Exploring War, Faith and Reconciliation
Sixth-formers from across the Diocese explored war, faith and reconciliation during a recent Education Day at Salisbury Cathedral.
The day was organised by the Cathedral and the Diocesan Board of Education in response to a survey of young people in the Diocese about issues that concern them and their views on faith, in which a predominant response was that religion causes wars.
Students had the opportunity to respond in Q&A sessions with speakers Martha Jarvis who is Reconciliation Programme Coordinator for the Archbishop of Canterbury, Martyn Whittock, a recently retired history teacher and prolific author of history books, and Canon Ian Woodward, Chair of the Salisbury-Sudans link.
Martha Jarvis was in conversation with John Mann, former Dean of Belfast and now Rector of Swanage, tackling the issue of reconciliation and the role that people of faith can play in that. While Martyn Whittock, a licenced lay minister in Trowbridge, spoke to the students about the place of memory in history, Ian Woodward told the Sixth-formers about the conflict in South Sudan.
After the students had a chance to respond creatively and practically to what they had heard in one of four workshops, there was time for personal reflection in three different spaces in the Cathedral and then a joint reflection on remembrance, peace and reconciliation led by the Revd Heather Waldsax.
Feedback from students showed that it has challenged their thinking across all the areas explored including how they remember the past, how they listen to the views of others and seek to understand different points of view and the positive role faith communities can play.
Many were also inspired by the presentation and workshop from the Burns Price Foundation to consider how they can take action to build stronger communities now.
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