Valleys Taskforce

The Valleys Taskforce wants to hear the views of people who work and live in the south Wales valleys to help shape the valleys communities for the future.

It would be great if you can engage with the talk valleys programme and help spread the word by sharing the different ways people can get involved to your family, friends, colleagues and relevant stakeholders.

There is a Talk Valleys online survey or views and comments can be sent to the TalkValleys mailbox.

If you follow social media, then follow the Talk Valleys facebook page and use #TalkValleys on Twitter. (wg_communities)

We’ll also be sending out a regular Talk Valleys e-mailer so if you, friends, family or stakeholders want to keep up to date with the progress of the taskforce then please send us the email addresses.

We hope you can help to get as many people engaged to #TalkValleys.

Diolch / thanks

Robin Grossmann

Cymorth Tîm Cydraddoldeb / Equality Team Support

Adran Cydraddoldeb a Ffyniant / Equality and Prosperity Division

Y Grwp Addysg a Gwasanaethau Cyhoeddus / Education and Public Services Group
Llywodraeth Cymru / Welsh Government
Merthyr Tudful / Merthyr Tydfil

CF48 1UZ

Ffôn / Tel:  (0300) 025 7750

Ebost / Email: Robin.Grossmann@Cymru.GSI.Gov.UK

Buddhist Council of Wales working for Buddhists in Wales

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

8th March – ‘Inspirational Women’ an interfaith event for International Women’s Day, organised by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Nor’dzin Pamo (BCW Chair) was one of the speakers.
15th March – Interfaith Council for Wales event at the Cardiff Reform Synagogue
16th March – Interfaith Council for Wales meeting. Lin Ashby spoke about the Charities Commission (see below for more details of this meeting).
28th March – ‘Has Wales Become a Godless Society?’ – Gorwel Debate (please see Nor’dzin’s personal blog for more details of this event) 
30th March – BCW bi-annual meeting (see separate post for details) 
3rd April – Faith Communities Forum meeting, with the First Minister and other AMs (see below for more details of this meeting).

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

7th March – The Muslim Council of Wales conference with partners in Wales exploring a community based response to violent extremism.
Race Equality First – Youth Against Violent Extremism Project  – 4 visits to churches and mosques

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 someone from one of our Member Organisations attend this? Please contact the Buddhist Council of Wales at buddhistcouncilwales(at)gmail.com if you can help.

Interfaith Council for Wales meeting 16th March
Lin Ashby is the lead on faith-based charities for the Charities Commission. Many of Lin Ashby’s comments may be relevant to Buddhist groups and organisations:

• if you have a constitution you are probably acting like a charity
• even if you are not a charity, but work in that way, you need to observe the principles laid down by the Charities Commission
• Trustees should reflect the organisation’s remit and be diverse (gender, age, able/disabled, etcetera)
• buck stops with the Trustees – they are in charge
• the Governing Document of an organisation should include how to deal with a conflict of interest, and with disagreement, and include length of time in post for officers
• a Code of Conduct is good to have

She will be offering free workshops for organisations. The BCW will let you know when these are arranged.

The TSPC (Third Sector Partnership Council) has proved its value and been successful in a couple of its faith-based campaigns:

• Local Government wished to end Communities First. The TSPC succeeded in convincing government of the importance of Communities First and the problems that would arise if it was ceased to exist for those benefiting from its work. The government has changed its policy with regard to Communities First.
• Jewish, Hindu, Sikh, and Muslim communities have religious requirements with regard to burial arrangements. Health and Social Care are now addressing these issues.

Faith Commuities Forum meeting 3rd April

• Syrian refugees
• Community Cohesion
• Valleys Task Force
• Budget Engagement

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)

Faith Community Forum meeting

Faith Communities Forum Meeting

31 October 2016

Ngakma Nor’dzin attended representing the Buddhist Council of Wales.

Matters arising from the minutes: 

Question of unrepresented Faiths – this is an ongoing discussion within the Interfaith Council – will report later

Agenda Item 1: Free movement of people post EU Referendum

Carwyn Jones mentioned 6 principles – 2 of which are that EU citizens can remain; and that we will resist bigotry, racism, the open expression of racist view

Agenda Item 2: Human Rights Act – Discussion

The Human Rights Act is being replaced by a Bill of Rights –

– however, as the Human Rights Act came from EU, the Bill of Rights has been parked for now

Agenda Item 3: Hate Crime Statistics - Paul Dear, Head of Equality Team

Paul Dear reported a 72% increase in hate crime reportings post Brexit

– it is known that more than half of crimes go unreported

5 characteristics – increase in 4 out of 5

73%   relate to race                             now a 4% increase

15%   relate to sexual orientation      now a 6% increase

5%     relate to religion                        now a  42% increase

10%   relate to disability                     now a 21% increase

1%     relate to trans-gender               now an 8% decrease

Agenda Item 4: Anti-Slavery Wales – Presentation and Q&A

Steve Chapman, Welsh Government Anti-Slavery Co-ordinator

This is the only anti-slavery organisation in the UK

– awareness of slavery in Wales now

– have a modern anti-slavery act in Wales now

Buddhist Festivals

The Welsh Assembly government recently enquired about the festivals celebrated by the faiths represented at the Faith Communities Forum. Buddhism is represented at the Faith Communities Forum by the Buddhist Council of Wales. The Chair of the Council, Ngakma Nor’dzin Pamo, replied that the primary Buddhist festivals are the New Year and Wesak (Vesak).

Does your tradition focus on any other Buddhist festivals? Is there a festival that your Buddhist organisation or group would like to have brought to the attention of the Welsh Assembly Government? If so, please do contact the Buddhist Council of Wales to let us know and we will forward the information.

Welsh Assembly Government Faith Communities Forum Meeting 24/10/2012

Some of the agenda items discussed at this meeting:

1. Chaplaincy – continued support from the Welsh Government
2. Nation of Sanctuary – Welsh government backs the bid for Wales to become recognised as a Nation of Sanctuary 
3. Presentation with regard to the ‘Tackling Poverty Strategy’ – focus on material needs; the Forum raised the point that faith communities can offer support in terms of the spiritual needs of those in poverty; a means of communication with regard to such possible support to be explored
4. Organ Donation Consultation update – some representative raised concerns over the bill to move towards a opt-out system in Wales; concerns discussed around the wording of the bill seeming to differ from the expressions of its application
5. Prayers at Council Meetings – is it necessary for the Welsh government to intervene to allow prayers to be on the agenda at Council meetings

The Buddhist Council of Wales is the medium for all Buddhists in Wales to have a voice with the Welsh Assembly Government through its participation in the Faith Community Forum. If any Buddhist, Buddhist group, Buddhist tradition or lineage wish to make any comment or offer an opinion on any of these items, or have a topic that you feel should be raised with the Welsh Assembly Government, please contact the Buddhist Council of Wales – there is a contact form on the website.  

Visit from Assembly Government

On 7th July Andrea Adams, Secretary of the Welsh Government Faith Communities Forum, and her associate Jo Glenn, visited Ngakma Nor'dzin, the Chairperson of the Buddhist Council of Wales.  Andrea Adams is visiting representatives of all the faiths who send representatives to the Assembly's Faith Communities Forum as part of her orientation to her new rôle as Secretary.

Nor'dzin reports on the meeting as follows:
"Andrea and Jo asked many interesting questions.  They clearly had researched the principles of Buddhism and were interested to find out about my thoughts on various issues.  We discussed the Buddhist attitude towards organ donation; whether there were special Buddhist Holy Days that they should try to avoid when calling meetings; they asked about the form that Buddhist practice takes – such as meditation, mantra, chant, song, visualisation.
      I took Andrea and Jo up to see our shrine room, decorated in traditional Nyingma Buddhist style.  They enquired whether there was a particular image or icon that should be present in a shared faith room with regard to Buddhism. 
     One specific query was with regard to the recent government consultation document about same-sex civil partnership.  They said that one Buddhist had expressed a possible problem with the use of the word 'forever' for the vow a couple would make.  I suggested that this could have been because of the Buddhist view of the impermanence of everything, or because of the vow being made for the relationship in this lifetime only, as rebirth is a key tenet of Buddhism.
     I explained to Andrea and Jo about the importance of the teacher in Buddhism – how there were many and various forms of Buddhist practice and that the style of particular Buddhist groups would reflect the practice style of their teacher.  I expressed that unfortunately this can mean that Buddhist groups tend to be rather separate and not interact with one another.  This discussion about the teacher in Buddhism prompted a question about the Dalai Lama, and I expressed that all Buddhists would respect the Dalai Lama, but that he was not a 'Buddhist Pope' – that the Dalai Lama is the head of the Gélug school of Tibetan Buddhism, but that there were three other schools of Buddhism within Tibetan Buddhism itself, as well as numerous other forms of Buddhism quite different in style to Tibetan Buddhism.

They had one particular question about the Buddhist Council of Wales's website, which was why there was a 'members' page and an 'other' groups page.  I replied that it was necessary for members to be active and send a representative to our twice yearly meetings for the Council to function.  Those on the 'members' page were those that were currently active members.
     I enjoyed Andrea and Jo's visit and appreciated their taking the time to talk to me.  I believe my replies to their questions offered a broad view of Buddhism in Wales."