culturally diverse, providing a rich context for intercultural understanding, but such diversity is also an undeniable aspect in many modern-day conflicts in intercultural relations. The challenge is to respect the development of individual religious and cultural identities and at the same time to confront prejudice and discrimination.
The training program has been developed in 6 European countries alongside some “experts in the field” over a period of four years. The materials and delivery structure have won a number of major international awards for their quality and innovation. It has a unique flexibility to engage practitioners from the private, public and civil society sectors, as well as individuals and community members. It is therefore designed to suit organisational as well as community development needs.
With highly interactive and participative activities, participants will learn from one another with the guidance of the trainers. The methodology follows the principle of starting from a personal exploration of the ‘self’ before exploring the “other”.
ABOUT THE FACILITATORS
Farkhanda Chaudhry OBE moved to Glasgow from Pakistan as a small child. She was the first Muslim woman magistrate in Scotland and is currently working at a corporate level in a public agency. With a background in equalities and community development, working in local, national and international settings, Farkhanda was awarded an MBE and named International Woman of the Year 2005 in Switzerland. Active in interfaith work for over 30 years, she is a founding member of the Scottish Interfaith Council (now Interfaith Scotland).
Ghizala Avan is a psychologist with many years’ experience in community development. She has worked in the public sector on issues such as equality, violence against women, poverty and health. Her community development resources include good practice toolkits for organisations on issues such as addiction services, poverty and group building. She has been involved in developing, delivering and evaluating training courses across Europe and in other parts of the world.
PROGRAM OBJECTIVES
- To increase understanding of the issues related to religious diversity
- To share experiences of religion/belief and culture
- To learn to recognise stereotyping, prejudice and discrimination related to religion
- To increase skills in order to help create a more inclusive diverse environment
- To develop an appreciation for the for the complexity and richness of religious diversity
- To appreciate the need to develop individual skills and institutional strategies for creating inclusive intercultural environments
- To enhance desirable personal and career development in today’s multicultural society
- To have some fun and remove the fear created by unfamiliar situations.
Event Information
Event: Engaging in Religious and Cultural Diversity
When: Friday 25 – Sunday 27 September, 2015 orTuesday 29 September – Thursday 1 October, 2015
Where: Centre for Interfaith & Cultural Dialogue, Griffith University, Nathan Campus
Cost: $90 Per person or $45 Concession for students & pensioners
To Register or more information: Wendy Flannery (BWCP) E: wendy.flannery@gmail.com T: (07) 3393 2840 or Ricky Lashand (ICD) E: icd@griffith.edu.au T: (07) 3735 7052
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