Multifaith Saskatchewan

Another Issue of the News letter is available at the link below. 

Newsletter Issue 2 No. 1 April 2017 

A documentary on London Interfaith Peace Camp, a unique summer camp attended by Jewish, Muslim and Christian kids

https://youtu.be/MpYJq69Lif8

Honorable Brad Wall

Premier, Government of Saskatchewan

Room 226

2405 Legislative Drive,

Regina, SK, Canada,

S4S 0B3

Dear Premier,

Multi-Faith Saskatchewan commends the Government of Saskatchewan for opening its legislative sessions with a spiritual invocation.  As the umbrella organization for world religions in Saskatchewan, we believe it is both appropriate and important for meetings of governing bodies such as the Saskatchewan Legislature to open meetings with some form of spiritual reflection.

We believe also that this moment of reflection should be respectful of and a reflection of all faiths as well as those who do not identify with any particular faith or perhaps with no faith.

Whereas it is a common practice to open meetings with a Christian prayer, we respectfully encourage you to consider other more inclusive alternatives for an opening invocation.

Before offering our suggestion for a possible opening reflection at legislative meetings, we propose another important practice that is already in use in some legislative bodies and one that will reflect the principle mentioned earlier and is truly reflective of our history and culture.

We recommend that the Saskatchewan legislature, and all other governing bodies, open meetings with an acknowledgement of the traditional territory of our First Nations peoples who lived and walked on this land that we now call home. For meetings held in Treat Four land, such as Regina and area, the acknowledgement will include the First Nations of this territory.

Multi-Faith Saskatchewan, therefore, is honored to share the language of a possible opening “acknowledgement” at legislative meetings. The statement is as follows:

As we open this meeting of this legislative body, we acknowledge that we are representing the people who elected us to this body. We acknowledge also that we are accountable to a greater power known by many names and reflected by many images. May we have wisdom, courage and patience to do what is good and right for all.

 May we act in the spirit of collaboration, humility and kindness and a belief in the equality of all people.

We acknowledge also that we are meeting on lands that our aboriginal peoples once called home. We are all treaty people and we meet on land of the Treaty Four people, including the Cree and the Salteaux Nations and honor their stewardship of the land over generations.

(Close by inviting members to a moment of silent reflection or prayer according to their own traditions).

Multi-Faith Saskatchewan is pleased to offer to you our support, Sir,  in any way you think is appropriate to consider the issue of spiritual values and public life or more specifically on the form and content of an opening reflection to open legislative proceedings reflective of the diversity of our province.

We welcome the opportunity, if you feel it is necessary or helpful, to meet with you or your representatives, to discuss how we might support you in a way that will benefit all of the people of this province.

 I look forward hearing from you.

In faith,

Moses Kanhai

President

1.306.586.4402

Multi-Faith Saskatchewan has sent the following letter to the Premier of Saskatchewan suggesting a moment of spiritual reflection to open legislative sessions. 

Honorable Brad Wall

Premier, Government of Saskatchewan

Room 226

2405 Legislative Drive,

Regina, SK, Canada,

S4S 0B3

Dear Premier,

Multi-Faith Saskatchewan commends the Government of Saskatchewan for opening its legislative sessions with a spiritual invocation.  As the umbrella organization for world religions in Saskatchewan, we believe it is both appropriate and important for meetings of governing bodies such as the Saskatchewan Legislature to open meetings with some form of spiritual reflection.

We believe also that this moment of reflection should be respectful of and a reflection of all faiths as well as those who do not identify with any particular faith or perhaps with no faith.

Whereas it is a common practice to open meetings with a Christian prayer, we respectfully encourage you to consider other more inclusive alternatives for an opening invocation.

Before offering our suggestion for a possible opening reflection at legislative meetings, we propose another important practice that is already in use in some legislative bodies and one that will reflect the principle mentioned earlier and is truly reflective of our history and culture.

We recommend that the Saskatchewan legislature, and all other governing bodies, open meetings with an acknowledgement of the traditional territory of our First Nations peoples who lived and walked on this land that we now call home. For meetings held in Treat Four land, such as Regina and area, the acknowledgement will include the First Nations of this territory.

Multi-Faith Saskatchewan, therefore, is honored to share the language of a possible opening “acknowledgement” at legislative meetings. The statement is as follows:

As we open this meeting of this legislative body, we acknowledge that we are representing the people who elected us to this body. We acknowledge also that we are accountable to a greater power known by many names and reflected by many images. May we have wisdom, courage and patience to do what is good and right for all.

 May we act in the spirit of collaboration, humility and kindness and a belief in the equality of all people.

We acknowledge also that we are meeting on lands that our aboriginal peoples once called home. We are all treaty people and we meet on land of the Treaty Four people, including the Cree and the Salteaux Nations and honor their stewardship of the land over generations.

(Close by inviting members to a moment of silent reflection or prayer according to their own traditions).

Multi-Faith Saskatchewan is pleased to offer to you our support, Sir,  in any way you think is appropriate to consider the issue of spiritual values and public life or more specifically on the form and content of an opening reflection to open legislative proceedings reflective of the diversity of our province.

We welcome the opportunity, if you feel it is necessary or helpful, to meet with you or your representatives, to discuss how we might support you in a way that will benefit all of the people of this province.

 I look forward hearing from you.

In faith,

Moses Kanhai

President

1.306.586.4402

Friends in faith,

As I begin my term as President of Multi-Faith Saskatchewan, I am overwhelmed with a range of hopes, feelings, joys and fears.  When I think of the builders of the multi-faith movement in Saskatchewan, I am painfully aware of how inexperienced I am and how much I need to know about the potential for inter-faith to change the world.

As a provincial body, we are just barely scratching the surface of what we can do. At the moment, our focus is on supporting the work of multi-faith in communities across the province. I addition we are engaged in some provincial projects most notably the Saskatchewan Youth Visual Arts Program.

We have developed valuable and informative resources about how various faiths and world religions show their commitment to health and the environment.

There is so much more we can do. Our hearts and minds are bursting with ideas about how faiths can engage with each other, share, dialogue, and collaborate to express our common views on peace, harmony and belief in the Creator.

And so, through this opening message, I invite all Saskatchewan people of all faiths, or of no faith, to join us in this journey to create a stronger society and a better world through inter-faith understanding.

Wherever you are, in communities of any size, I urge you to find out who your neighbours are, what their faith traditions are, and learn from each other. This may lead to forming a multi-faith group of your own or simply to bring multi-faith understanding to your own faith community.

Multi-Faith Saskatchewan is committed to helping communities to make multi-faith a part of the fabric of your everyday lives.

If you want to get involved at the provincial level, please join us. Get in touch with us, become a member, attend our meetings, follow some of our activities described on our website.

I look forward to my limited time as president, to bringing whatever small gifts I have to share. But I know the journey will be easier if we all join together and bring the gifts of your faith communities and of your individual members.

I am so grateful for the confidence the membership has placed in me and I pray for the guidance of the Creator to help me earn your trust.

I wish you peace, shalom, salaam.

Moses Kanhai