Durham University Campus Dialogue Iftar and Diversity Dinner

Campus Dialogue Iftar and Diversity Dinner, organized by the Dialogue Society North East Branch, St Aidan's College - Durham University and North East Diversity, Education and Solidarity (NEDES).

The event is scheduled to take place on the 3rd of April 2023, Monday at 18:30hrs, and the theme for this year's event is "Ramadan is Community & Inclusion”.

The objective of this occasion is to bring people together from varying backgrounds and foster inter-social and intercultural understanding among individuals of all faiths and non-faiths, as well as diverse students from Durham University. Additionally, it is a celebration of the month of Ramadan and other festive occasions like Nowruz, Holi, Passover, Easter, Vaisakhi, Nowruz, Mahavir Jayanti, Ridvan, and Theravada, all of which occur in March and April.

The event will be around a dinner table with; Traditional Turkish food, distinguished guest speakers, presentations about the theme, incorporating prayer, live music, art display, kahoot game, raffle, Speed Dialogue workshop and more.

“Ramadan is Community and Inclusion”

Ramadan, the holy month of fasting, is a significant religious observance for Muslims worldwide. It is a month-long period of fasting, prayer, and acts of charity.

One of the key aspects of Ramadan is community and inclusion. During Ramadan, Muslims are encouraged to invite friends, family, and even strangers from the entire community to join them in breaking the fast at sunset. Breaking the fast through Community Iftar is a tradition that promotes hospitality, community building, and inclusivity to support one another and strengthen their bonds of community.

The Dialogue Society recognizes the potential of “Community Iftar and Diversity Events” to bring together diverse communities beyond the Muslim community. By utilizing the several faith festivities that will coincide with Ramadan, such as Christian Easter, Jewish Passover, Hindu Holi, Sikh Vaisakhi, the Jain Mahavir Jayanti, the Bahai festival of Ridvan, and the Theravada Buddhist New Year (all fall on March and April), we can create opportunities for people from different faiths and no-faiths and all backgrounds to come together, celebrate, and spark dialogue on how to further inclusion and tackle the many uncertainties we live with today, such as cost-of-living, inequality, energy crisis, post-pandemic issues, climate change, etc.

This initiative of “Community Iftar and Diversity Events” seeks to create a space where communities can come together to share experiences, discuss challenges, and explore ways to overcome them and establish partnerships with individuals and organizations throughout the UK to promote community resilience and inclusivity.