|TOP|The Yorkshire and Humber Faiths Forum has come up with an innovative way of bringing members of different faith communities in the area together. This June the forum will be holding its first Food Festival.

The region-wide event aims to bring people of all faiths and backgrounds together to share food and foster greater solidarity between the local faith communities.

Director of the Yorkshire and Humber Faiths Forum, Inderjit Bhogal, invited all faith communities to participate in the unique event: “Food is celebrated in many ways by all faith communities. Food and hospitality stories from all faiths abound. We can share our distinctive cuisine with each other with pride. We can build community cohesion and good relationships by eating with each other.

Faith organisations and groups are encouraged to join in the festival by organising their own events within their local communities

|AD|“Let us all organise something in our communities, show togetherness and present a strong challenge to those who seek to divide us,” said Bhogal.

It is hoped that the multi-faith festival will give participants a positive taster of life from a different background and foster closer relations as well as spur more multi-faith initiatives.

The Yorkshire and Humber Faiths Forum is a committed defender of the unique role played by faith communities and faith groups in the region and also works to end discrimination against faith.

Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, attended the launch of the Faiths Forum om December 2005 when he said: “It is very important that the voices of people of faith are heard by policy makers in the region, and that faith communities work together for peace and justice in our villages, towns and cities.

“I believe that the new Yorkshire and Humber Faiths Forum has a tremendous opportunity to enable this to happen and to make sure that the positive contributions faith communities make in Yorkshire and the Humber become more widely known and valued.”

The Food Festival is scheduled to take place June 11th.