The Big Conversation held at University of Manchester SU in June brought together twenty-five staff and officers from across the UK to share their ideas and experiences of organising interfaith activities on campus.

The event also allowed us to know what further support students’ unions need and help NUS set priorities for the Interfaith Project in 2012/13.

During the day we discussed:

• What activities students’ unions have organised in the past – what’s worked well and what’s worked less well
• What students’ unions were trying to change through their interfaith activities and projects
• What barriers and opportunities existed
• What the bigger picture for interfaith activities and good campus relations on campus might be

All the discussions were captured on the tables. These were then collated during the event into two graphics

We are developing a workshop around these two graphics which students’ unions will be able to use to develop their own interfaith activities.

During the day we also had presentations from students who have organised major interfaith events at their institutions.

Anja Fahlenkamp, Anti-Racism Officer at SOAS presented on her experience of organising the SOAS Interfaith Music Festival held in April 2012. Download her presentation here.

Alex Balcombe, Chair of the Interfaith Association at University of Birmingham Guild of Students presented on their experience of organising Around the world in 8 faiths event, which had over 1,200 student attend.  .

If you want to find out more about how to organise interfaith activities at your students’ union you could come along to one of the following events:

Building good interfaith relations Training, 6th September

National Student Interfaith Forum, end of November

Also take a look at the NUS Interfaith Toolkit here.

For more information on this event or the NUS Interfaith Project please contact kat.luckock@nus.org.uk (Interfaith Coordinator) or Pete Mercer, VP for Welfare (pete.mercer@nus.org.uk)