Competencies

INTRODUCTION

• Explain that the main aim of this exercise is to enable faith actors to become on-the-ground defenders of a respectful and impartial approach to all religions and beliefs. 

• An additional purpose of this activity is to widen the cultural and spiritual foundation of modern human rights norms by grounding the in corresponding faith traditions. 
• Share some examples of faith quotes with participants. See the Resources tab and Faith Quotes tab for examples. 

ACTIVITY & DISCUSSION

• Participants identify additional religious or belief-based quotes for commitment IV on non-discrimination.
• The facilitator should encourage each participant to share their religious or belief-based quotes.
• Encourage participants to discuss the faith quotes that are presented as well as those included in the materials for this activity. 

CONCLUSION

• Through this exercise, the facilitator should aim to widen the cultural and spiritual foundation of modern human rights norms of the participants by grounding them in corresponding faith traditions.

• How can identifying quotes from various faiths enable you and others to become defenders of a respectful and impartial approach to all religions and beliefs?
• What similiarities are displayed between faith quotes from different religions or belief systems?

• Participants should be encouraged to utilize any religious or belief-based text they choose. 
• While Module 4 only has one specified faith quote, the following list of quotes were provided by the attendees of March 2017 workshop which produced the Beirut Declaration on Faith for Rights. Attendees could be presented with this list for discussion.

  “There are as many paths to God as there are souls on Earth.” (Rumi)

  “Whoever preserves one life, is considered by Scripture as if one has preserved the whole world.” (Talmud,
  Sanhedrin, 37,a).

  “Someone who saves a person’s life is equal to someone who saves the life of all.” (Qu’ran 5:32)
  

  “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and with your entire mind;
  and your neighbour as yourself.” (Luke 10:27)
  

  “Let them worship the Lord of this House who saved them from hunger and saved them from fear.” (Sourat
  Quraish, verses 3,4)
  

  “A single person was created in the world, to teach that if anyone causes a single person to perish, he has
  destroyed the entire world; and if anyone saves a single soul, he has saved the entire world.” (Mishna
  Sanhedrin 4:5)
  

  “Let us stand together, make statements collectively and may our thoughts be one.” (Rigveda 10:191:2)
  

  “Just as I protect myself from unpleasant things however small, in the same way I should act towards others
  with a compassionate and caring mind.” (Shantideva, A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life)
  

  “Let us put our minds together to see what life we can make for our children.” (Chief Sitting Bull, Lakota)

  “We have designed a law and a practice for different groups. Had God willed, He would have made you a single
  community, but He wanted to test you regarding what has come to you. So compete with each other in doing
  good. Every one of you will return to God and He will inform you regarding the things about which you differed.”
  (Qu’ran 5, 48)
  

  “Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch.” (Bahá’u’lláh)

  “We perfected each soul within its built in weakness for wrong doing and its aspiration for what is right.
  Succeeds he or she who elevate to the path of rightness.” (Qu’ran 91, 7-9)

  “Mankind is at loss. Except those who believe in doing righteous deeds, constantly recommend it to one another
  and persist in that vein.” (Qu’ran 103, 3)

  “Faith is grounded in the heart when it is demonstrated by deeds.” (Hadith)

  “People are either your brothers in faith, or your brothers in humanity.” (Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib)
  

  “On the long journey of human life, Faith is the best of companions.” (Buddha)

  “Oh you believers, why don’t you practice what you preach? Most hateful for God is preaching what you don’t
  practice.” (Qu’ran 61: 2-3)
  

  “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge
  fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.” (Proverbs 31:8-9)

  “We will ask each of you about all what you have said and done, for you are accountable” (Quran, Assaafat, 24)
  

  “Every man’s work shall be made manifest.” (Bible, 1 Corinthians iii. 13)

  “Whoever witnesses an injustice or wrong doing should change its course by his hand. If He or she cannot do
  that, they by his words. If he or she is unable to do that then by their hearts. This would be the weakest of acts of
  faith” (Hadith

• The #Faith4Rights modules are flexible and require adaptation by the facilitators before their use. Case studies related to peer-to-peer exercises in the 18 modules need to be selected by the facilitators from within the environment where the learning takes place. The #Faith4Rights toolkit is a prototype methodology that requires contextualization, based on the text of the 18 commitments, context and additional supporting documents.
• Not all issues raised need to be resolved. This would be an impossible and even a counterproductive target. The aim is rather to enhance critical thinking and communication skills, admitting that some questions could receive many answers, depending on numerous factors.
• Tensions may occur during discussions related to “faith” and “rights”. Most of these tensions are due to human interpretations. Learning sessions are spaces for constructive dialogue in a dynamic process where tensions can be reduced with the help of clear methodologies, including pre-emptive situation analysis and evidence of positive results in areas of intersectionality between faith and rights.
• When preparing the sessions, facilitators need to factor in the profile, age and backgrounds of participants. Focused attention on the learning objectives can transform tensions into constructive exploration of new ideas.
• Meaningful engagement requires democratically pre-established rules. Facilitators should dedicate time with participants to elaborate these rules together at the outset and acting all along the training as their custodians.
• The time frames suggested in this #Faith4Rights toolkit are merely indicative. Facilitators may adapt them freely to suit the needs of their group of participants. The key balance is between respecting the overall timeframe while not cutting short a positive exchange momentum.
• To ensure optimal and sustainable benefit, facilitators may create a “training notebook” for participants during their peer-to-peer learning sessions. It would contain a compilation of templates to help participants keep track of what they have learned throughout the programme and eventually use this notebook as their personalised follow-up tool.
• When technically feasible, facilitators are also advised to project the module under discussion on screen in order to alternate between discussions thereon and showing the audio-visual materials listed in each module or any other items selected by the facilitator themselves.

“Then Peter began to speak: ‘I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism.’” (Acts 10:34)