On May 26th, in my role as Chair of the Buddhist Council of Wales, I  attended the annual Interfaith Network meeting.  This year the meeting was hosted by the Inter-Faith Council for Wales and held at the South Wales Baptist College in Cardiff.  The meeting was attended by representatives from the Northern Ireland Inter-Faith Forum, the Scottish Inter Faith Council, the Inter-Faith Council for Wales, and the Inter Faith Network for the UK.  The meeting was expertly chaired by Dr Harriet Crabtree, the Director of the Inter Faith Network for the UK.

This gathering is a valuable opportunity for representatives of the various UK interfaith communities to meet and share their experiences.

It was a long meeting—four and a half hours—but conducted throughout with great courtesy and respect, and with an informal and relaxed atmosphere.  I feel delighted to have made contact with such a dedicated group of people.  It was most interesting to hear of the different approaches and initiatives of the various regional interfaith organisations.  I was particularly moved by hearing of the difficulties experienced by the Inter-Faith Forum in Northern Ireland.  Their representative, Edwin Graham, has invited me to go and speak in Northern Ireland and I have accepted.