The Three Faiths Forum (3FF) is one of the United Kingdom's leading interfaith organisations. It has worked to build good relations between people of different faiths, beliefs and cultures for nearly twenty years.
Contents
- History
- Schools
- ParliaMentors
- Training
- Arts and culture
- International partnerships
- Awards and recognitions
- References
The organisation creates safe spaces in schools, universities, places of work and worship and the wider community where people can engage with questions of belief and identity and meet people different from themselves. Its work involves people of all beliefs, religious and non-religious. Its programmes are intended to help change perceptions, behaviours and attitudes in individuals and organisations in a more positive direction.
History
The organisation was founded in London in 1997 by Sir Sigmund Sternberg, the Revd Marcus Braybrooke and Sheikh Zaki Badawi.
Initially, 3FF focussed on engaging religious, communal and civic leaders through seminars and events. However, in 2006, its first grass-roots programmes which now account for more than 85% of activity were launched.
Phil Champain has been the director from 2015.
Programmes for young people are one of the key focus of the organisation. In 2006, it launched its schools programmes and, in 2007, it launched the ParliaMentors leadership programme for university students. In 2008, it launched a branch in the Middle East. In 2009 and 2010, the arts and culture team began to create programmes which build bridges between communities through the arts.
Initially an organisation focussed on relations within and between the Abrahamic faiths, 3FF has since evolved to work with people of all faiths as well as those who do not subscribe to a faith.
Schools
The organisation is a provider of schools programmes which explore faith and belief as they are actually lived by people today. The school programmes are intended to help young people to explore questions of identity sensitively and effectively.
The organisation's educational programmes have been commented on globally and received many awards: the Shap award for schools in 2014, the UN Alliance of Civilisations award for Intercultural Innovation for ParliaMentors in 2010, and for Tools 4 Trialogue in 2009. Moreover, the 3FF model is being used in the United States and Sweden.
3FF schools programmes include:
Encountering Faiths and Beliefs: 3FF's flagship workshop brings real-life experiences of faith, belief and identity into the classroom via a panel of trained speakers and an expert facilitator.
Skills Workshops: Using tools also deployed in 3FF’s training for professionals, students learn techniques for exploring the complexities of their own identity and that of others.
School Linking: Provides opportunities for young people from different backgrounds to meet and work together on a variety of activities throughout the year.
Teacher training: 3FF offers training for teachers, head teachers and senior leaders in faith awareness and in dealing with sensitive or controversial issues.
ParliaMentors
The ParliaMentors leadership programme, launched in 2007, equips the next generation of leaders with the skills, experiences and networks they need to advance their careers. In a yearlong programme, university students of different faiths and non-religious beliefs are mentored by parliamentarians, who assist them in developing social action projects with support from leading NGOs. Once participants graduate from the ParliaMentors programme, they join the Alumni Network of over three hundred, many of whom are working in the political field.
Training
Context-specific training programmes are offered aimed at developing the intercultural skills of professionals. Training has been delivered in almost 15 cities across the world, including Berlin, Stockholm, Jerusalem, New York City and Rangoon.
Arts and culture
The arts and culture events create opportunities for people to connect with others through music, performances and the visual arts. The Urban Dialogues exhibitions and events draw in diverse audiences who may not otherwise meet, creating spaces that stimulate conversation. Artists from a broad range of disciplines are involved to create work and events that explore concepts of belief, faith and cultural identity in contemporary society.
The arts and culture programmes include:
Urban Dialogues exhibitions: Urban Dialogues organises an annual exhibition displaying art that engages with concepts of belief, faith, and cultural identity, and brings people from different backgrounds together for performances and discussions in the gallery space.
Female Voices: a series of events that brings women from diverse backgrounds together for discussions, music, performances, and food, recognising the unsung role of women as bridge-builders between communities.
The Mixed-Up Chorus: 3FF’s intercultural choir unites people through their love of music. The idea behind the choir is that if people from different backgrounds sing next to each other, they might live well next to each other.
King’s Artist Salons: Launched in September 2014, the King’s Artist Salons brings together artists, academics and campaigners to create new collaborative artistic work around the theme of conflict and belief in the UK, in collaboration with King’s Cultural Institute.
International partnerships
3FF has developed strong partnerships with organisations in different countries, working with them to adapt its methodologies and tools to suit other contexts.
In the United States, ICF, the Intercultural Forum in New York and 3FF have worked together to bring workshops into US public, private and faith-based high schools.
3FF Middle East The Israel branch of 3FF works in the humanities and healthcare to improve the intercultural relations between Muslims, Christians and Jews in Israel. The core of the project provides trainings to enhance the intercultural communication between the medical professionals, their patients and fellow staff members.