Quakers take part in refugee conference
The Churches Refugee Network Conference was hosted by Friends House
This week Quakers were among a multi-faith group who gathered at Friends House for the Churches Refugee Network Conference.
With sanctuary as the focus, the 5 February event in the Sarah Fell room included a morning schedule with time to support and refresh those working with refugees, people seeking asylum and migrants.
Barbara Forbes, from the Quaker Asylum and Refugee Network (QARN), told the Friend: ‘We have been looking at the biblical origins of the sanctuary concept and seeing how the idea of social justice is inherent in the sanctuary movement.’
Keynote speakers included Inderjit Bhogal, leading theologian, Methodist minister and founder and president of City of Sanctuary, who introduced the concept of Churches of Sanctuary and Sanctuary Meetings. He also detailed plans to increase their presence and impact across the UK and Ireland.
In 2005, Inderjit Bhogal’s work in interfaith relations was recognised with an OBE in the New Year’s Honours list.
