INTRODUCTION

• If desired, use the pdf worksheet found in the Resources tab. Provide this worksheet to participants.  The worksheet can be used by participants to help them organize their thoughts while exploring various questions surrounding Commitment VI

ACTIVITY

• The facilitator may choose from the following questions to facilitate discussion:

1. How can discrimination against minorities be redressed through religion? Through faith actors?
2. What should the reaction of a religious leader be when facing a situation of discrimination against a minority?
3. How should the term ‘minority’ be defined? 
4. What role does ‘religion’ play in this context? 
5. What is the relationship between “long established” religious minorities and those recently arrived in a given country, for example as immigrants or asylum seekers? 
6. Does their citizenship play a role in the context of interfaith initiatives or roundtables? 
7. How can law enforcement officials and immigration officers be trained on religious and belief diversity as well as how to ensure that different minorities are better represented at all levels? 
8. How can faith actors contribute to countering discrimination against migrants, for example by condemning any stereotyping of migrants, including on the basis of religion or belief, because they are non-citizens or have irregular status? Since commitment VI uses the strong pledge to “stand up” for the rights of persons belonging to minorities, the facilitator could encourage participants to draw up a stakeholder map vis-à-vis the different religious communities in their society, and discuss the role and responsibilities of each stakeholder, including themselves.
9. How can participants speak out against descrimination through social media?
10. How can participants speak out against descrimination through teaching and discussing with their family members and friends?

• It may be helpful to allow participants some time to think about and write responses to the questions on the worksheet prior to beginning the discussion.
• The worksheet can be used as a catalyst to start the discussion based on what the participants would like to do. 

CONCLUSION

• Since commitment VI uses the strong pledge to “stand up” for the rights of persons belonging to minorities, the facilitator could encourage participants to draw up a stakeholder map vis-à-vis the different religious communities in their society, and discuss the role and responsibilities of each stakeholder, including themselves.
• Encourage participants to share their thoughts with family members or friends. 

• How can discrimination against minorities be redressed through religion? Through faith actors?
• What should the reaction of a religious leader be when facing a situation of discrimination against a minority?
• How should the term ‘minority’ be defined? 
• What role does ‘religion’ play in this context? 
• What is the relationship between “long established” religious minorities and those recently arrived in a given country, for example as immigrants or asylum seekers? 
• Does their citizenship play a role in the context of interfaith initiatives or roundtables? 
• How can law enforcement officials and immigration officers be trained on religious and belief diversity as well as how to ensure that different minorities are better represented at all levels? 
• How can faith actors contribute to countering discrimination against migrants, for example by condemning any stereotyping of migrants, including on the basis of religion or belief, because they are non-citizens or have irregular status? 
• How can participants speak out against descrimination through social media?
• How can participants speak out against descrimination through teaching and discussing with their family members and friends?

Exploring Worksheet

Minority Rights Need More Support and Promotion, UN article 

• 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.

• “Be a lamp, or a lifeboat, or a ladder. Help someone’s soul heal. Walk out of your house like a shepherd.” (Rumi)
• “Your true character ismost accurately measured by how you treat those who can do ‘Nothin’for you.” (Mother Theresa)