January 2021
Scotland’s Holocaust Memorial Day Ceremony 2021
Scotland’s Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) Ceremony 2021 was like no other. For the first time in the history of HMD, we organised a fully virtual ceremony aimed at Scottish secondary school pupils.
✔️ Wednesday 27th January (YouTube) 
Watch the Ceremony online
February 2021
Beyond Climate Crisis
We held a panel discussion to explore the Climate Crisis: Beyond Politics with Ross Greer (MSP Scottish Greens), Ravinder Kaur Nijjar (RfP UK Women of Faith Network) and Kat Jones (Stop Climate Chaos Scotland).
✔️ Wednesday 24th February
Faith Communities Serving Others Together (World Interfaith Harmony Week)
As part of World Interfaith Harmony Week we hosted an event to showcase the wonderful work of faith communities and local interfaith groups who were supported by Interfaith Scotland to provide support for their local communities during the global pandemic.
✔️ Thursday 11th February
Interfaith Buddies Event (World Interfaith Harmony Week)
As part of World Interfaith Harmony Week we hosted an Interfaith Buddies event. The event provided an opportunity to connect with someone from a faith tradition or non-religious belief other than your own, on a one-to-one basis, to find out more about each other’s faith or belief. There were also speakers from different faiths on ‘Connecting through Conversation’.
✔️ Wednesday 3rd February
March 2021
The Climate Crisis: Facebook Live Event
Interfaith Scotland is holding a series of Facebook live panel discussions called the Beyond Climate Crisis series. On 24th March the speakers were The Rt. Rev Dr. Martin Fair, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, Linsay Taylor from Muslim Council of Scotland and board of Interfaith Scotland and Fraser Sutherland, CEO of Humanist Society Scotland who discussed The Climate Crisis : Beyond Religion. Please visit our Facebook page for details.
✔️ Wednesday 24th March
Women’s Voices in Climate Action
To mark International Women’s Day we hosted an event for women of all faiths and beliefs with keynote speakers Zarina Ahmad, Climate Change Communicator and Fiona Buchanan, Campaigns and Advocacy Coordinator at Christian Aid.
April 2021
Interfaith Voices for More Ambitious Climate Action
Interfaith Scotland held, with international partners, a webinar on the topic of ‘Interfaith Voices for more ambitious climate action’ on 28th April.
✔️ Wednesday 28th April
Volunteers Training Day
Interfaith Scotland hosted a training event for our latest round of prospective volunteers on 27th April.
✔️ Tuesday 27th April
The Climate Crisis: Facebook Live Event
Interfaith Scotland is hosting a series of Facebook live panel discussions called the Beyond Climate Crisis series. The event on 21st April was on the topic of ‘The Climate Crisis: Beyond Science’. Please visit our Facebook page for details.
✔️ Wednesday 21st April
Interfaith Buddies
Participants met with someone from a different faith or belief at this Zoom event on 19th April from 6 – 7.15pm. They were paired with a buddy for a one-to-one conversation about their faith or belief.
✔️ Monday 19th April
May 2021
Prayers for Peace in the Holy Land
In a land considered Holy by four Abrahamic Faiths (Jewish, Christian, Muslim and Baha’i) we feel the pain of all those suffering and wish earnestly for peace. On Wednesday 26th May at 6.30 pm we prayed, witnessed together and demonstrated that our hearts are longing for peace in the Holy Land. Hosted by Interfaith Scotland and the Catholic Bishops Committee for Inter-Religious Dialogue.
✔️ Wednesday 26th May
Together for Our Planet: How Faith Communities can Engage with COP26
Glasgow will become centre stage for the United Nations Climate Change summit (COP26) this November. Interfaith Glasgow and Interfaith Scotland hosted an event on 24th May to find out about COP26; why it matters to Glasgow, Scotland’s faith communities, and the world; and how you can get involved.
✔️ Monday 24th May
Interfaith Quiz
We hosted an interfaith quiz on 20th May on Zoom. Five teams battled it out with Dumfries and Galloway interfaith group being our champions!
✔️ Thursday 20th May
The Climate Crisis: Facebook Live Event
Interfaith Scotland is hosting a series of Facebook live panel discussions called the Beyond Climate Crisis series. An event was held on 19th May looking at ‘Beyond Climate: Beyond the Economy’.Please visit our Facebook page to view the event.
✔️ Wednesday 19th May
June 2021
Prayers for Peace in the Holy Land
In a land considered Holy by four Abrahamic Faiths (Jewish, Christian, Muslim and Baha’i) we feel the pain of all those suffering and wish earnestly for peace. Please join us to pray, witness together and demonstrate that our hearts are longing for peace in the Holy Land. Interfaith Scotland and the Catholic Bishops Committee for Inter-Religious Dialogue
✔️ Wednesday 23rd June, 6.30pm (Zoom)
Mental Health, Older People and Faith Communities
We are partnering with Faith in Older People at their final seminar of the Mental Health Series. Our board members Rita Docherty, Nicola Maule, and Robin Downie have been invited to take part in the panel discussion, to explore the mental health challenges from the perspectives of different faiths. Sign up here.
✔️ Tuesday 22nd June, 4.30pm to 6pm (Zoom)
Interfaith Buddies: The Great Get Together
Our Interfaith Buddies event took place on 18th June at 11am as a part of the Great Get Together, an initiative inspired by the late Jo Cox which brings people together to celebrate what they have in common.
✔️ Friday 18th June, 11am (Zoom)
Tears of Gold: Stories of Refugee Women Displaced from Home
For Refugee Festival Scotland, we co-sponsored a wonderful exhibition of the work of artist Hannah Rose Thomas with UNESCO, Glasgow University and The Dear Green Bothy. The exhibition ran from 11th – 17th June.
✔️ Friday 11th – Thursday 17th June
The Climate Crisis: Beyond Borders
Interfaith Scotland is hosting a series of Facebook live panel discussions called the Beyond Climate Crisis series. This event on the theme of ‘Beyond Borders’ took place as part of Refugee Festival Scotland.
✔️ Wednesday 16th June, 2pm (Facebook Live)
Prayers for Peace in the Holy Land
In a land considered Holy by four Abrahamic Faiths (Jewish, Christian, Muslim and Baha’i) we feel the pain of all those suffering and wish earnestly for peace. On Wednesday 9th June at 6.30 pm we prayed, witnessed together and demonstrated that our hearts are longing for peace in the Holy Land. Hosted by Interfaith Scotland and the Catholic Bishops Committee for Inter-Religious Dialogue.
✔️ Wednesday 9th June, 6.30pm (Zoom)
July 2021
An Introduction to Working with Religious Diversity
An interactive workshop on improving our confidence in discussing and responding to the religion and belief of those we work with.
✔️ Thursday 15th July, 10.30am – 12.30pm (Zoom)
Rebuilding Lives: Remembering Srebrenica Memorial (Scotland)
We hosted the event Remembering Srebrenica on 8th July. There was the Scottish launch of ‘Voices from Srebrenica’ by Hasan Hasanovic and Ann Petrila. There was a keynote address by Robert McNeil MBE (Forensic Specialist and Ambassador for Remembering Srebrenica).
✔️ Thursday 8th July, 7pm (Zoom)
Thank You Day Celebration
We celebrated ‘Thank You Day’ on Sunday 4th July at 4pm on Zoom. Thank You Day is a UK initiative that is inviting communities to get together to say thank you to everyone who has helped us throughout the pandemic. At our event we gave thanks for all the work undertaken by faith communities and interfaith groups to support their communities during the pandemic.
✔️ Sunday 4th July, 4pm (Zoom)
August 2021
Intention versus impact – exploring challenges around group labels and unintended offence
An interactive workshop exploring the terminology used to describe groups of people and how we can respond when unintended offence is caused.
✔️ Wednesday 25th August, 1.30pm – 3.30pm (Zoom)
Annual Networking Seminar for Local Interfaith Groups
The annual networking seminar was an opportunity for members of local interfaith groups to come together and share good practice.
✔️ Thursday 19th August, 10.30am – 1pm (Zoom)
Advantage is invisible – understanding unintentional discrimination
An interactive workshop exploring why discrimination is common even when our intentions are to work fairly with all staff and service users.
✔️ Tuesday 3rd August, 10.30am – 12.30pm (Zoom)
September 2021
Annual Interfaith Lecture and AGM
Is the Climate Crisis a Human Rights issue? Jointly presented by: Budi Tjahjono, Asia-Pacific Programme Coordinator, Franciscans International (from Indonesia) and Fr Benedict Ayodi OFMCap, Outreach Officer, Franciscans International, (from Kenya). The Interfaith lecture was followed by the Annual General Meeting.
✔️ Thursday 30th September, 7pm (Zoom)
Focus Group for Young People and Youth Leaders
The Scottish Government is seeking to engage young people in the production of a new National Youth Work Strategy that meets the needs of all of Scotland’s young people. Interfaith Scotland invited young people aged 11 – 25 of different faiths and beliefs and youth leaders who run youth groups in their faith communities to attend a focus group to hear your views on how the strategy meets the needs of young people of faith and belief.
✔️ Wednesday 29th September at 7pm (Zoom)
Inspired Faith Action for COP26
Two webinars to get inspired for local climate action and to learn more about the needed outcomes of COP26.
Our Director Dr Maureen Sier spoke about the unique opportunities that COP26 presents – for faith communities to come together and raise their voices for the future of our planet!
✔️ Monday 27th September (Zoom)
Beyond Climate Crisis
Interfaith Scotland is hosting a series of Facebook live panel discussions called the Beyond Climate Crisis series. An event was held on 15th September looking at ‘Beyond Climate: Beyond the Next Generation’. Young people from different faiths gave an insight into their various practical responses to climate change. You can view a recording on Facebook at https://tinyurl.com/BeyondTheNextGeneration
✔️ Wednesday 15th September, 2 – 3pm (Facebook live)
Debiasing our systems, debiasing ourselves – an introduction to tackling unconscious bias
An interactive course exploring the evidence of unconscious bias and methods for reducing its impact on our decisions, behaviour and processes.
✔️ Tuesday 14th September, 10.30am – 1pm (Zoom)
October 2021
Scottish Interfaith Week
Scottish Interfaith week 2021 took place from Sunday 31st October to Sunday 7th November.
Over 70 events were held for Scottish Interfaith Week – view the programme.
✔️ Sunday 31st October – Sunday 7th November
COP26 Vigil
The COP26 Vigil was held in George Square, Glasgow on Sunday 31st October. We marked the start of COP26 and Scottish Interfaith Week by uniting with people of all faiths and none for Climate Justice.
Senior religious leaders read the Glasgow Multi-Faith Declaration for COP26 and led prayers from a diversity of religious traditions. All participants – whether joining in person or online – were invited to pray or hold in their thoughts the COP26 negotiators.
We partnered with Interfaith Glasgow and the Scottish Religious Leaders Forum for the Vigil.
✔️ Sunday 31st October, 2pm – 3pm
Online Film Screening: Thank You For the Rain
Interfaith Scotland teamed up with Take One Action for an online screening of Thank You For The Rain, followed by an online dialogue on the issues raised in the film.
✔️ Friday 29th October, 6.30pm – 8.30pm
The Climate: A Moral and Spiritual Crisis
Our Director Dr Maureen Sier spoke at the Sion Centre’s event about faith and the climate.
✔️ Wednesday 27th October, 2pm – 3.30pm
Beyond Climate Crisis
Interfaith Scotland is hosting a series of Facebook live panel discussions called the Beyond Climate Crisis series. Our October event looked at ‘Beyond Climate: Beyond COP26’ with speakers Valeriane Bernard, Brahma Kumari World Spiritual University UN Representative in Geneva; Dr Kumanga Andrahennadi, a Mindfulness Teacher, a Researcher, and a Consultant; and Lucy Plummer, Youth Engagement Coordinator at the British Youth Council.
✔️ Wednesday 13th October, 2 – 3pm (Facebook live)
Health Well-Being & Communities Signatory Event From Paris to COP26
Our Director Dr Maureen Sier spoke at the UNA Scotland’s event about faith and the climate. She shared the work being done in Scotland by faith communities to prepare for COP26 and how this work is intimately connected with the mental health of individuals and communities, drawing on her experience as Director of Interfaith Scotland and the spiritual insights of diverse religious traditions.
✔️ Tuesday 12th October, 6pm – 7.30pm
November 2021
Beyond Climate Crisis: Beyond Nations
Interfaith Scotland hosted a series of Facebook live panel discussions called the Beyond Climate Crisis series. Our November event looked at ‘Beyond Climate: Beyond Nations’.
✔️ Wednesday 3rd November, 2 – 3pm
Journeys of Faith through Creativity and Conversation
An in-person gathering for women of all beliefs and cultures which explored journeys of faith and belief through creativity and conversation. Hosted by Interfaith Scotland and The Welcoming, an Edinburgh-based charity which supports refugees, asylum seekers and migrants.
✔️ Tuesday 2nd November, 12pm – 2pm
Creative Writing and Conversation for Women
Through creative writing and conversation, we explored our own personal and spiritual connections with the world around us.
✔️ Monday 1st November, 7pm – 8.30pm