REPORT on a WIHW’s event in northern France on Saturday February  6^th2021 

"What Spiritualities do bring to our Common life?”    (Apports des Spiritualités au Vivre Ensemble ?)

1/ Since 2010, although various interreligious activities have been hosted in Northern France yet the United Nations ‘s initiative (A/RES/65/5) for a World Interreligious Harmony Week had remained unknown around here.

2/ In 2020 a few FPU* members in Hauts-de-France, concerned about their country’s future, generated a thoughts-harvesting-circle to heal France called:  the circle of "Friends Fond of a Respectful France."

Respect why? Simply because, on the way to a better France, it seems to us that a main objective would be to first promote more respect at all levels.

Some self-respect to begin with, then Respect between husbands and wives, between parents and children, between citizens and leaders, between different religions and spirituality, and finally to promote more respect for nature, our nourishing land.

That resulted with the setting of a series of public Zoom meetings under the overall moto:

“What Kind of France do we dream of?”

3/ Thus for that series’ second edition, on Saturday February 6^th 2021, for once here, the World Interreligious Harmony Week’s spirit could finally be honored ! About 25 guests and speakers, leaders of various local religious and civil associations, gathered via internet to passionately address the topic: “What do Spiritualities Bring to Our Common Life? (Apports des Spiritualités au Vivre Ensemble?)

To start, Chantal Nga Onana, as a warm and eloquent MC, introduced the program and the three motivated speakers who then captivated the audience:

-Othmane Iquioussen, Imam of the Raismes Mosque and co-author of "Peace be with you / Yes, religions are made to unite!",

-Vazken Eskijian, deacon of the Armenian Apostolic Church St. James, and

-Jean-Henri Vanalderwelt of the "Interfaith Association for Peace and Development". IAPD 

4/ The intention for that theme was less to put a show of inter religious diversity in dialogue, than a will to respond to laic French  society doubts whether religious bodies contribute to foster a better cohesive society? Panelists and responding listeners illustrated their answers more with concrete personal experiences than with technical theoretical explanations.

5/ They were pleased to share their personal stories and reflections, which were greatly appreciated.    Among those commentators, let us mention Abdel Malik Richard Duchaine, president of the association "Open Hands", Benedicte Suzuki, president of the association "Women in the Relief of Peace", Father Pascal Dame, diocesan catholic delegate to  interfaith relations in  north, Brice Wete-Matouba, city councillor, Karen Makosso, president of the Collective of International Solidarity Organizations for Immigrants , and Kheira, a refugee housed with her family by the couple from the FPU-Nord de France, Heidi and Denis Théry. Everyone enjoyed this deep and warm meeting.

6/ Some Highlights: - Religions invite us to surpass ourselves, to welcome without a priori, to help each other and to solve the problems of society. - They meet a fundamental need of every human being - The main principles of religions and those of the Republic being similar, let’s therefore encourage the links between politicians and religious - The value of prayer and meditation - etc. 

7/ -Find attached a French TRANSCRIPT of the various sharing’s and the POSTER for that event.

      -The link to that event’s VIDEO in French, follows here:

                        https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SS2XEKFgO4DdvdsuzGkSCUIPdhRxwMqJ/view

Thank you for your stimulating sponsoring of that annual celebration