The second annual meeting of the Network for Interfaith European and North American concerns (NIFENAC) held at the Pierhead building in Cardiff Bay, Cardiff on the 9th of September 2019. The Network ‘is one of five regional groups that, while operating independently, will feed into the work of the Anglican Inter Faith Commission which was launched at the Primates Meeting in Canterbury in October 2017.
The Commission’s remit is to bring mutual understanding and to build trust between different faith groups where there is ignorance, fear, and hostility’. The Network’s inaugural meeting held at Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland last year and is scheduled to take place in Glasgow, Scotland next year.
Four UWSTD Professional Doctorate in Interfaith Studies students: Isabelle Tindall, Xinhui Huang, Talha Bamji, and Wemimo Jaiyesimi, had the honour of participating at this year’s meeting. It was an excellent opportunity for these students to gain more practical experience of grassroots interfaith work, share their research work with the Network and also connect with other professionals in the field.
The meeting had in attendance many distinguished faith leaders including the Most Revd. Dr Michael Jackson, Archbishop of Dublin and chair of the Network. The First minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford AM also graced the event. Dr Angus Slater, coordinator of the Professional Doctorate in Interfaith Studies programme, UWTSD, accompanied the students.
A key highlight of the meeting was an ‘interfaith bible study’ session led by Dr Catrin Williams, Reader in New Testament studies and co-coordinator of the Professional Doctorate in Interfaith Studies programme at UWTSD. The Bible study ended with break-out group sessions facilitated by the four professional doctorate students.
