Surrey Neighbouring Faiths Program

May 2011 Newsletter

Hello all,
It has been an exciting month! The documentary project has been launched and has
been gaining momentum since. It has garnered attention from organizations locally
and across North America. Here is a sample of some of the feedback:
• “I’m really excited to see your project and what you’ve produced! I just took
a quick look at the toolkit and video, and it looks like a wonderful resource for
any community.” – David Sheftel, BC Council for Families
• “Congratulations on a very good documentary! You guys are way advance in
the interfaith programs. We have a lot to learn from you.” - Med Mananzal,
Diversity coordinator in Abbotsford
• “Thank you for all your hard work and dedication!” - Karen Boyett, M.A.
Executive Director, Interfaith Council of Southern Nevada
• “This is exactly the kind of resources that our North America region of United
Religions Initiative is excited about discovering and sharing with others in our
expanding community.” – Sandy Westin, URI Regional Coordinator
I could go on, but you get the picture! In summary, this project has made a very
important contribution to the interfaith movement and diversity education. We can
all feel very proud of what we have accomplished.
If you haven’t seen it already, you can watch the documentary online here. The
Toolkit that accompanies the documentary can be accessed via the link at the
bottom of this newsletter. If you would like to receive a DVD of the documentary
and Toolkit, please send your request here.
Many thanks again to our wonderful partners at Himar Productions and DIVERSEcity.
A warm welcome to anyone receiving this newsletter for the first time!

Promoting the Documentary Project

April 30 - Surrey Early Years Festival (HELP NEEDED!)
The Surrey Early Years Festival takes place on Saturday April 30th from
10:00am-2:00pm at the North Surrey Recreation Centre (10275 City Parkway,
Surrey). This fun, community event is geared towards children aged 0-6 and
their families. We will be hosting a booth again this year with a children’s
activity and place to view the documentary. Please let me know if you are
able to help with the 10:00-12:00 shift or 12:00-2:00pm shift.
May 8 – Public Screening hosted by South Fraser Unitarian Congregation
Join the South Fraser Unitarian Congregation at 10:30am on Sunday, May 8 at
the Newton Seniors Centre for a public screening of the documentary. Visit
the website for more information. If your organization or faith community
would like to host a public screening of the documentary, let me know and
we will promote it through this newsletter!
May 16 – Presentation to Interfaith Dinner and Dialogue
The Multifaith Action Society of BC cordially invites you to a dinner to explore
Interfaith in BC: What are we doing, and where would we like to go? This
event is as an opportunity to share with each other our projects, goals, and
 best practices in order to explore potential collaborations, increase
organizational effectiveness and build community connections. Participants
will have the opportunity to socialize over dinner, listen to presentations on
specific interfaith projects, and then share what they themselves are doing
and where they would like to go next. If you are interested in attending this
event, please RSVP to Marcus Hynes, Multifaith administrator, at
admin@multifaithaction.org or call 604-321-1302.
Date: Monday, May 16, 2011
Time: 6:00pm to 9:00pm
Location: Vancouver Baha'i Centre (5880 Main Street)
May 28 – Alexandra Festival
The Surrey Neighbouring Faiths Program will be hosting an information booth
and children’s activity at the Alexandra Festival on Saturday, May 28 from
11:00am – 4:00pm at the historic Camp Alexandra in Crescent Beach. This
community event attracts between 2,000 and 3,000 festival-goers! Let me
know if you’d like to help.

Leadership Opportunities
Looking for a way to get more involved?
Would you like to facilitate a workshop? Coordinate education sessions or
multifaith tours? Help with promoting and distributing? Who knows what
opportunities may arise as a result of this project! If you would like to be on
the “call list” for any opportunities that arise, please let me know what your
interests are.

Other Events this month...

May 1 - Multifaith Pilgrimage
The Multifaith Pilgrimage to Save Burns Bog takes place on Sunday, May 1,
2011 at 1:30pm. This is an important multifaith environmental event in our
community. Guest speakers include Faisal Moola, Director of Science for the
David Suzuki Foundation as well as a number of leaders in the local multifaith
community. Please share this invitation with others in your community! Visit
the Burn’s Bog website for schedule and details.

Further down the road...

June 22 – Early Childhood Educator Workshop in Burnaby
I will be presenting a workshop to early childhood educators in Burnaby. The
workshop is titled: “Honouring the Religious and Spiritual Identities of
Children in Early Childhood Education.” Let me know if you would like to
come along!
August 8-14 – Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh comes to Vancouver
Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh is one of the most beloved and
respected Buddhist teachers of our time. He is also a peace activist and
environmentalist, who addresses contemporary issues and teaches how we
can engage our spiritual practice in the world. From August 8-13, Thich Nhat
Hanh will be presenting a residential mindfulness retreat at UBC. There is a
children’s program as well, so the kids will be taken care of while parents
participate in the retreat. On August 14, he will be giving a public talk at the
Orpheum theatre. Both events are open to people of all backgrounds, faith
traditions, and levels of experience. Thich Nhat Hanh’s visit to Vancouver is
 being coordinated by Justin Love, a member of the Buddhist community that
helped out with our Multifaith Storytime Project with the Surrey Public Library.
For more information about both events, visit www.TNHVancouver2011.org

Keep in touch...
What to learn more about the Surrey Neighbouring Faiths Program? Visit our
website, watch our documentary, or look through past editions of this
newsletter. Want to stay connected? Sign up to receive this monthly
newsletter or join our Facebook group.
This newsletter contains links to other events and resources in the
community. Unless you are receiving this newsletter directly, some of the
links may be disabled. To receive this newsletter directly, sign up at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/surreyneighbouringfaiths/.
As always, I invite your comments and feedback on any aspect of the program. If
you would like to get more involved, please let me know what your interests are
and we can explore some ideas together.
In peace,
David Dalley
(604) 502-8661
davidanderin@dalley.ca

“Comforted by how much we share, we’re able to delight in our differences.”

- Raffi, from “A Covenant for Honouring Children”

Attached
Toolkit