Youth & Faith Community Conference

Youth & Faith Community Conference

Deeplish Community Centre in Rochdale held a Youth & Faith Community Conference on 23 January.

The conference stemmed from a community engagement initiative, bringing together leaders, young people and parents from all faiths, cultures and backgrounds.

Attia Irshad and Sohail Hussain, Deeplish Community Centre Youth Leaders, who planned the project, said: “This project has been designed in consultation with local councillors, young people and community groups. The main purpose was to engage with young people and parents and to provide them with information, advice and guidance on youth and faith matters. Involving young people, parents to engage tackling extremisms and radicalisation issues and fear within community, parents and young people. Ensure peace, safety, positive messages and behaviour in neighbourhoods. Faith and community culture are very important and we must promote this in our efforts to promote community cohesion."
Scholar and education expert, Maulana Fazal Dad, from Bradford, gave advice on how to live, work and support each other in a cohesive society.

He emphasised on importance of tolerance, cohesion and bringing together people from different faiths and backgrounds. He concluded with his experience of faith trails in Bradford, which helped the community to learn, staying safe and addressed community unity.

Father Paul Daly, from Our Lady and St Joseph’s Parish in Heywood, spoke about the importance of cohesive faith, community dialogue and social understanding about local community matters. He also provided an overview of how interfaith works and how in Rochdale it's keeping communities united and cohesive.

Police & Crime Commissioner, Tony Lloyd, said: “There is community cohesion and people live together. This is something we all need to celebrate and be proud of."

Mr Lloyd mentioned that during the recent flooding in Rochdale many members of Muslim community were out helping and working hard looking after their neighbours who suffered due to flooding. They helped neighbours and community members regardless of their ethnic background and religion. He said this is what Rochdale is about, working together and helping each other. He said: “We stand together whether in hardship or in good times."

Mr Lloyd thanked everyone involved with organising the conference before meeting with local community members, young people and leaders to discuss the importance of community cohesion.

Councillor Mohammed Zaman said: “It is good to see representatives from Deeplish Youth Project, Rochdale Youth Service, the Council of Mosques, Early Break, parents, community leaders and key members from diverse faith backgrounds.

"The community centre is heavily engaged in promoting messages of peace, race, community cohesion, health and well-being and caring.”

Sohail Ahmad, manager at Deeplish Community Centre added: “This project has acknowledged good values and a positive message on the importance of community cohesion and engagement whilst living in a diverse society.

"The project aimed to enhance youth leadership and increase access to the range of youth provision and activities in the neighbourhoods."

Mr Ahmad said he appreciated the participation of the chairman of the Multifaith Partnership, Robin Parker, in sharing his experience of community cohesion in the borough.