Interfaith

Dr. Mary-Wynne Ashford, a member of the Victoria Baha'i community, was a panelist at the World Religion Day conference. © Linda Coyne Victoria, British Columbia, 31 January 2013 (CBNS) — “Justice and Compassion: Where is the Balance?” was the title chosen for the popular multi-faith conference held on World Religion Day in Victoria. The event attracted more than 150 people including academics, students, and members of various faiths.

The Baha’i community of Victoria and the University of Victoria Multifaith Services, in collaboration with the Victoria Multifaith Society, the Inter-Cultural Association, and Restorative Justice Victoria, organized the conference to mark World Religion Day, which has been celebrated in various parts of the world on the third Sunday of January since 1949. It aims to promote “interfaith understanding and harmony by emphasizing the common denominators underlying all religions.”

Dr. Redwan Moqbel receives award from Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba Philip S. Lee. © Keramat Momtazi Winnipeg, Manitoba, 18 January 2013 (CBNS) — The third annual ceremony to present the Lieutenant Governor’s Award for the Advancement of Interreligious Understanding took place on January 8 at Government House in Winnipeg, Manitoba. This year’s award was granted to Dr. Redwan Moqbel of the Baha’i community of Winnipeg “in recognition of significant service to the citizens of Manitoba, through his advancement of the principle of the ‘oneness’ of faith and harmony between religions, his tireless volunteerism as bridge builder between peoples and between inspiration and science.”

Two founding members of the APIF — Susanne Tamás, Director of Government Relations of the Bahá'í Community of Canada, and Nathalie Thirlwall — accompanied by the Bahá'í delegation and Mark Adler, Member of Parliament and current co-chair of the APIF. © Lewis Novack. Ottawa, Ontario, 17 December 2012 (CBNS) — In November, the 4th annual Interfaith National Breakfast was held in the Parliamentary Restaurant on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. The breakfast was sponsored by the All-Party Interfaith Friendship group (APIF), and co-chaired by Mark Adler, Member of Parliament for York Centre, and Nathalie Thirlwall, a member of the Bahá'í community of Ottawa. The aim of the APIF is to create a space to explore how the religious heritage of the people of Canada can inform public life.

A poster that was distributed by the Canadian Race Relations Foundation to promote citizenship and understanding among and for religious communities in Canada. © Canadian Race Relations Foundation Halifax, Nova Scotia, 8 November 2012 (CBNS) — The Canadian Race Relations Foundation has been working with representatives of Canada’s religious communities on a project funded by Citizenship and Immigration Canada, “Interfaith and Belonging,” that aims to promote dialogue and civic engagement among faith-based communities. The Baha’i Community of Canada, along with a number of other religious, ethnocultural and citizenship organizations, was invited to join the project’s advisory committee.

The participants of the campaign standing hand in hand on the Fredericton Pedestrian Bridge. © Matthew Sheriko Fredericton, New Brunswick, 11 October 2012 (CBNS) — When members of the Interfaith Gathering at St. Thomas University, Fredericton, New Brunswick, heard about the harassment of some Jewish students at one of Fredericton’s two high schools, the group took action. It organized a community-wide “Bridge to Unity” event to collectively express interfaith unity and fellowship.