Triablog

The 3FF TriaBlog

Are you a young person interested in interfaith and religious issues? This is the blog for you! Send 100 words, if you want with your name, school/university/company, and a photo (all optional) to debbie@threefaithsforum.org.uk and your story could be published on the Tria-Blog. The 3ff Tria-Blog is a forum to air your views on -

why interfaith is important
the issues raised in a "Tools 4 Trialogue" session
your experiences of interfaith with 3ff or elsewhere
what it means to be a person of faith in British society today
anything else that’s on your mind

Get writing - we can't wait to hear from you. This is not a questionaire - it's YOUR space to express yourself!

"Discussing faith is a liberating experience"

I went to the Three Faiths Forum through a Religious Studies enrichment programme at my college, and I found the discussions very useful. They helped me to understand different parts of the religious texts that Jews and Muslims follow. As a Catholic Christian I found hearing different people’s opinions of the Bible really liberating - it almost reinforced my faith a little bit more in that sharing that sense of community brought my faith back to life. At the same time it was just as liberating hearing opinions from others from different faiths. It has made me appreciate the diversity of London students, and how we’re not as bad a people portray us in the media.

- Posted Thursday 12th June 13:46 - - -

Leah Jamie Kershaw is a student at City & Islington College who attended the Enrichment stream "Talking Religion" which featured 3ff's Tools 4 Trialogue programme. To find out more about Tools 4 Trialogue and our other educational programmes, please contact our Education Team on 3ff.edu@threefaithsforum.org.uk.

"At the Hub and On the Road with 3ff"

This week I have carried out my work experience at the Three Faiths Forum Youth Division. I chose to volunteer with the 3ff team to find out more about their work after getting a taster session at my own school last year.

The team here are all such amazing and enthusiastic people who work hard to educate the youth in today’s day and age. They welcomed me into their ‘faith hub’ and I truly enjoyed their company. I have met some fantastic people who have inspired me to look into a future educating the community.

I carried out various tasks but the most exciting was accompanying the facilitators on their visits to schools and colleges to carry out workshops. My favourite experience was acting as co-facilitator at one of the sessions as it was something I had never done before. I myself do feel that I have gained a huge deal from the time I have spent at the Three Faiths Forum because I had the opportunity to hear the views and opinions of many different people on their religious beliefs, and observed many similarities and differences between the three Abrahamic faiths.

It is fundamental in our society today to understand and respect the beliefs of other people in order to enjoy life together. The work of the three faiths forum is indeed fulfilling and beneficial and I would encourage you all to volunteer and be a part of what they do. It has been such a memorable and delighting experience which I am grateful to have had.

- - Posted Thur 15th May 09:58 - - -

Munira Noor is a year 10 student from Azhar Academy Muslim girls' school in Forrest Gate. The session she co-facilitated was a Tools 4 Trialogue workshop "Relationships between Men and Women" at Kingston College in South London. If, like Munira, you would like to come to 3ff for work experience or to volunteer, please contact Debbie on debbie@threefaithsforum.org.uk.

"According to these texts, I'm as free as a dog on a leash..."

I come from a faith background, I'm actually a Christian. Personally I found the session, sorry, BOTH sessions [on “Freedom of Choice” and “Relationships between men and women”] really helpful in allowing me to understand the religious views of Christianity, religious views of Muslims and Jews, and really it was my first time to talk to anyone of other faiths with such depth and understanding. However, I still stand by my opinions about freedom of choice, the belief that the freedom we are given [according to the texts] is the equivalent to a dog on a leash. In the texts, it feels to me that we don't have a choice about how we live, I feel that there is a set of rules we MUST abide by...and if we don't that’s eternal damnation? I live a life for those I care for, I would do anything for those I love and I don't like the thought that at the end of the day my life is judged by a huge mystic being that will tell me I have lived a bad life - thus am I going to be punished?

...Freedom for me is the ability to show those I love how much I care, Freedom for me is self expression. The relationship between and a man and a woman? I feel, that it shouldn't be much of a contract, it's the joining of two people and not a business proposition. I don't share the belief that sex should be kept in a marriage. Further raising more issues about our freedom, if two people are in love isn't that enough? I don’t agree with promiscuity though. Men And Women are level and equal.

Also, I think as people our biggest problem is our inability to work together.

- - - Posted Thur 24th Apr 15.13 - - -

John Paul Jimenez, 17, is a 6th Form student at Cardinal Hinsley Mathematics and Computing College who participated in two Tools 4 Trialogue sessions, one on "Freedom of Choice" and one on "Relationships between Men and Women." To find out more about Tools 4 Trialogue and our other educational programmes, please contact our Education Team on 3ff.edu@threefaithsforum.org.uk.

"The things that unite us are greater than those that divide"

"I’ve never really spoken to anyone of another religion - this really opened my eyes."

"As British people we have a connection, and so it was good to learn that the things that unite us are greater than the things that divide."

"It was a good chance to come out of our bubbles, get together and find out our similarities seem to outweigh our differences."

"I think it’s important that all faiths come together to discuss problems in the world so that solutions will be produced more efficiently."

"I felt the session was exceedingly informative and helped me gain greater understanding of the similarities and differences between the three faiths."

"I really enjoyed today and hope more things happen."

"Interfaith is important to link and emphasize the differences and similarities of our religions."

- - - Posted Thur 17th Apr 16.28 - - -

Triablogs written by Jewish, Christian and Muslim students aged 15-17 at our School Linking Programme in London. For further information about recent 3ff linking days see our Events page.

"Political Trialogue makes all our communities richer"

As a second year Politics and International Relations student, when I heard about the Undergraduate ParliaMentors Scheme, I was keen to take part. I am only halfway through the programme but I have already gained invaluable experience of the political world, which has directly resulted from my participation. Some of the things I have done to date include: sitting in on a committee, attending a reception held by the Conservative Muslim Forum and listening to a talk by the British Ambassador to Israel. Meeting and working with people from other faiths has been a highlight of the programme. I feel that it is important for different faiths to engage with each other, especially in the political world as we all need to work together to ensure that the best possible outcomes are achieved. I believe that we should all take the time to listen to each other, work together and produce the results that will make all of our communities richer. The Undergraduate ParliaMentors Scheme is proving to be a positive step in the right direction towards accomplishing this.

- - - Posted Tue 25th Mar 13.11 - - -

Yasmina Hedhli is a Muslim student of Politics and International Relations at Royal Holloway, and a participant on the Undergraduate ParliaMentors Programme run by the Three Faiths Forum. Participants work in groups of three (one from each of the three Abrahamic faiths; Christianity, Islam and Judaism), alongside an MP who mentors, whilst they develop a project together. In addition the group intern with an NGO. To find out more about this programme, and how you can apply next year contact the Three Faiths Forum on UP@threefaithsforum.org.uk

"There is so much you can learn"

Interfaith is important because you need to learn about other religions, and how they perceive you and others. The Trialogue experience was useful as it explained about free will about different religions.

To be a person of faith in British Society is important for me as it gives you identity...

Sharki – Woking College

Today made me realize more about my religion, as well as the other religions, Judaism and Christianity. The Trialogue was very useful as I not [only] read about my religion, I actually read the Christian and Jewish points of view on free will. Being a person of faith in society is interesting - there is so much you can learn.

- - - Posted Tues 11th Mar 10.35 - - -

Haider and Sharki are both 6th-formers at Woking College and take part in the Windsor Fellowship scheme.

Truth-seekers: The University as an Ideal Society

The first conversation the three of us had together, following the reception for the new ParliaMentors programme, was about death penalties and weapons trade. Heavy topics for a first meeting, perhaps, but heaviness is an expected feature in our communication. Considering our backgrounds –Islam, Christianity and Judaism, or, to put it differently: Singapore, Pakistan and Israel - violence, sadly, is one of the troubles we have in common.

I've never been religious. However, atheistic or agnostic as some of us may be, it doesn't take much effort to see what powerful influence religions have on our lives. Being a student in London, surrounded by an endless amount of people from different traditions and faiths, it's impossible to ignore the problems. Our universities are fragmented, divided to different social groups which are many times determined by identification with a certain belief, nationality or ethnicity.

The university is a place that, ideally, can grow a unique society: a group of truth-seeking scholars, who collaborate with each other and exchange knowledge and ideas; people who constantly question the social structure around them. However, our existing university is different. Instead of using the various backgrounds we have got - thanks to our differences- most of us prefer to stay in the cosy bubble they have come from.

In our ParliaMentors group, we've chosen to research the potential our educational institutions have got, not as certificate-providers, but rather as ideal environments for cross-cultural integration to occur. With the encouraging support of the Three Faiths Forum and our mentoring MP, Louise Ellman, it all seems like very interesting research to take part in. And the results? Well, even if great solutions would take a long time to construct - at least in our future meetings we will be able to discuss more positive ideas than the death penalty.

- - - Posted Weds 19th Mar 10.45 - - -

Stav Shafir is a Jewish student of Journalism and Sociology at City University, and a participant on the Undergraduate ParliaMentors Programme. To find out more about this programme, and how you can apply next year contact the Three Faiths Forum on UP@threefaithsforum.org.uk