Saturday 24th November at 2pm – 3.30pm
MEET YOUR SIKH NEIGHBOUR
The Edinburgh Sikh Gurdwara opens its door to welcome people from its immediate neighbourhood and from across the city at large to gain a brief insight into the beliefs and lives of Edinburgh and Scottish Sikhs. Visitors will hear an introductory talk on Sikhism in the Prayer Room and following a open question and answer time our host will offer us a meal.    download a poster (pdf)

Venue: Edinburgh Sikh Gurdwara, Sherrif Brae, Leith (off Great Junction St.)

25th November
INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR THE ELIMINATION OF
VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
(see the Edinburgh Inter-Faith Women’s Group event on Wednesday 28th November)

Sunday 25th November 4.30pm and 7.30pm & Monday 26th November 7.30pm
MIRACLES  -  GO4IT YOUTH THEATRE
in association with theatre objektiv
A cutting edge ensemble production exploring the nature of miracles – dealing with the controversial themes of science versus religion, hope versus despair and understanding versus ignorance.

Venue: The Scottish Storytelling Centre, The Netherbow Theatre, 43-45 High Street
Tickets £5.00 available at the Scottish Storytelling Centre Box Office 0131 556 9579
www.scottishstorytellingcentre.co.uk


Monday 26th – Friday 30th November
STORYTELLING AT EDINBURGH PRIMARY SCHOOLS on THE GOLDEN RULE
One of Scotland’s best known storytellers, Angela Knowles, will work with primary school children at a number of Edinburgh schools on the theme of the ‘Golden Rule’. See our website for further information on the ‘Golden Rule’ www.eifa.org.uk


Monday 26th November 7.30pm – 9pm
REFLECTIONS ON THE HOLOCAUST
with Rev Peter Clark
Following a very recent visit to Auschwitz and Birkenau as part of a Scottish Schools visit, Methodist Minister, the Reverend Peter Clark, will explore historical genocide and its lessons for us today.

Venue: Inverleith Parish Church Halls, Ferry Road.


Tuesday 27th November – 2pm
A THREE FAITHS FORUM
WELCOME AND UNWELCOME TRUTHS: WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE?
Continuing the local dialogue for understanding, respect and co-operation
This is a closed meeting of Imams, Ministers, Rabbis and other invited lay representatives of the three great religious traditions of Middle East origin.

Venue: Central Mosque Library (not open to the public)

Tuesday 27th November at 5.30pm
THE BAILLIE LECTURE
‘WEAVING THE TARTAN - THE NEW SCOTS’
with Na’eem Raza
Na'eem Raza is President of the Islamic Society of Britain, Glasgow, and a founding member of Radio Ramadhan, Glasgow. He runs his own faith consultancy and has advised the Centre for Theology and Public Issues (CTPI) on its research project on Faith, Human Rights and Young People.

Organised by The Centre for Theology and Public Issues
Venue: New College, Edinburgh University, Mound Place

Wednesday 28th November 7.00pm
WOMEN’S INTER-FAITH GROUP
Modern Day Slavery and Human Trafficking
The monthly gathering of the Edinburgh Inter-Faith Woman’s Group. The theme for this month’s conversation is: Modern slavery and human trafficking. Women of faith and no faith are welcome to attend and contribute.

Venue: Robinson Hall, Nicolson Square Methodist Church, Nicolson Square

Friday 30th November 7.30-9.00pm
To celebrate St Andrews Day a performance of: 
our scotland
A dramatic production re-telling the history of our multi-cultural existence, from the Picts and the Romans to the present day, following the Scots as they traverse the globe. This is a story of immigration and emigration, poverty and wealth, war and peace.

Organised by go4itedinburgh (City of Edinburgh Council)
Tickets: £4.00 and £2.50 (concs) available at Royal Lyceum Box Office 0131 248 4848
Venue: Edinburgh International Conference Centre, Morrison Street

Friday 30th November 7pm – 9pm
COME AND PLAY THE ‘DIVERSITY GAME’
A great information game to help players learn about world faiths. Players have a Faith Profile for the faith they are to assume for the duration of the game (Baha'i / Buddhist / Christian / Hindu / Humanist / Jew / Muslim /Pagan / Sikh / Taoist), which gives basic facts about beliefs. Challenge squares then provide opportunities for other players to ask questions about these beliefs, and a handy quick reference booklet is provided to check answers.

Hosted by Nicolson Square Methodist Church, Nicolson Square

Friday 30th 10pm – 6am (Sat)
Rock Trust ‘Sleepout 2007’
A night outdoors to help them stay indoors
Homelessness charity, The Rock Trust, is holding its ‘SLEEPOUT’ event and is hoping that a large number of people from Edinburgh’s diverse faith communities will participate. All cash raised goes to The Rock Trust to help homeless and socially excluded young people in Edinburgh and the Lothians. Groups welcome! Free hot drinks and snacks!

Organised by The Rock Trust
Venue: St Andrew’s & St George’s Church, George Street and Brucefield Church, Whitburn, West Lothian
To download more information and enter see the fundraising pages of www.rocktrust.org or telephone 0131 524 9874.

Saturday 1st December 4pm
WORLD AIDS DAY
‘Celebrate, Reflect, Remember’: Waverley Care World AIDS Day Service. Contributions from Loud and Proud Choir, LGBT Youth, ImpactAIDS and international speaker. Refreshments in the hall afterwards.

Organised by Waverley Care
Venue: St John’s Church, Princes Street

Saturday 1st December 10am – 4.30pm
GODLY PLAY? CHILDREN AND RELIGIOUS FAITH
Through storytelling, drama and movement, experiences of faith can be shared and explored. This day explores the Anglican ‘Godly Play’ approach and then opens up into workshops on creation stories, nature play and dramas. Led by Donald Smith, Claire McNicol and Marie Louise Cochrane, along with Godly Play workshop leaders Margaret Grant and Lisa Clarke.
Advance booking essential.

Tickets £30/£24 (including lunch and refreshments)
Scottish Storytelling Centre Box Office 0131 556 9579 or www.scottishstorytellingcentre.co.uk
Venue: The Scottish Storytelling Centre, Netherbow Theatre, 43-45 High Street

Saturday 1st December 3pm - 5pm
COME AND PLAY THE ‘DIVERSITY GAME’
A great information game to help players learn about world faiths. Players have a Faith Profile for the faith they are to assume for the duration of the game (Baha'i / Buddhist / Christian / Hindu / Humanist / Jew / Muslim /Pagan / Sikh / Taoist), which gives basic facts about beliefs. Challenge squares then provide opportunities for other players to ask questions about these beliefs, and a handy quick reference booklet is provided to check answers.

Hosted by The Bahai Community of Edinburgh
Venue: Edinburgh Bahai Centre, 44 Albany Street

Saturday 1st December 7.30pm
FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS
Advent is a time of hope. The Advent wreath symbolises the evergreen circle of life on which the lights of faith are lit. Other festivals of light – Channukah, Diwali and Id – take place during the Scottish winter. Come to hear the stories and traditions, and to celebrate faith across the world.

Tickets £8/£6
Scottish Storytelling Centre Box Office 0131 556 9579 or www.scottishstorytellingcentre.co.uk
Venue: The Scottish Storytelling Centre, Netherbow Theatre, 43-45 High Street

Sunday 2nd December 10.30am
ST JOHN’S CHURCH SERVICE FOR INTER-FAITH WEEK
Special Guest: Rabbi David Rose
All are welcome to join the St John’s Church Sunday Service. Rabbi David Rose is a special guest for this Inter-Faith Week Service and will be speaking on messianic expectation in Judaism.

Venue: St John’s Church, Princes Street

 

Sunday 2nd December 1pm – 2.30pm
MEET YOUR MUSLIM NEIGHBOUR
A Christian Muslim Encounter
The Muslim Community of Annandale Street Mosque invites all its Christian neighbours from local Churches and Christian friends from across the city at large to visit the Mosque. Visitors can look around the Mosque and meet community members. Visitors will hear an introductory talk on Islam and following an open question and answer time your hosts will offer light snacks and refreshments.    download a poster (pdf)

Venue: Annandale Street Mosque & Islamic Community Centre, Annandale Street

Sunday 2nd December 4pm-4.45pm
NATIVITY CAROL SERVICE
The Exile Choir will sing favourite carols at this outdoor service. Edinburgh’s NATIVITY SCENE is gifted to the city by Sir Tom and Lady Farmer and gives people an opportunity to reflect on the Christmas story. The official opening and service on Advent Sunday will feature a short blessing by three Christian Leaders and rousing music courtesy of Exile Gospel Choir and a Primary School Choir.

Venue: The Mound, West Princes Street Gardens at the Floral Clock

Monday 3rd December 6pm
MONTHLY INTER-FAITH COMMUNITY MEAL
To support and strengthen the 'community of interest' in inter-faith engagement and encounter, the Edinburgh Inter-Faith Association in partnership with St John's Church has launched a monthly informal gathering for an evening meal. For this monthly group evening meal to be a success it will need regular volunteers who can take turns at food preparation, cooking, serving and cleaning.

We intend to regularly invite individuals and other groups from within the wider Edinburgh community to be our guests and receive a meal as a gift and as an act of service and hospitality.
Volunteers needed for the food preparation, cooking, serving and cleaning!
If you would like to attend please let us know asap to assist us in our preparation by email at info@eifa.org.uk or call us on 0131 228 8146

Tuesday 4th December – 7pm -9pm    (this event has a new time and venue) 
An Introduction to the World’s Religions: A Model for Understanding
by Rev Prof Frank Whaling, Emeritus Professor of The Study of Religion and President of the Edinburgh Inter-Faith Association
(This event is also promoting the January – March 2008 ten week evening class that introduces the major world religions. This course will be held at St Georges West Church in Shandwick Pl. For further details on this very interesting course please contact: Fiona Bennett on 0131 225 7001 or visit www.eifa.org.uk to download a leaflet.)

Host by Edinburgh University Bahai Society
Venue: Edinburgh University Medical School (Teviot)- Sydney Smith Lecture Theatre

 

Tuesday 4th December 10am – 12noon
Inter-Faith Round Table Dialogues
Subject: ‘To what extent should religion seek to impose its views on society?’
Continuing on from the series of ‘Round Table’ events during the Festival of Spirituality and Peace, an invited group of representatives from various faith groups across the city will consider and respond to the question: ‘To what extent should religion seek to impose its views on society?’
By Invitation Only

Wednesday 5th December 7pm-9pm 
Keynote Event THE IMAM AND THE BISHOP
A Muslim Christian Dialogue and A Meeting of Hearts and Mind
In early October, 138 Islamic Scholars from around the world signed a letter addressed to Christian Leaders calling for a deepening of dialogue, understanding and co-operation for the good of the global community. This meeting of hearts and minds is a response by Bishop Brian Smith, The Episcopal Bishop of Edinburgh to that call. Bishop Brian will be in conversation with Shaykh Ibrahim Mogra.

Shaykh Ibrahim is an Imam in Leicester, Chair of the Inter-Faith Relations Committee of the Muslim Council of Britain. He has been trained in Classical Theology and the traditional sciences of Islam. He holds religious credentials from Dar-ul-Uloom, Holcombe as well as advanced theological qualifications from the world famous Al-Azhar University in Cairo. In addition, Shaykh Ibrahim is one of an emerging generation of theological leaders and Muslim Imams who seek to project a contextual understanding and interpretation of Islam in a multicultural U.K.

Brian Smith taught theology at Cuddesdon College, Oxford and later was responsible for ministerial training of clergy and laity in the Diocese of Halifax. He was Archdeacon of Craven in Bradford Diocese before becoming Bishop of Tonbridge in 1993. In 2001 he was elected Bishop of Edinburgh. As Bishop of Edinburgh he has developed a strong interest and deepening commitment to inter-faith work.   download a poster (pdf)

Venue: St John’s Church, Princes Street, Edinburgh

 

Thursday 6th December 2pm – 4pm
COME AND PLAY THE ‘DIVERSITY GAME’
A great information game to help players learn about world faiths. Players have a Faith Profile for the faith they are to assume for the duration of the game (Baha'i / Buddhist / Christian / Hindu / Humanist / Jew / Muslim /Pagan / Sikh / Taoist), which gives basic facts about beliefs. Challenge squares then provide opportunities for other players to ask questions about these beliefs, and a handy quick reference booklet is provided to check answers.

Hosted by University of Edinburgh Chaplaincy Centre, Potterrow

Thursday 6th December 7pm-9pm
MEET YOUR BUDDHIST NEIGHBOUR
The Edinburgh Buddhist Centre opens its door to welcome people from its immediate neighbourhood and from across the city at large to gain a brief insight into the beliefs, practices and lives of Buddhists. Visitors will hear an introductory talk on Buddhism in the Meditation Room, which will be followed by a question and answer time.

download a poster (pdf)

Hosted by the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order (FWBO)
Venue: Edinburgh Buddhist Centre, 30 Melville Terrace

A FILM DOUBLE BILL @ The Filmhouse

Saturday 8th December – 1pm -3pm
FILMHOUSE CINEMA on Lothian Road

THE THISTLE AND THE LOTUS:
When the Heart of Tibet met the Spirit of Scotland (41mins)
A second opportunity to see a short film on the high profile and very successful visit to Edinburgh and Dunfermline by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet. The film will be introduced by the Dalai Lama visit co-ordinator and General Secretary of the Edinburgh Inter-Faith Association Victor Spence and the film Director and Editor Graham Kitchener.
and

THE IMAM AND THE PASTOR (44 mins)
At a time when many in the world are wondering whether friendly relations are possible between those of Muslim and Christian background, the Nigerian protagonists of this film emphatically assert that they are.

In the 1990s, Pastor James Wuye and Imam Muhammad Ashafa led opposing, armed militias, dedicated to defending their respective communities as violence broke out in Kaduna, northern Nigeria. In pitched battles, Pastor James lost his hand and Imam Ashafa’s spiritual mentor and two close relatives were killed.

Now the two men are co-directors of the Muslim-Christian Interfaith Mediation Centre in their city, leading task-forces to resolve conflicts across Nigeria. The Imam and the Pastor tells how they made this remarkable transition. It is both a moving story of forgiveness and a case-study of a successful grass-roots initiative to rebuild communities torn apart by conflict.

Pulsating with the vibrant colours and music of West Africa, the film offers a message of hope for the world from an unexpected quarter.

Following the screening of The Imam and the Pastor there will be a discussion on the content and wider issues between a local Imam and Pastor.

Tickets: £4.50/ £3.00 filmhouse box office 0131 228 2688 www.filmhousecinema.com




COME AND PLAY THE ‘DIVERSITY GAME’
A great information game to help players learn about worlds faiths. Players have a Faith Profile for the faith they are to assume for the duration of the game (Baha'i / Buddhist / Christian / Hindu / Humanist / Jew / Muslim /Pagan / Sikh / Taoist), which gives basic facts about beliefs. Challenge squares then provide opportunities for other players to ask questions about these beliefs, and a handy quick reference booklet is provided to check answers.

A number of these ‘Diversity Games’ sessions are planned over the Inter-Faith Week period in a number of different locations and the list is growing so please visit our website for an update on where you can go to participate. www.eifa.org.uk

EXHIBITION

Saturday 17th November – Sunday 25th November – 2pm – 6pm
DISCOVER ISLAM EXHIBITION
A dynamic experience of knowledge, art and culture, with friendly guides on hand to answer your questions and show you round the magnificent building. All are welcome.

Venue: Edinburgh Central Mosque, Potterrow

ART

22nd November – 4th December
ST JOHN’S CHURCH MURAL
As a contribution to Inter-Faith Week, St John’s Church and the Artists for Peace group will dedicate their large Outdoor Mural on the east end of the church to an inter-faith theme.

Venue: St John’s Church, Princes Street

NATIONAL EVENTS OUTWITH EDINBURGH

Sunday 25th December 11am – 2pm
SCOTTISH INTER-FAITH WEEK LAUNCH
Special Guest: The First Minister, Alex Salmond
Also: An Inter-Faith Service at King’s College Chapel

Venue: Aberdeen University, King’s College, Aberdeen


Sunday 2nd December – 11am – 5pm
5th ANNUAL SCOTTISH INTER-FAITH YOUTH CONFERENCE:
ON ‘COURAGE’
Contact the Scottish Inter-Faith Council for details on 0141 420 6982 or
email: admin@interfaithscotland.org
FREE PARTICIPATION and includes a vegetarian lunch

Venue: Glasgow University, University Avenue, Glasgow




School Group Visits

Schools are encouraged to take the opportunity of visiting one or a number of diverse places of worship in Edinburgh during this Inter-Faith Festival such as the Hebrew Congregation Synagogue, Central Mosque, the Sikh Gurdwara or the Thai Buddhist Temple. Please contact these places directly. Contact information can be found on our website at www.eifa.org.uk


Educational School Visits by Religious Leaders

A number of Edinburgh’s Religious Leaders and Faith Community Representatives will make visits to Schools in the Edinburgh and wider Lothians area. They will engage in short educational presentations to assist understanding of the world’s religions and the diversity of beliefs and practices. They will also engage in question and answer sessions on their respective faith tradition as well as challenging local and global matters of concern. For schools who would like to take up these opportunities, please call the Edinburgh Inter-Faith Association on 0131 228 8146


A Call to the Religious Communities of Edinburgh, and the Lothian and Borders areas

Places of worship and spiritual practice across Edinburgh and the Lothian’s are encouraged to support and acknowledge the Edinburgh Inter-Faith Week in their services, prayer times or gatherings (23rd November – 8th December)




___________________________________________________________________________________

FORTHCOMING RELIGIOUS FESTIVAL DATES

CHRISTIAN

Sunday 2nd December
Advent Sunday
The beginning of the ecclesiastical year on the Sunday closest to November 30. Advent is the season before Christmas - In Western Christendom, four Sundays are included. In Eastern Christendom, the season is longer and begins in the middle of November

Monday 24th December
Christmas Eve
The day before Christmas Day

Tuesday 25th December
Christmas Day
The day when Western Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.



JEWISH

Wednesday 5th December
Start of Hanukkah
Hanukkah is the Festival of Lights and marks the restoration of the temple by the Maccabees in 164 BCE. Hanukkah is celebrated at roughly the same time as Christmas, but there is no connection at all between the festivals.


MUSLIM

Wednesday 19th December
Hajj (start)
The annual pilgrimage to Mecca that Muslims should complete at least once in their lifetime.

Thursday 20th December
Eid-Ul-Adha
Festival of Sacrifice marking the day after Arafat. The Day of Arafat is the most important day in the Hajj ritual. This is a four day holiday.


PAGAN

Saturday 22nd December
Winter Solstice - Yule
Yule is the time of the winter solstice, when the sun child is reborn, an image of the return of all new life born through the love of the Gods. Within the Northern Tradition Yule is regarded as the New Year



SHINTO
Tuesday 1st January
Oshogatsu (or Shogatsu)
Shinto New Year, one of the most popular occasions for shrine visits.


SIKH

Saturday 5th January
Birthday of Guru Gobind Singh (Nanakshahi calendar)
Guru Gobind Singh (1666-1708) was the tenth and last of the Sikh Gurus. He instituted the Five Ks and established the Order of the Khalsa 



All dates are shown using the Gregorian (Western) calendar. The calendar is accurate, but some dates may vary regionally because they are determined by the lunar calendar. Jewish festivals usually begin at sundown on the previous day.

We especially invite localised faith communities to consider hosting an event or simply invite people from another faith tradition to visit you for some informal conversation and hospitality. We can happily advise or work with any community or organisation that would like to consider an inter-faith event.

For further details or to put forward a proposal please email us at: info@eifa.org.uk