The second in our four-part virtual conference, Faith & Belief 2040, examines the importance of affiliation to a particular religion or belief for identity and a sense of belonging.
Our discussions are informed by contributions from four guest speakers:
- Mamataj Begum (Faith and Belief Forum's Youth Council)
- Chine McDonald (Head of Community Fundraising & Public Engagement, Christian Aid)
- Dr Jagbir Jhutti-Johal (Senior Lecturer in Sikh Studies, University of Birmingham)
- Imtiaz Shams (Co-Founder, Faith to Faithless)
We explore the potential for nurturing more inclusive forms of belonging, across religious and faith communities.
- How important will religion or belief be in the UK, as elements of identity, by 2040, compared with other demographic factors such as ethnicity, gender, age, class and sexual orientation?
- With growing numbers of people identifying as non-religious, what will the impact be on the notion of religious identities as markers of social belonging?
- In what way might the trend towards younger people leaving faith groups impact on shared identities or narratives in the future?
- How might atheism, humanism and other non-religious identities play a part in supporting spiritual, social or community belonging across Britain?
Participants will have the chance to hear from each of our guest speakers before taking part in smaller breakout room discussions, and then reconvening for a final plenary and open question-and-answer session to share ideas and delve deeper into the issues discussed.
Taking part
Originally due to take place in Spring 2020, over two days at Cumberland Lodge in Windsor Great Park, Faith & Belief 2040 is taking place online via Zoom in light of pandemic restrictions.
We have reached maximum capacity for this conference, but please get in touch by emailing Emily Gow, our Programme Officer, at programmeteam@cumberlandlodge.ac.uk or register to participate via Eventbrite using the 'Join mailing list' button on this webpage.
This conference is taking place under the Chatham House Rule to facilitate a free and open exchange of views.
Conference programme
Our programme includes four separate discussions, held online via Zoom, and registrants are asked to attend all four:
Faith & Belief 2040 - Religious Diversity: Tuesday 10 November, 11am
Faith & Belief 2040 - Impacts on Identity: Thursday 12 November, 11am
Faith & Belief 2040 - Social Cohesion: Tuesday 17 November, 11am
Faith & Belief 2040 - Moral Courage: Thursday 19 November, 11am
Our freelance Research Associate, Hannah Timson, will be writing a summary report on the key themes that arise from this conference, to be published shortly.
Voluntary donations
This virtual conference is free to attend and is supported by our charitable funds.
Like all charities, Cumberland Lodge is facing difficult times during the current pandemic. If you would like to support our work, please consider making a small donation. You can do so online, via our JustGiving page here.