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Recent Multi-Faith Events

World Environment Day
The 2005 event hosted by Multi-Faith Saskatoon took place at Resurrection Lutheran Church. In 2006 this event will take place on Jue 4 as that is the Sunday closest to June 5, World Environment Day.



Multi-Faith Calendars for sale

Printed in full colour, with captivating images and an easy to follow layout that will provide quick reference on over 140 religious and cultural occasions. As such it is a valuable resource for anyone - especially teachers, administrators and health care providers.

This calendar is published annually by the Affiliation of Multicultural Societies and Service Agencies of British Columbia, a coalition of over 80 organizations providing multicultural programs and immigrant settlement services. An extremely useful educational and management tool, the calendar continues to grow in popularity with corporations, universities, banks, hospitals, social service agencies, governments ... and now with you!

See www.amssa.org/calendar for pictures and more information.

To order: Calendars can be purchased on-line from the website above, or through www.unityarts.com/multifaithcalendar2004.html, or by contacting Multi-Faith Saskatoon. Cost is approximately $15 each.

World Religions Course in Public High Schools proves popular

The Saskatoon Public School Division initiated a world religions course in high schools in 2001. The class received very favorable response from students, parents and teachers in its pilot year. Many of the classes arrange special tours of places of worship through Multi-Faith Saskatoon. Members of MFS also make themselves available to do presentations in classes as requested.

Five of the students from that course plus two of the teachers participated in a panel at our last Annual General Meeting and demonstrated the capacity to be understanding world citizens. Here are some of the comments made by those who attended.

"Good interaction. Interesting, articulate young folk. Good to have both students and teachers and some interaction with the assembly. The presentation was like a conversation. I believe the teachers modeled what was probably created and evident in the classroom - equality, freedom - an environment that invites rather than dictates. I sense the classroom had versatility and freedom to explore and that is why students could be so spontaneous in our panel situation with their teachers there. The groundwork had truly been laid."

"I read the evaluative comments on this course published by the Saskatoon Board of Education. None of that compares to the experience of teachers, students and those assembled at the AGM coming together to exchange ideas, questions, experiences, banter, humor, spontaneity and goodwill. I liked it! Impressive that the students are so positive about the course."

"Wonderful to have students sharing their experience with us - a room full of adults - in a very free and open way. These young people demonstrated the capacity we have to be understanding, world citizens."

"Refreshing to see the students struggling with the challenges of many faiths - interesting, articulate young folk. Good to have both students and teachers and some interaction with assembly."

"Obviously a rich educational experience. The way the world is not, fear of future, young people lack hope, direction perhaps, want to understand - this class helps create more understanding, world citizens - that despite the history of religious conflict - all religions attempt to answer the big questions of life and are at their core trying to articulate the same truths. Understanding the pluralism of society."

"I enjoyed the input form the students and the teachers of the world religions course. We all agreed that the students were very articulate and the teachers had done a good job. The Board of Education should be encouraged to continue to develop and enlarge this class."

"I was absent from the AGM, but I can mention the students' response when they visited the Buddha Temple and when I was making presentations to some of the classes in their school. Hopefully, it will provide "a source of encouragement to the Board of Education regarding the development of this course and its value." The students were very interested in what they saw in the Buddha Temple and were given the opportunity to ask a lot of questions. Judging from the questions, I could detect a lot of learning, not just the knowledge, but the "training" of learning with an open mind. I felt the students really got a chance to experience another culture, religion and philosophy, not just "one dimension" learning from the books."

It was obvious from these comments that the class offers a rich educational experience. The students were articulate and candid and had a good balance of humour and depth which was perfect for the occasion. It obviously reflects on the atmosphere of open inquiry that could be created in the class room in this type of course and on the value of this course.