Minutes:
The Committee welcomed Dr Abdalla Yassin Mohamed. He advised that the Onyx Link Foundation is a non-profitable company that has been established to achieve several objectives in two main areas: promotion of social wellbeing through education and training and improving community relations through empowering interfaith communities (67% in the UK; 84% worldwide) and the rest of society for advancing active national and global citizenship.
The Committee were given a brief presentation. The Onyx Link Foundation is an interfaith organisation with aspirations to get people moving together and raising awareness of faiths. Committee members were advised of the next Onyx Link Foundation meeting taking place at the Celtic Manor on the 1st May ay 9am.
The Foundation advised they have devised programs for dealing with inclusion of those who may be isolated from mainstream education, radicalisation or other issues. They shared their research and raise awareness at presentations. Dr Abdalla shared the outcome of the last conference held on 10th May 2018 and explained it is the ownership for Interfaith leaders and Committees to attend.
Dr Mohamed how important it is to acknowledge beliefs in committees across Wales. Onyx is not imposing or dictating beliefs. The OLF is inspired and guided by the belief that humans are one family, sharing one home – earth, and its natural resources to survive. They believe that happiness resides in interacting upon morality and bonding with love. The OLF seeks to encourage good community work by promoting awareness of active national and global citizenship
Faith leaders were mentioned in the presentation, however despite Humanists not being faith based, the Humanist representative on SACRE suggested Wales Humanists might like to be involved in this work. . OLF advised that Humanists are included and had recently been in touch with Ruth from Humanists UK, hopefully a representative will be attending the conference. PW, the EAS adviser informed the Committee that Kathy Riddick from Humanists UK recently gave a presentation at Caerphilly SACRE and that there were seemed to be many shared values between Wales Humanists and the OLF.
The Committee praised the hard work in the presentation and thanked OLF for its dedication to bring Faith and communities together.
Members asked whether schools could access the information as there had been a isolated few incidents and tensions within communities. Schools are always looking at ways to work with children to improve relationships. OLF advised that they have been working with schools for the past several years in Cardiff by attending assemblies and visiting schools. Today they are due to visit Bassaleg school. The OLF are happy to work with whoever, and schools are free to contact. Workshops are also designed to discuss radicalisation and Islamophobia.
HT advised she works in a school and hadn’t heard of OLF, she will raise awareness with the clusters and circulate contact details.
The Committee thanked the Onyx Link Foundation for attending and for their presentation.
SACRE members were invited to attend the Wales Inter Faith Conference organised by OLF on 1 May 2019 in Newport.
Agreed:
Copies of Declarations to be sent to SACRE clerk.
SACRE clerk to send information of OLF to schools.