Welcome

Welcome to the Buddhist Council of Wales site. Here you will find details of events, information and news relating to the organisations which are members of the Council and also to other Buddhist organisations – a resource for all Buddhists in Wales.

Wednesday 15 March 2017

Historical context: Buddhist Council of Wales; Rhodri Morgan comment on Faith Communities Forum

The Buddhist Council of Wales was created at the request of the Welsh Government so that there was a formal organisation that could represent Buddhists in Wales. Buddhism is one of the nine major religions in Wales and it is growing in popularity. The Welsh Government’s response to the terrorist attacks of 9/11 was to ensure that there was a healthy dialogue between the divers religions in Wales. The Interfaith Council for Wales was established, from which representatives of each religion meet with the First Minister and other politicians in the Faith Communities Forum. The Buddhist Council of Wales has upheld this commitment to the Buddhist of Wales and ensured their representation since 2004. To continue this important work active members are urgently needed to get involved.

Wales takes great pride in being a tolerant society with long-standing multicultural and multi-faith traditions which are by now deeply engrained in many of our communities. Events happening elsewhere in the world can often bring problems and tensions to the surface and the Faith Communities Forum can then provide a valuable mechanism for dialogue and close co-operation between the different faiths in Wales, the Welsh Assembly Government and political parties.

Set up in the wake of the terrorist attacks of 9/11, it has played an important role in promoting better understanding and respect between communities. It also plays a key role in addressing issues of common interest and I value greatly the contribution made by the Forum to issues which have an impact on religious communities themselves and on the wider health of good community relations in Wales.



Rt Hon. Rhodri Morgan AM, First Minister for Wales 2000-2009

(Quotation link: http://www.cytun.org.uk/interfaithwales/interfaith_eng_home.html)

Thursday 9 March 2017

The future of the Buddhist Council of Wales

The next meeting of the Buddhist Council of Wales (BCW) is on 30th March. The question has to be asked: ‘Will it be its last meeting?’

These are some of the questions that need to be addressed in the discussion of the future of the BCW:

  1. Do you want a Buddhist Council?
  2. Do you think other Buddhists in Wales want a Buddhist Council?
  3. If your answer to either 1 or 2 was ‘yes’, how can your group or organisation support the work of the BCW?
  4. If your answer to either 1 or 2 was ‘yes’, and you are not able to support the work of the BCW, how do you think it should function?
  5. Why do you think so many Buddhists groups and organisations in Wales do not join the BCW?
  6. Why do you think Buddhist groups in Wales do not actively use the BCW as a resource, such as regularly sending copy to post on this blog advertising their activities?
  7. Do you feel the BCW functions as a representative body for Buddhists in Wales?
  8. Do you have any comments or suggestions about the future of the BCW?
  9. Do you feel that the BCW should be dissolved?
  10. If your answer to 10 is ‘yes’, do you have any concerns that Buddhists in Wales would no longer be represented on the Interfaith Council for Wales, and to government via the Faith Communities Forum, if there were no longer a BCW?
If you would like to join in the discussion about the future of the BCW, please send your answers to buddhistcouncilwales@gmail.com or post them in comments on this blog. Thank you.

Tuesday 7 March 2017

Newsletter – Buddhist Council of Wales supporting Interfaith events in Wales

The following events were attended by a Buddhist Council of Wales representative:

21st December 2016 – Ngakma Nor'dzin contributed to filming at Race Equality First in support of their work fighting hate crime
2nd February 2017 Can Muslims be British? organised by the Muslim Council of Wales
16th February Ngakma Nor'dzin conducted a Buddhist funeral

Events to which a representative of the Buddhist Council of Wales was invited, but no representative was available to attend:


28th December 2016 Hannukah celebration
27th January 2017 Holocaust Memorial Day
31st January – Youth Against Violent Extremism, Cardiff United Synagogue
1st March St David's Day service
7th March
The Muslim Council of Wales conference with partners in Wales exploring a community based response to violent extremism.


Forthcoming events for which the Buddhist Council of Wales does not have an available representative:
July 20th 2017
Peace Mala Inter-faith Liturgy for World Peace at Llandaf Cathedral, Cardiff.
July 31st 2017
The Welsh National Service of Remembrance to mark the Centenary of the Third Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele) in Langemark, Belgium at 16:00 (local time)
 

Could you attend an event on behalf of the Buddhist Council of Wales?
Please contact the Buddhist Council of Wales at buddhistcouncilwales(at)gmail.com if you can help.