The Eastbourne Faiths Forum is about sharing news and views, listening and raising understanding in a respectful and open environment.
Eastbourne’s Faith Forum had its first meeting in January 2008. It was established to provide a platform for faith communities to share their views and to work together on common interests and concerns. Since its inception membership has grown and a lot of trust has built up between the faiths represented.
Aim and purpose of the forum
The forum has an agreed aim and purpose as follows:
Aim: The Eastbourne Faiths Forum is a resource to enable different faith communities to explore what interfaith may look like in the Eastbourne area.
Our core aims are:
- To build and maintain good relationships based on mutual respect
- To encourage better understanding of each other’s faith
- To provide a forum for discussing matters of mutual concern and to provide a voice to express common concerns as and when appropriate
- To provide a forum that enables other bodies to consult with the different faith communities in our area
- To organise appropriate interfaith activities
The Faiths Forum respects and values the faith of the other person; hence it does not seek to find a common denominator on which all agree, nor to convert the other person to another faith within the Forum.
Our core aims are our main purpose but we also help to:
- Raise awareness among statutory and voluntary organisations in regard to how engaging with faith communities can help to break down barriers within society and improve services across the town
- Strengthen Eastbourne Borough Council’s equality work and to specifically monitor progress against actions set out in the Council’s Equality Scheme and evaluate the outcomes
- Share information and highlight good practice
Membership
Forum members consist of representatives from: a variety of Christian churches; Eastbourne Mosque; the Eastbourne Orthodox Jewish Congregation and Liberal Jewish Community; Paganism; Christian Scientists; Quakers; The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints; Buddhism; Seventh-day Adventists and Humanist Society. Information is also shared with other religions and beliefs represented in the town, who are not able to send a representative along to meetings.
You do not need to have specific religious or faith beliefs to join us - everyone is welcome!
